Shadowverse: Champion's Battle Reviews
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle is without a doubt the greatest card battling RPG on the Switch yet; an addictive and incredibly deep card game wrapped up in a heartwarming and enjoyable RPG that supplements and supports the potent core gameplay in all the right ways. Dozens of hours of content in single player alone, combined with a full-fledged online multiplayer, ensures that you're getting plenty of bang for your buck, while the anime presentation and detailed card art and animations keep everything looking and sounding nice all the way through. If you're at all into card games, don't waste your time deliberating: go buy this game immediately. Shadowverse: Champion's Battle is an extremely easy game to recommend, and absolutely worth your time.
I have really enjoyed Shadowverse, and I will no doubt keep this on my Switch as my go-to game when I'm stuck on the Tube. The problem is that if anyone looks over my shoulder to see what I'm playing, they're probably going to make a snap judgement about me and what I'm into.
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle is a meaty game with so many layers to it, the game does a good job at getting new players accustomed but there's quite a bit to learn.
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle isn't going to be remembered as a game of the year candidate, and fans of the original game will likely have more fun continuing to play on phones rather than giving this a shot. However, for fans of the anime and those who enjoy a good family-friendly JRPG, Cygames has put together a well-rounded experience that shouldn't be ignored. It's fun to spend a few dozen hours remembering how engrossing an absurd story about a group of friends saving the world with card games can be, and Shadowverse: Champion's Battle does that better than most.
On the surface, Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle looks like a children’s card game with glorified animation, but it is actually more than that. With solid battles and structured rules, a large variety of cards, and a lot of NPCs specializing in different classes, every time you challenge someone it feels like a completely new experience. While following a cheesy and fun storyline in this RPG, the card game remains consistent and the characters predictable, making it easy to focus on strategizing and advancing to the top. Sure, there are moments where the repetition is evident, but there aren’t many RPGs that don’t require grinding.
Champion's Battle is, in short, fun. There is plenty to do and, even though the price-tag is a bit on the high side, it is a complete game. Any foibles are minor and easy to overlook if you just want to enjoy a card-based strategy RPG.
Shadowverse is a solid effort from the people at Cygames, a CCG with an original story, a long campaign and intuitive mechanics. There's also a copious amount of content in both single and multiplayer.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle has an identity and an audience of its own, but always looks to attract more people. The definite upsides are a card game with DVD-quality anime cutscenes, unforgettable characters, and a nice story to complete the package. The downsides are some jarring animations with NPCs, and graphical pop-in keep this from being something more than a great game.
I’m really happy to see Cygames take the console adaptation of Shadowverse seriously and, rather than try and shovel a free-to-play thing on players, use this as an opportunity to broaden the appeal of Shadowverse, give the card game itself some context, and give fans the same kind of joy that they took out of Pokémon TCG all those years ago. With taut mechanics, a fun, light-hearted narrative, excellent production values and an almost obscene level of depth Shadowverse: Champions Battle is a genuinely impressive effort, and the best digital card game currently available on the Switch.
Even if some of these feel like window-dressing, the sheer amount of voice acting, the light story, and the rankings and tournaments hooked me from the get-go and kept me invested for dozens of hours. Collecting as many new cards as I could and theory-crafting new decks and ways to play old ones is a captivating endeavor, made all the more accessible in Shadowverse: Champion's Battle. Anyone with an interest in CCGs or even Pokemon should at least try the playable Switch demo, or even the mobile game to find out if this is a universe worth exploring. I, for one, am happy to step out of the shadows and champion its cause.
Shadowverse is a JRPG with a serviceable story and deep, enjoyable TCG gameplay anyone can pick up.
Shadowverse comes to the Switch with a game packed with content and addictive gameplay.
I had a tremendous time playing Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle. Not only is it a fun and complex card game, but it’s one you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy. The threshold to start playing is low, but actually mastering the game takes much more perseverance. Overall, this is a wonderful game with attractive artwork and tons of great features. If you need a new game to get lost in, look no further; I’d highly recommend it.
At the end of the day, I have to say I had a great time with Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle. The characters and story are great, and the game is very easy to pick up and play. The online modes will let you battle with your friends online and this adds a ton of replay value to the game as well. I think some of the later boss battles are completely unfair and will frustrate some players. You just have to stick with it and change your deck up accordingly until you take them down. I put right around 35 hours in this one and there is still some post game stuff I could take on. If you’re a fan of the Shadowverse anime, this one is well worth your coin at the $49.99 price tag. Fans looking for a good collectible card game to pass their time with on the Switch would do well to snag this one up as well.
It’s amazing how much fun you can have with a card game like this when the financial barriers we’re used to today vanish. There’s just so much less pressure involved, letting you take it easy and helping losses sting much less. At the same time, there’s a powerful element of nostalgia for players of a certain age that can make Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle feel like a revelation almost. This is a totally solid, compelling digital card game, and perhaps an unintentional nod back to a bygone era.
Shadowverse: Champions Battle is a highly enjoyable card-based RPG. You don’t need to be familiar with the anime to get into this. This is a great title to sink absurd hours into whether you have 5 minutes or 5 hours to spare. Accessible for newbies while offering plenty of incentive to card veterans. The last card-based RPG I sunk this much time into was the Pokemon Card Game on Game Boy. But I think that game now has a new contender in my gaming world. If you draw this card from the deck of the eShop be sure to give it a try. If you want to try before you buy. Be sure to check out the free demo on the eShop
Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle is an addicting deck-building card game on its own, but this game delivers an added campaign that makes it an adventure. Exploring the city, completing sidequests, and battling for deck codes and supremacy make each moment of playing fun. If you’re a fan of card games in general and want to try your hand at a new one, it’s a fantastic experience that’ll keep you coming back for more.
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle is a TCG with very newbie friendly RPG elements. Unlike other franchises in the genre, Cygames hit the nail on the head by creating a game accessible to all types of players, whether or not they are familiar with Shadowverse and its rules. At the same time, the game manages to remain faithful to the PC and smartphone version, and has the attractiveness of the “anime style”, breaking the seriousness that TCGs usually have. The title also ends up being a good option for a younger target audience, thanks to the charisma of the characters and the special effects in each duel, but without leaving the more veterans and completionists aside.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sure, its visuals could have been a bit more polished, and I certainly did not care about its plot (even though I liked the fact the developers bothered to include one in the first place), but I had way more fun with it than I could have ever imagined from a console spinoff based on an anime inspired by a gacha card game.
We haven’t had this much fun with a card battle RPG since the Pokemon TCG games on the Game Boy Color. If you at all have an affinity for the concept, it’s unlikely that you’re burned out on the idea these days. Give Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle a shot, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be disappointed.