You’ve probably heard of deck builders before. The genre continues to release new games on an almost weekly basis. I’m a fan of deckbuilder games, and even I have to admit that it’s getting harder and harder for deckbuilders to be seen as unique. Many are fine, but always last he does the same thing as 10 deck builders. So I went into Ash of Gods: The Way with a lot of doubt that it would be anything new. Yet somehow, I’m really impressed with this unique take on deck builders. While not perfect, Ash of Gods: The Way is a fun take on the deckbuilding genre and one not to be missed.
In “Ash of Gods: The Way,” he plays a young man who loses his family in the final war against a hostile nation. You are tasked with infiltrating the hostile nation of Friese in order to prevent another war. You disguise yourself as a Frisian nobleman to participate in a war game known as The Way. The problem is that Frisians also sport the game and use real people in the game for entertainment. Kinda messed up, right?
Ash of Gods: The Way follows the usual pattern of most deck builders, gradually gaining more cards as the game progresses. Then use those cards to build a deck for each battle. A unique twist is that Ash of Gods: The Way’s combat leans more towards the tactical strategy genre. Having cards to use in battle isn’t enough, but like most tactical strategy games, it’s important to understand where you are on the battlefield.
The rules of each battle determine whether your deck is good or bad. Every battle has different rules and victory conditions. Ash of Gods: The Way has a standard rule of killing other players’ commanders. However, an interesting development in Ash of Gods: The Way is that various characters have the ability to change the rules of combat. The size of the battlefield is constantly changing. Your opponent may not even have a commander on the battlefield. There may be obstacles or traps that impede movement. No two battles are the same for him, so you’ll have to rely on your strategic instincts to win them.
Another impressive aspect of Ash of Gods: The Way is its fantastic production values. The art style is completely unique and the quality of detail really shines through. The entire game is fully voice-acted, which is really impressive to me. There wasn’t a single unspoken line in the game, which is in stark contrast to some major AAA games on the market. The soundtrack is definitely top notch as well. It has a strangely haunting sound that fits perfectly into the world you are in.
My only big problem with Ash of Gods: The Way is that it always feels like the enemy has an advantage over me. In any fight, no matter where I was on the grid, I was always at a disadvantage. Enemies hit in front of me, I take more damage than usual, etc. There has never been a single fight in the game that was even or where I felt I had an advantage (I sincerely thought so when considering my deck). Certainly I was able to figure things out and win the battle in the end. But it never felt like it was a fair fight.
All in all, Ash of Gods: The Way is a unique take on the deckbuilding genre and a must-see for fans of the genre. It follows the usual “collect cards and build better decks” that most deck builders follow, but with a fun twist that leans more toward tactical strategy battles. Different characters can appear in battles, which can change the rules of the battle, and the same battle he gets a game where the same battle never occurs twice. In Ash of Gods: The Way, no matter what deck you build, literally every fight feels like you’re always at a disadvantage. Anyway, Ash of Gods: The Way is a fun way to get into the deck building genre, so it’s worth checking it out.
Posted Review: Ash of Gods: The Way (Nintendo Switch) first appeared on Pure Nintendo.
