Eternal Card Game
" Deep strategy card game with AAA polish and creative gameplay but high variance in draws "
Eternal Card Game Review
Eternal Card Game is widely praised as an exceptional digital collectible card game that successfully marries the strategic depth of Magic: The Gathering with the accessibility and polish of Hearthstone. Players appreciate its generous free-to-play model, allowing frequent rewards and card acquisition without mandatory spending. The game features multiple modes including Ranked, Draft, Forge, and Gauntlet, catering to both PvP and PvE preferences. Its gameplay emphasizes skillful decision-making with interactive combat and resource management, while mitigating some common frustrations like mana screw through guaranteed redraws.
However, the game is not without flaws. A significant criticism is the persistent variance in resource draws and opening hands, leading to many "non-games" where luck overshadows skill. The large deck sizes exacerbate this unpredictability. Additionally, newcomers may find some mechanics underexplained and the mandatory tutorial overly long. Presentation-wise, while the UI and collection manager are intuitive and feature-rich, graphics and sound design are competent but less polished than Hearthstone. Despite these issues, the community acknowledges ongoing developer support and tuning, making Eternal a compelling choice for card game enthusiasts.
Highlights
Eternal's gameplay is lauded for its elegant blend of Magic's strategic complexity and Hearthstone's smooth interface. The combat system, featuring attacker and blocker decisions, adds depth and interactivity. The game leverages digital design space creatively with persistent card attributes and zone interactions. The free-to-play economy is highly regarded, offering frequent rewards, generous drafting modes where players keep drafted cards, and accessible collection building. The UI and deckbuilding tools are praised for their intuitiveness and analytic support. Single-player modes like Gauntlet provide meaningful rewards and learning opportunities. Overall, Eternal delivers a rich, skill-focused card game experience with a balanced meta and active community engagement.
Criticisms
Players commonly criticize Eternal's high variance in resource draws and opening hands, leading to frustrating "non-games" decided more by luck than skill. The large deck sizes (up to 75 cards) increase inconsistency and reduce game reliability. The mulligan system, allowing only one redraw of the entire hand, is seen as harsh. Some cards and mechanics, such as warcry and echo, are considered unbalanced and contribute to swingy gameplay. The tutorial campaign is described as overly long and tedious, potentially deterring new players. Additionally, the AI drafting bots make questionable picks, worsening draft experience. Presentation-wise, graphics and sound are viewed as less polished compared to competitors. Finally, the matchmaking system and ranked mode lack unranked or casual options, limiting player flexibility.
Pros
- • Combines Magic's depth with Hearthstone's accessibility in gameplay mechanics.
- • Generous free-to-play model with frequent rewards and card acquisition.
- • Multiple game modes including Ranked, Draft, Forge, and Gauntlet.
- • Intuitive and feature-rich collection manager and deckbuilder with analytics.
- • Interactive combat system with attacker and blocker decisions.
- • Creative use of digital design space with persistent card attributes.
- • Draft and Forge modes allow players to keep all drafted cards.
Cons
- • High variance in resource draws causing many frustrating 'non-games'.
- • Large deck sizes (up to 75 cards) increase inconsistency and unpredictability.
- • Mulligan system is harsh, allowing only one full hand redraw.
- • Some cards and mechanics are unbalanced, leading to swingy gameplay.
- • Mandatory tutorial campaign is overly long and tedious for newcomers.
- • Draft AI bots make poor card picks, negatively affecting draft experience.
- • Graphics and sound design are less polished compared to Hearthstone.
Rating Criteria
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Eternal Card Game released?
Eternal Card Game was released on November 15, 2018.
Who developed Eternal Card Game?
Eternal Card Game was developed by Dire Wolf.
Is Eternal Card Game available on Mac?
Yes, Eternal Card Game is available on Mac.
Is Eternal Card Game available on Linux?
No, Eternal Card Game is not currently available on Linux according to our data.
Where can I buy Eternal Card Game?
You can buy Eternal Card Game on Steam.
Game Details
Six-guns and sorcery collide in Eternal, the new strategy card game of unlimited choices and unbelievable fun. Eternal brings AAA pace and polish to the infinite possibilities of a deep strategy card game. The only limits are your own creativity.