O Holy Square Enix, thou hath once again given us a world to explore and uncover its secrets. However, this time around we have an adventure told entirely in card format, adding a unique flavor to the atmosphere and spirit of the game.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars takes the card medium to another level by fusing it with a witty narrative, beautifully composed melodies and a detailed world that you would expect from the makers of NieR. This is a light RPG that is very accessible for those who can’t sink 80+ hours into an RPG.

Don’t expect some sort of trading card game though, this is an RPG entirely constructed around cards: the characters, items, environment, etc. Character and monster cards have additional flavor texts and stories to unlock as you progress, providing those quirky little tidbits of lore that really give the game its personality. The protagonist is a half-assed adventurer who is only seeking coin for his own selfish needs, and answers the call to slay the Dragon plaguing the land. You and your faithful monster pal, Mar, set off on a quest, seemingly trailing behind the fabled Ivory Order trio who are really just your run-of-the-mill, arrogant, pompous heroes.

Battles are a tabletop affair featuring a turn-based system and straightforward attack and defense check system. If you have 20 attack and your opponent has 10 defense, your final damage will be 10. I’ve noticed very small fluctuationsoccasionally, but for the most part it’s pretty damn consistent. Simple enough, right? This changes with resistances and weaknesses, as well as critical. Some attacks can add flat damage, or random damage based off of a dice roll. Status ailments also are triggered off of dice rolls, which I enjoy because despite it still being somewhat up to chance, the act of “rolling the dice” gives the illusion of the player having control. Some battles have a Happenstance, cards that can alter the flow of battle by offering bonuses that can benefit your team, or everyone including the enemies.

Another nice little touch are the random events that can take place on the map or in dungeons. Some are expected, like “roll X or higher to avoid damage” from a trap. Others can provide rewards based off of the response, such as choosing to listen to the singing or looking for the singer in the Bewildering Forest.

Voice of Cards isn’t a super complex RPG, and I’ve made some decent progress in chapters to know that this game feels much smaller in scope and content than your typical RPG excursion, but that’s perfectly OK. Most card games don’t take too long to complete so I think the way that sort of sentiment is translated into this RPG experience makes it more approachable. Also, card games can feel very daunting as well with numerous mechanics, rules, and of course a massive amount of collecting. Voice of Cards topples that notion with a much tighter, compressed game that feels more relaxing to sit back and enjoy than the usual stresses of RPG completions. As someone who tends to play multiple RPGs at once, being able to just bask in some excellent music and a wonderfully detailed world is a delight. Looking forward to how the rest of the story plays out!

Stay tuned for the full GamerDad Review!