The Elder Scrolls Legends: Forging a Deal
Jun. 19, 2016The Elder Scrolls Legends: Forging a Deal
At Bethesda’s booth on the E3 floor we had an opportunity to get a closer look at their upcoming digital card game, The Elder Scrolls: Legends. We were able to chat with designer Luis Scott-Vargas about some of the ins and outs of the game while we played the demo.
The format of the game should be familiar to those with experience playing other competitive card games like Hearthstone and Magic the Gathering. Two players square off across a playing board and take turns putting cards in play, with the end goal of doing enough damage to the opposing person to end the match. Matches are quick, running for several minutes and make for a gratifying back and forth experience. The game will feature a single player story campaign and will be set some time in the period of Tamrielbetween the events of Oblivion and Skyrim. Competitive minded players will find ranked play with leaderboards and monthly resets, with planned support for events.
The rules are easy to grasp, yet present enough complexity in how they are enacted to give the game a depth. There is no mana to wait on drawing, players earn resources every turn and cast cards according to what they can afford. Creatures cast can only engage with other creatures in their lane, and players can opt to attack creatures or the opposing player directly. Turns end when a player can no longer perform any action. If a player takes a certain amount of damage, an item called a rune breaks, and allows that player to immediately play a card, giving players on the ropes arallying lifelinewhich can sometimes change the momentum of the game.
Cards are sorted by color code, in 1 of 5 colors. A deck is comprised of 50 cards, no more than 3 of each and is defined by 2 colors, meaning a Red and White deck can only be constructed of cards that are 1 of those 2 colors. The game will featureseveral hundred cardsat launch and will be supported with future additions. The game isfree to play, and cards can be purchased by the packs or earned through gameplay.
We really enjoyed our time playing the demo, and found thattime simply flew. There are enough wrinkles to the familiar formula presented here that made the game a lot of fun such as lanes, runes and Prophecies, and we could see ourselves playing match after match after match. Fans of card games and especially fans of the Elder Scrolls will finda lotto like here.
The game will launch on PC and iOS platforms initially. There is no word on whether consoles will see a release but we’re very hopeful. The game is expected to release in the near future. If you can’t wait until then and want to get in on the beta, visit their beta sign up page to register. This was a great stop on our E3 tour de force and we will keep bringing you updates and news as we monitor the game’s development.
VisitThe Elder Scrolls Legends Wiki
Emergence
Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
