Marvel Snap review: Free-to-play without pay-to-win manipulation

A few days later marvel snap, the question I keep asking myself is “Where’s the hook?” I don’t know if this is the game’s fault. If anything, this makes me feel like I’m a victim of the mobile free-to-play ecosystem. I was. this That’s where they come for your wallet.

The versions that currently exist in app stores of all kinds feel thankfully free from heavy-handed monetization, but apparently, this was not always the case during the beta period of the game. The resulting change feels really good. I’ve played some Japanese mobile gacha over the years, marvel snap In stark contrast to what is happening in (Tony?) that A corner dedicated to game design.

Without delving into the basic rules of the game (see Polygon Primer), Second Dinner has managed to create an easy-to-play, easy-to-understand card game. Not too simple. The game’s aesthetic, with its high-impact oblique font and aggressive use of every imaginable shade of purple, has Marvel written all over it, for better or worse. BWOMPA-BWOMPA BWOMP BWOMP’ loop. It really can go either way.

Image: Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse via Polygon

Image: Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse via Polygon

The card art is well-chosen, though, and I especially like the return of superhero name art from the ’80s and ’90s straight from the covers of the relevant comics themselves. In the X-Men books, Scott Summers is said to be unable to remove his visor, keeping his eye beams from destroying buildings. Cyclops™.

I’m no diehard, but I’ve been playing TCG and CCG for years on this unforgiving planet. marvel snap One big axis confused me a bit. For many people, part of the fun of games like this is collecting cards of their favorite characters and trying them out in decks. Perhaps I’ve over-fixed the whole Nexus Event beta situation, but Second Dinner now allows you to earn new cards by winning games (one for each game win). or by progressing through Season Pass-style ladders/levels). progression). For a design path that doesn’t turn a mobile free-to-play game into an emotional manipulation factory, I think this works.

From the perspective of someone who just wants to get their hands on a character they like and use it, it definitely feels like it fits the profile of Marvel fans as a consumer base, but ultimately becomes more of an issue. We understand that the game is in the early stages of commercial release. No one knows what direction the developers will take from here, but we have to wonder if Second Dinner just so happens to be fighting the biggest crossover battle. is to play games. It can appeal to its collectible nature without turning into the death knell of mobile gaming with unruly monetization or, worse, being labeled as “paying to win”.

Image: Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse via Polygon

Image: Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse via Polygon

That said, it’s the future. here and now marvel snap is a well-designed, bite-sized piece of card game that can build comic nostalgia and brand awareness more than a wallet. It’s so easy to pick up your phone, play a 6-turn game, and finish your day. Indeed, Battle Passes, Ladders, Ranks, and Reddit posts provide detailed tactical breakdowns of when you should “snap” to earn more rank rewards.none of that requirementbut.

My big hope is that Second Dinner will continue to thread this particular needle — having a game that doesn’t spiral out of control with new mechanics (a surefire way to sell card packs!). To do Give players real control over building and collecting decks other than “real money”, “blind luck”, or a combination of the above. I’ve been on that ship for a while. marvel snap It was a nice vacation after that. For its own sake, I hope it stays that way.