For those with more destructive intentions, there is a full PVP system which allows players to fight against each other with their constructed decks, or even a “sealed deck” game, where each participant buys a stock of brand new cards and may only use those to play against each other.
Yes, I said “buy”, and that is where this game goes from a solid recommendation to a warning to any potential purchaser. As this is a collectible card game as well as a videogame, there is a system of microtransactions in place for you to buy booster packs (around $2.50 per pack of eight randomized cards) and “tomes” (six boosters for the price of five). Anyone wanting to really dig into the customizability of this game is naturally going to want to have all of the potential assets it provides at their disposal, and though the game gives you a generous amount of credit towards booster/tome purchases (around $30, which will get you plenty of new toys to play with), having to pay for new cards can be an off-putting task.
It’s possible to game the system a bit. If you’re lucky enough to land a lot of rare/ultra rare cards (each booster guarantees one rare, and that card has a 20% chance of being an ultra-rare instead) in elements you’re not playing, you can use the auction/trade system to fill in the gaps. Auctions use a combination of gold earned during play to place the auction, and real money (Battleforge Points, which can be purchased at the game’s website) to bid. Auction enough cards you don’t want, and you can use the spoils to purchase more cards. The system is good, but since you have access to every player in your server, a rare card in-game isn’t necessarily as hard to come by as a rare card from a physical CCG. What this means for auction prices down the road is unknown, but serious players will probably need to prep themselves to lay down some hard-earned scratch.
Microtransaction warnings aside, keep in mind that you are never required to buy anything but the game itself (don’t forget to use your $30!). As a cooperative experience, it is a great deal of fun, and with its wealth of unique scenarios, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good casual RTS.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Up until the servers were shut down on 10/31/2013, players needed to work together to complete missions. Depending on the mission, up to 12 players could team up. The strategy comes with creating the perfect deck for the round, and having a balance between players.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.