Cross Blitz is a deckbuilder RPG with pixel art aesthetics and a couple of game modes bound to keep you collecting and battling for several days. A rich and engaging story-driven experience that unveils layer after layer of complexity beyond its deceiving simplicity, it eases you in with its indubitably charming looks only to throw you into a challenge that is aimed at the most skilled players of the genre. It’s Hearthstone but with deceivingly colorful characters, featuring showdowns between prima donna popstars, good-willing pirates, and other heroes that we’re yet to experience, but the start of the adventure seems to be on the road to stardom… or buried treasure.
Board Games
The narrative supporting Cross Blitz’s Fables story mode places you in control of your chosen hero, as they explore a board across various screens, adding a layer of fun to the trademark card battles, each area having a few events for the player to uncover. From lore-advancing dialogues to finding chests, meeting useful characters, and stumbling upon the inevitable battles, this is a fairly simple touch that yet manages to avoid the monotony of the traditional card game template, disproportionately fixated on combat after combat with little opportunity to diversify.
Sadly, the board doesn’t allow for complete freedom of exploration, with roads only opening after completing a preestablished set of goals – picking up a chest forces you through a battle, or reaching a helpful NPC may require a scuffle as well. Still, it’s better to have two or three choices here and there than being pushed down a linear path, and this also provides plenty of opportunities to grow your hero and return to an earlier battle that kept giving you trouble.
Starting with a very limited deck, your adventures will offer other means of progression, obviously including the acquisition of new cards. Chests may reward you with resources, which in turn will be used in the Mana Forge, the place where you can meld new cards. Card shops are other interesting visitation spots, with the money gained from winning battles used to purchase new cards.
Each usable deck is limited to 30 cards, unit or spells, no more, no less. There’s a deck editor for you to pick the type and amount of cards which you desire to take into battle, so long as you have them available, and this requires careful consideration as the usual factors are right there in front of you: mana cost to play a card, health points, and damage. Creating different decks and saving them is a way to spare some additional trouble as you manage cards accordingly to the various enemy types, namely the chapter boss.
Your strengths are bolstered with the inclusion of relics, four of them at a time, one slot being exclusively for a single elder relic. These buffs are not to be disregarded, things such as extra health or making opponent spells cost one additional mana being potential game changers that help create very different builds, so don’t forget to take the occasional trip to the Relic Shop.
Winning battles also rewards you with points to level up your grid, a skill tree of sorts that unlocks new cards, extra health, and an ultimate ability at the end of each track. With the liberty to select from any of the four paths, there’s the option to reset everything and reuse the points if you’re not satisfied with your previous decisions.
Popstar Synergies
The other game mode is called Tusk Tales, a roguelike spin with randomized runs and a series of nodes providing various options and events. From campfires where you can pick an outcome to convincing mercenary companions to join for the ride, the ultimate goal is to reach and beat the boss. This time we don’t have the hex board, but we are placed in an equally interesting map with routes to pick before we reach the main event of this mode. Restarting a run with different cards and mercenaries increases the probabilities and makes for a great way to discover and experiment in the game, serving as a demanding experience that should be tackled only after the learning hours of the smoother story-driven Fables are behind you.
Cross Blitz plays a mean game of cards, but it’s not about novelties or anything that truly breaks the norm. As mentioned before, it’s Hearthstone and other collector card games in a nutshell, fantasy style traded by cute pixel art with decks that are themed around each hero, and currently offering more than 200 cards across all options. The possibilities are vast, combinations between cards making the difference between good and average players, a learning process that isn’t immediate but that is infinitely rewarding.
Consequently, Cross Blitz isn’t easy, with narrative-driven adventures where bosses may grind your gears and require strategic changes to find the sweet spot. Persistence is key, and making sure that no past event or achievement is left behind is a small step to reach success.
Currently there isn’t a PvP option to be found, but this seems to be planned for the official launch via a Colosseum mode. It would be a shame if all the potential of the game was to ignore the fun and unpredictability of player versus player battles, a much distinct approach that, no matter how enjoyable a solo mode can be, delivers on a completely different set of challenges and emotions.
Cross Blitz is already looking to be a positive entry in the deckbuilder genre, with a pleasing story-driven focus and a couple of twists to give players room to breathe and to think strategically between battles. Maybe there’s some balancing to do here and there, mainly upon the brutal bosses, but mileage may vary according to each player. The cute aesthetic is enjoyable and the cards are easy to read and understand, making for a potentially winning combination that could pull a player or two from the firm grip of Blizzard’s Hearthstone.
MP1st was given access to a preview build of Cross Blitz for our hands-on session. Cross Blitz is currently in Early Access on Steam since November 29, 2023.