Culdcept Saga

Culdcept Saga is one of those games where I loved the idea of the game more than the game itself. I am not saying it is a terrible game or anything like that, but I just feel it could have been so much more than it was. I was pretty excited when this was released many moons ago, but I remember dropping off the game fairly quickly. Well, I decided to give it another try as it has been years since I played the game last and you know what? My feelings are pretty much the same as they were all those years ago.

Sold Into Slavery!

The story is not actually as bad as I remembered it being and I thought that it was pretty fun. Culdcept Saga features a protagonist who gets sold into slavery to help his village. Well, before he can go with his new owner, he comes across a weird woman with a magical set of cards that react to the main character's presence. Turns out he is some special being that is called a Cepter and he can control these magic cards. He ends up sold again, this time to a battle arena! I have to say, the story is nowhere near as bad as many people make out.

Where Is Mr. Monopoly?

If I had to compare Culdcept Saga to another game it would have to be Monopoly, Monopoly with a side of deckbuilding/management. We move around a game board and the idea is that you take over (like buying in Monopoly) spaces with the different beasts you have cards of. If you go over someone’s card who has a beast, you either pay or challenge ownership in a fight with one of your own beasts. Once you go all the way around the board, you get a bonus, again, just like in Monopoly.

Thinking Before Slapping A Card Down

There is actually more strategy at play in Culdcept Saga than you would think. To last long in the game you have to manage your cards well. There is an elemental system at play here where monsters of a certain element will be stronger on a certain type of space. There are weapon and spell cards you can use too. Organizing your cards and knowing what cards to play and when makes the gameplay more intricate than it first appears.

Are You Sure This Isn’t A Wii Game?

Ok, sorry for that diss on the Nintendo Wii, it is way too harsh, plus, I actually love the Wii. Anyway, this is a game that was released for the Xbox 360, but the visuals even back when the game was first released are not too pretty at all. They have a kind of muddy look to them and the camera is pretty far out so things are not very detailed at all. It gives the game a very low-budget look to it which I am sure will make some players lose interest.

Pros:

• The story does have some charm to it
• I liked how the game was kind of like a darker Monopoly
• There are some cool monster cards to collect
• There is more strategy to the gameplay than it seems at first

Cons:

• The game is pretty damn ugly
• The game has good ideas, but after just a few hours, it starts to get pretty bland