I’m always on the lookout for board/card games that are small, fun, and quick – aka the perfect games to throw in my bag and take with me to the local brewery with friends or to bust out during lunch. Last year, I came across a small-box card game, Pocket Paragons, developed by Brian McKay and published by Solis Game Studio, that fit that bill perfectly, with games that take less than 10 minutes, even less time to teach, and easily fit in a Deck Pro deck box. Now, Solis is bringing their new project to Kickstarter, and fans of Radiant Black and other characters from Image Comic’s Massive-verse should take note of The Massive-verse Fighting Card Game (Powered by Pocket Paragons).
Massive-verse FCG (along with the other sets of Pocket Paragons) is a head-to-head combat card game where you and your opponent attempt to reduce the other life points to zero by utilizing the skills and abilities of your chosen character. Each player chooses a card from their character’s premade “deck” consisting of seven cards and plays against the other players’ hands. Cards in Pocket Paragons are assigned a “type,” with each one doing better against another, sometimes outright canceling them out and countering them. Interactions between cards can also generate Energy, the resource required to use a hero’s Ultimate ability. The whole experience of playing Massive-verse FCG feels like a mix between Rock-Paper-Scissors and War (the card game) with some additional complexity.
Matches can be played as either 1v1, where each player chooses a single character to use, or the 3v3 Legacy option, which lets you draft a team of three, with each player needing to take down the other team in order to win. The 3v3 structure allows each defeated character to pass along one of their cards to the next character, replacing their card of the same type. This mixing up can provide additional strategy, requiring you to also plan ahead in order to make the strongest final fighter you can. It’s a nifty mechanic that I can’t think of any other game doing.
Regardless of which game type you choose, full matches rarely last more than 10 minutes, with most over in just a few minutes. Great for those 30-minute lunches at work or while you’re waiting for friends to arrive.
For fans of Pocket Paragons, Massive-verse brings with it a nifty new mechanic for its heroes, a double-sided passive ultimate that each character has in addition to their normal ultimates – a first for the series. These special passives, “transform” when certain criteria are met, adding to that Power Ranger/Kamen Rider motif of the heroes. While it isn’t a very “in your face” addition, it sets the Massive-verse characters apart enough that I find myself wondering if, down the road, at some point, a pack will be released that will add a similar card to existing sets.
From a visual standpoint, Massive-verse is a big step up from the previous Pocket Paragon sets that Solis has released, with each card featuring gorgeous artwork pulled straight from the comic series. Due to the size of the property, Solis has worked directly with the creative team behind the comic to help design the layouts and with input to make sure that this game is as true to the source material as it can be. The Massive-verse FCG also features brand new original artwork from renowned comic artist Dan Mora, all of which make it look far more premium.
Massive-verse isn’t Solis Studios’ first collaboration effort involving their Pocket Paragon system with previous endeavors including Penny Arcade’s Acquisitions Incorporated, Rivals of Aether, and Zephyr Workshops A.E.G.I.S. (read our preview HERE). Each version, including Massive-verse, is built on the Pocket Paragon card-battling system, letting you mix and match your favorite characters from all the sets to create your ultimate team of fighters.
The one gripe that I have with Massive-verse and its siblings is that the game feels far more reliant on luck and guessing right than it does on outright skill or strategy. Each encounter, much like Rock-Paper-Scissors, really boils down to “I picked right, and you picked wrong” – even with the additional perks or effects that cards can offer. Because the games go so quickly, I’m never overly bothered by a focus on luck, but I certainly wouldn’t mind some additional depth added to the game – perhaps adding a mode that lets you draft and build your deck from all possible powers instead of having set decks.
Massive-verse FCG (along with the rest of my Pocket Paragon sets) is one of those games that I always keep in my backpack since I never know when I will have a few minutes to kill with friends. The ease with which it can be picked up and played, even for new players, is remarkable, and thanks to the gorgeous artwork. Massive-verse really makes the game all that much more appealing for new prospective players at a quick glance. The addition of the transforming passive really helps sell the vibe that you are playing as Power Ranger-esque heroes, and that is something I can always get behind.
The ease and speed in which the Massive-verse Fighting Card Game can be taught and played make it an easy recommendation for anyone who is looking for a great game that they can bust out on a moment’s notice. Massive-verse is launching on Kickstarter soon!
