As someone who has put an unhealthy amount of hours into MTG Arena and a slightly healthier amount into Pokemon Online, it's nice to see Yu-Gi-Oh join the battle with Master Duel, their solution to long-term play.
While there have been countless Yu-Gi-Oh games released over time, they are short term experiences that are usually out of fashion by the time a few more card sets are released. Master Duel looks to finally offer some 'down the road' potential.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel: A Platform For All Players
The first thing that stood out to me during the Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel preview event we attended was how well rounded the platform appears on first inspection. Master Duel looks to bring the best of solo campaign play, friend battles and competitive multiplayer to one easy to access hub.
Being a free-to-play download across all major console and mobile platforms is another must-have selling point that will give fans and new players no reason not to give it a try. Ultimately, just like with Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, the monetisation of the game will be its biggest talking point.
None of that is currently known so we can only judge what we saw during the event which still gives plenty to look forward to.
Dynamic Dueling Done Right
Every inch of Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel appears to be methodically thought out and created with the players experience in mind. It can be hard to make a TCG (trading card game) pop off the screen but Konami are already well on their way to achieving this based on initial gameplay reveals.
Konami seems to have understood the assignment when it comes to keeping things visually interesting to look at while not taking away from the core gameplay aspects. The visuals cannot become a distraction or at least if they might, then options must be made available for them to be turned off.
It is not yet clear whether or not Master Duel will be used as a competitive platform while in-person play continues to be up in the air for many TCG's. Once again, judging by what we saw, the potential is certainly there for it to be an all in one platform that caters to any type of player.
Everyone Is Welcome
It's abundantly clear from the tutorial and solo campaign layout that Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel is looking to be the perfect way for new players to get into the game. A lot of care and detail has gone into ensuring that new players have their attention grabbed from the get-go without treating them like complete idiots.
One of the most intimidating aspects of getting into a TCG is worrying about how you'll cope against high-level play. The path that is laid out throughout the tutorial seems like it will ease in new players nicely and teach them all of the mechanics that they will need to succeed in the long run.
The counter to this means that established players may have to grind through these tutorials but it never hurts to have a refresher on how a game works! We assume that some form of ranked matchmaking will be in place to ensure that multiplayer play is fair. If this is the case, then players of all abilities will be well taken care of.
Playing with friends is also made incredibly simple thanks to cross-platform play and progression meaning you can start playing on your PS5 and pick up where you left off on your Nintendo Switch. All while playing against your friend who owns an Xbox Series X, the way things should be!