I've played Altered and the game looks very promising!

enjoy the evening The initiative Organized by my store, I was able to play Altered, testing out several different factions in order to form a more solid opinion about the TCG. With just a few days left before the Kickstarter, and a few months before the game’s official launch in stores (hopefully in September, but delivery issues and a production crunch are hitting everyone), it’s time to give you a little preview of some additional information and my observations from the Equinox TCG.

The game has of course been playable online for a while, and the card models are also available in print. Here's what we did with the print: Two sets of cards from each faction. (Thanks to Ochazuke), by covering and placing a random card behind the print for a bit of consistency.

Modified is it nice?

So there is always the concept of personal taste and recognition of the quality of the work. So I would say the work is of high quality, the illustrations are from great artists. Globally, The change has been made and the bar has been set very high.. After that, I personally find that the diversity of factions (and the number of artists working) detracts a bit from expressing a strong identity for the game. Some visuals are gorgeous and fill me with satisfaction, others speak to me less.

For the comics, Altered alternates between poetry, paintings and drawings in the style of Miyazaki on the one hand, and on the other hand, very distinctive and radically different 3D digital treatments or textures that affect me less. So I'm waiting to see what the game will offer to form its identity, even if we can imagine multiple universes depending on the upcoming expansions.

As for the icons and edges of the card, which are the other important point in card reading, I am mixed. The positive point is that Everything is clear and readable.However, whether it's the typography, the mana squares and circles, I find them a bit generic. Perhaps the intent was not to encroach on the power of the illustrations.

Altered still has to convince me with its art direction, even if it could be exceptional very quickly. Then, it is also true that on the base cards we did not have full artwork, nor unique, nor foil. That was my opinion, the players around me were very convinced by the graphic atmosphere, with a little inequality and preferences as well. Special mention to Green faction Mona Which everyone loved.

beginning of floors

We were able to test all of the Altered initial decks, which offer really different sensations. I’ll give you my pros and cons. My opinion should be taken with a grain of salt as I haven’t played enough to tell the truth. These are simple, immediate feedback.

Positive points

The factions really have their own identity and gameplay. With Mona We put creatures that aim to survive several turns with an anchor, with Izmir We will play spells to control the progress of the expeditions, or even to set them back. Requests We will fill the board with 1-1-1 symbols and reinforce them. This deck mechanic comes up very quickly, and we understand what we need to do.

The decks are easy to play, and are designed to introduce players to Altered, so there are no difficult combinations to understand or a ton of keywords. The gameplay is confusing enough that it doesn't add complexity when you want to invite an audience into your world.

These decks are also good enough to make you want to savor the game's sensations, and these confrontations are on two sides of our board: the hero and the companion. In a few cards, we realize the depth of the game: attack or defense, the target terrain, the player with speed and reserve. Manage your mana.

Negatives

I found the decks to be a bit limited, probably because I wanted to explore more. We figured out the main combo pretty quickly, and I'm afraid the decks will be a bit One-dimensionalIt's a bit of a stretch to blame the starter deck for this, that's true. And it probably means the expected effect has worked: I want more cards to make this deck more efficient and more versatile!

the way of playing

I’ve come to the main point of this article, which is the gameplay in Altered. Bottom line, it’s excellent in every way. I really liked those parts and that racing feel.

To briefly explain what we do in Altered, it is a TCG encounter game where you try to pair your hero and his companion. They are represented by two tokens, arranged on a line of 5 land cards, opposite each other. To promote one or another of your tokens, you will have to win, each turn, on its side, by comparing the values ​​on the side of the cards played. So the cards do not face each other directly as in combat, but rather add value to the type of terrain to cross.

The terrain type (multi, forest, water, or land) will give restrictions on what element is considered for victory. You will have mana to spend to play your cards, and its cost will be indicated at the top left of each card. The other value below indicates the cost of playing it from your reserve, an area reserved for cards that have been played before in the turn.

Several phases of the day (dawn, noon, dusk, etc.) punctuate a run in Altered. Along with the different zones and their interactions, these phases add to the mechanics that we think are rich and full of potential. You'll have to choose which cards from your expedition to keep at the end of the turn (unless they contain the Anchor keyword) and most cards have an effect that is triggered from your hand, or from your reserve.

Spells allow you to return cards to the hand or reserve, and remove cards from the reserve. The points of interest in the gameplay are very numerous, see how changing It will become more complex and enriched as the extensions progress.

The only aspect missing at the moment is seeing what unique cards contribute to the game and how Regis Bonnici His team has managed to make this novelty viable. Since the cards don't have 50 different data to offer, the unique data should have a strong impact on the deck. I'm pretty sure it'll be a lot of fun, because the rewards and penalties that can be imagined are pretty crazy.

In the end, all players who participated in this transformative initiative enjoyed the experience, and myself first and foremost. And the negative points do not erase all the positives. Especially since the material used to express this opinion is the basic decks, which are essentially…basic.

I can't wait to discover the game and open my crowdfunding offers to see what Altered really has in store, but it smells good!