

Taylor Jennings is a passionate video gamer and freelance writer.

What World of Warcraft did in the realm of massive multimedia online role-playing games, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft could possibly do for the smaller but equally exciting world of card games.

High-quality games such as Blizzard’s Hearthstone might be the first step for others to follow.Īs of the moment, it seems like the game is continuing to impress more and more players. Video game titans will perhaps recognize the mobile market as a viable place to venture into. As Blizzard released the game for open beta and gears up for mobile users a few months from now, a new era will be starting. HEX and Might & Magic: Duel of Champions haven’t announced any mobile functionality, but it’s pretty safe to say that we should be expecting it.
#Hex shards of fate mac Pc#
While the card effects may not look special for casual PC users, those who will take advantage of the smartphone’s A7 chip (a desktop-class processor as mentioned in O2’s feature of the phone) will definitely notice the effort animators have put into it. The fantastic animations work wonders on the iPhone 5S. No surprises here, since everything on the board – the cards, the pegs, even the backgrounds, seem like they were made for fingers to tap on. The great thing about this design philosophy (of maintaining a simple gameplay paired with vibrant aesthetics) is obviously an answer to the video game industry’s inevitable paradigm shift.īlizzard announced in the past that Hearthstone will be available for the iOS platform. It doesn’t take more than ten seconds to figure out what a Deathrattle, Windfury, or Taunt mechanic interacts with each other. Hearthstone, while very familiar, is light and whimsical. Such a shame for a game that had so much promise, only to be riddled with overly complicated rules such as tapping, resources, and the battlefield itself, which do nothing but remind players how Magic: The Gathering is a much superior game than this one. However, on a mechanics perspective, nothing really stands out as an innovation. To give credit, I acknowledge how HEX is incorporating many elements of a traditional RPG to this untapped genre. Hearthstone settled on less clutter during release, while HEX opted for a more convoluted system. Magic has evolved into a highly complex game, which frankly, created a barrier between the long-time enthusiasts and those new to the Magic universe. Hearthstone is very much similar to Magic: The Gathering, but in a more casual setting.

#Hex shards of fate mac Offline#
With Magic: The Gathering as the Bible of all things about online and offline card games, the challenge is to create something unique but not alienating. This is where, I believe, Cryptozoic’s HEX: Shards of Fate got it wrong. Blizzard’s small team of Hearthstone developers obviously went for the more logical approach – design a game with simple, easy-to-understand mechanics without sacrificing depth. Should I hit the face or hit the cards? These are basic strategies that are surprisingly easy for anyone to learn.
#Hex shards of fate mac how to#
I have devised strategies on how to effectively mulligan my hand. I can already make advanced combos without thinking too hard. Ultimately, though, none of these matter because at its core, Blizzard’s newest creation is a game that has depth – even more depth than Diablo III could ever offer, dare we say.Īfter playing about two to five hours a day for two weeks since I received my precious beta key, I can say that I have memorized what each and every card does. Its client is still filled with bugs and crashes, cards are still limited, and the friend and chat system are as terrible as it has always been. So, what exactly makes this collectible card game so special? The graphics isn’t something to be excited about and the gameplay isn’t groundbreaking. Access to the game was limited for a very long time and beta keys were so valuable that they even fetched as much as $100 on eBay. During its closed beta, the game has been touted as a possible legitimate eSport, with independent tournaments and competitive games watched by the thousands on Twitch. There must be something about Hearthstone that cannot be said for other new releases in the past few months.
