Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars – Review

October 31, 2021February 1, 2022 D-Man 0 Comments square enix, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, Yoko Taro

Our Verdict: 8/10

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is an RPG set in a world of swords and sorcery, told entirely through the medium of cards.

The story follows a self proclaimed hero as they set off to slay a recently awakened dragon. Presented in the manner of a tabletop RPG and playing out through narration from the game master.
Enjoy an all-new, yet appealingly nostalgic gaming experience from YOKO TARO (Creative Director), Keiichi Okabe (Music), Kimihiko Fujisaka (Character Design.)

What is Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars

You’ll be fulfilling your chores exclusively through cards, as the game’s name suggests. From the terrain to the characters and even the menu, each element in Voice of Cards is represented by a separate card. It can be a little illogical to devote so much time and effort to this system. But it has a certain charm that would be lost in a more typically structured RPG. As you go around the world, cards turn over, occasionally revealing dead ends or triggering battles. And your characters use one of a few cards in a fighting system. That appears to be influenced equally by Yu-Gi-Oh and Hearthstone.

Battles are infrequent enough that they don’t become old. And a “jump” system allows you to swiftly move between regions you’ve already seen. Reducing the number of random encounters you’ll have to deal with. In reality, save from a few instances later in the game. Voice of Cards is a relatively easy game, with few foes posing a serious threat. Nearly every adversary in the game can be given the “freeze” state. Which prevents them from attacking for numerous turns and has no limit on how many times it can be used.

Look and Feel

The card-based structure also contributes to a lot of the humour in Voice of Cards. Despite the sad themes, it may be the funniest game Taro has ever worked on. I laughed several times when I saw characters “bowing” by rotating their cards at a 45-degree angle. It has a distinct flavour from the conventional “heroes fight dragon” tropes it is clearly aiming to avoid. Thanks to excellent translation for the dialogue and character names (one buff hero is literally named “swole”). Even the game master, who is known as the “voice of cards,” joins in the fun. Mispronouncing a tough name and having to try again.

The “everything is cards” concept is immediately intriguing. It’s a distinctive design for Voice of Cards, aided by outstanding character art. From the individual designs of individuals like Melanie and Bruno. To the creatures you encounter during your journey, the creative team behind Voice of Cards is outstanding.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is almost precisely what you can expect from a card-based RPG starring Yoko Taro. That’s mostly a compliment. Because it nevertheless managed to take some unexpected turns while maintaining the solemn, melancholy look of his previous works without losing its sense of humour. The game’s all-card structure somehow manages to fit within the limits of a traditional role-playing game. And it does so with such brevity that it never outstays its welcome.