SolForge Fusion innovates in the Digital Card Game genre, but lacks in content

*Game in Early Access

SolForge Fusion is a game born from the hands of Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, a famous card game that has been around since 1993, and Justin Gary, designer of games such as Ascension: Deckbuilding Game. SolForge Fusion has already been described as the world’s first hybrid card game! Let’s talk more about it now. 

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Hybrid card game? How does SolForge Fusion work?

Let’s now get into this more complex subject to explain how playing SolForge Fusion works. In SolForge Fusion, all the decks are unique, generated by an algorithm, so each player will have their own unique deck. According to the official website, it is currently possible to get more than 25,000 card combinations. Quite a lot, isn’t it? 

What’s more, the physical deck you buy can be imported into its digital version to play online or in its campaign mode, making it very interactive for players of its physical version who want to enter the digital version too and face other players around the world.

Combine two decks and create new possibilities

Here we have two decks decided by the four factions available in the world, each deck being unique. By combining the decks to play, you’ll have a unique experience compared to other players. 

In its digital version, which we’ll talk about here in this review, the game explains the rules well, has a well-designed interface and is easy to understand. However, even with the animation speed set to maximum, the game still felt a little slow to me at times. I think the fact that its soundtrack isn’t that memorable also didn’t help to create a nice atmosphere for the duels.

The gameplay isn’t complicated to learn, but it is a fairly complex game

Here, we put together two decks, both with 30 cards, then separated all the level 2 and 3 cards from the deck and stored them in a separate area. The game works in cycles, and in each cycle your discard cards are put back into the deck, allowing you to strengthen your cards each cycle and gain new abilities for your warrior leader. 

We can play 2 cards per turn and, with each creature that is played on the field, you will add its level 2 version to the discard, thus allowing them to be evolved in the future. After the two cards are played, followed by combat and damage to the players, you then discard all the cards in your hand and draw new ones, eventually causing both decks to be depleted at the same time, and thus starting a new cycle. This is a rather simple explanation, but I think it’s enough to show how the cycle system works.

Digital version of SolForge Fusion is promising, but still lacks content

The digital version of SolForge Fusion gives you a deck for each faction and the chance to win new ones as you play, but it still didn’t manage to hook me enough as a player who doesn’t own the physical version. It has a single-player mode called Campaign, where you receive a passive ability and go on to face an enemy with a modifier until you reach the campaign boss. It’s an interesting concept for a digital card game, but as it only has one boss with extra difficulty levels, it wasn’t something that really stuck with me. 

In addition, the game has an online mode to test your skills against other players around the world, something that is indispensable nowadays for games of this type.

Its premise of relying so heavily on physical decks is good for those who already play outside of the digital version, which is currently paid for. Perhaps if it were free, it would be more worthwhile for its content, not least because it’s not an affordable card game, at least in my country. So there’s not much replay value in your game. 

Streamers may find it difficult to broadcast the game

Because it’s still very new, and because it depends on the physical version to perhaps get better content, it ends up being a game that’s a little difficult to hold on to. Perhaps after a few updates during its early access, the game will be able to give the player more customization and be more attractive for a live stream.

Tested on its PC version on Steam, the game is very light, runs well and I had no problems playing it. The fact that it only has an English translation limits its audience. 

Fezudu