The following is a guest review from DrXan.
Release date: 2015 (Android mobile)
Version played: Android mobile in 2015
+ game comes to mobile with all the features, cards and adventures of the PC version
+ boards, emotes and visuals are all on par with the PC version, even on older mobiles
+ incentivizes mobile play by rewarding a free ‘pack’ of cards for each type of device you play a round on
+ the tutorial and practice modes help give a well rounded understanding of game mechanics, with the expert level practice providing a better challenge
– lack of precision in controls: seeing someone cast a high-damage spell on their own hero is not uncommon, as is accidentally doing it to your hero
– due to the redesign of the game boards half of the interactable features have been stripped for the mobile version
– so called ‘solo adventures’ cost a large amount of real life money, and many cards are locked behind these pay walls. Though the individual ‘wings’ of adventures can be purchased with in-game currency these can be expensive, whereas new players are better off spending the money on more basic resources to make the game more enjoyable
> Should you disconnect from a match (as can be common with mobile games) the game will attempt to put you back into the match, or show you a recording of you losing and wasting turn after turn. This is frustrating, especially in the arena mode which costs in game or real-life currency to join
> The game has a massive power drain on the mobile you are using. Using an older Samsung Galaxy S3 can drain the battery in just under half an hour. This is obviously a known issue given that a battery indicator appears on the screen in game
> Blizzard have recently acknowledged connectivity/match-making issues and are continuing to update and improve this area of the game
Should you play this game: Being an excellent port of an excellent game, only hampered by pricing and technical issues, I would suggest this game to casual players willing to play for a bit and put it away. Playing the mobile version as a proper means of climbing the ladder and mastering the game is not advised. If you really want to play, just download it for PC. Every version is ‘free’ after all.
