Cardaclysm Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · March 1, 2021

Face the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in epic card battles! Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four is a procedurally generated collectible card game mixed with action RPG elements. Collect creature and spell cards throughout your journey and unleash their power if anyone opposes you.

Pros:

Decent graphics.
2.62GB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Graphics-Resolution, v-sync, and ugly/fast mode.
Card battler gameplay.
You play on an isometric world and can collect items/upgrades and get into fights by walking up to enemies.
Simple drag and drop controls for card playing.
Put the same card on top of the other to upgrade them and right-click them to undo the upgrade.
Card playing is governed by how many units you have and each card has a casting cost.
Attacks can be made by a card instantly with no summoning sickness-type ailments.
Book of magic-combine cards in here and manage your deck.
After every encounter, you get random loot from a loot chest.
When near the end of the level you open a portal but it also summons the big bad who will chase you, you can fight him (he’s very strong) or run away by outmaneuvering him on the map.
Very easy to learn but it does have helpful text pop-ups as you play.
Beautiful locations to explore.
Has a loot lust feel to it.
Artifacts-equip these for new powerful upgrades.
Death-you loses random cards to the graveyard and has to earn them back.
Can play the game with just a mouse.
Artifacts-find/earn these to equip them.
Traveling traders-swap a card for one of two offered, you have no choice on card up for offer.
Game randomize every run/life.
Altars-interact for a timed buff like do more damage or enemies have less health or do less damage.
Pub- in between Realms (levels) you can free roam the pub and do trades, talk with NPC and take on optional side tasks.
You can see the enemy’s attacks and if they are strong or weak before fighting.
Can disregard cards and swap them out at the start of a battle. (Mulligan)
Different biomes give different effects on battle.
Cards can be managed in that you can add/swap cards that will show up randomly in-game.

Cardaclysm Review (Steam)

Cons:

Not the best tutorial help.
Your resources needed to play cards don’t naturally come back so you have frequent “I can’t win” scenarios.
Maps are basic in their layout.
You don’t get an indication of where the exit is.
The traders offer crap trades constantly.
Feels more luck-based.
Same cards over and over.
Doesn’t have a set path or genre defined in a way as it tries to play it as a roguelike but it’s not but it is. Sound confused? Exactly.
Just feels repetitive.
No controller support.
You have to clear the level of every enemy before the door opens despite having to pick up a key.

Cardaclysm Review (Steam)

7/10

Graphics - 7/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
7/10

Fun Factor - 7/10

7/10

Summary

Cardaclysm is a card battler and as we all know it’s a very crowded genre so to release a game now you need a Gimmick or something unique. Cardaclysm goes with no resource generation between rounds uniqueness and the ability to roam the world fighting enemies. In practice, the resources mechanic is crap especially early on as you will just land up in fights you can’t win and makes a mockery of the enemy’s difficulties. The world roaming looks cool but you have to roam the whole level to kill everything and collect everything that doesn’t feel like a feature but more a chore or an overcomplicated menu system. Combat is fine and when you finally get lucky and get good cards it’s excellent but it’s a long repetitive slog. I just don’t understand what Cardaclysm is going for from obscure hindrances to tired card collecting. Fun can be had but you have to put the time in and to be honest, even then it’s not groundbreaking.