GWENT: The Witcher Card Game

It seems like Gwent has been out for consoles and PCs for so long. Now finally iOS players get in on the action. If you played The Witcher 3 then you know not only about Gwent but also about the developers. They are a company of integrity that produces incredibly polished, fun games. The visuals and sound effects in this game are just stunning. The Gwent you remember from Witcher 3 is very different but it won't take you long to jump into it. What I love about Gwent is it obliterates frustrations I have with other card games. With games where you have mana as a power source you often have games where you have too much mana or too many cards that need mana when you have none. Then you're just sitting there continuing to watch the other player take turns without being able to do anything. The same goes for games where you get power each turn automatically. If you get stuck with lots of cards with high power you again can't do anything. With Gwent you just focus on playing and having fun. You can play any of your cards at any time. You can spend money to get ahead in the game but if the free to play aspect is very generous. I already love the iOS version and am going to be playing every day.

I stopped playing a few years ago during open beta, right around the time of the infamous homecoming update, and recently returned due to the iOS release. Boy, have things changed for the better. There have definitely been some missteps along the development pathway that have cost the game some of its initial momentum, but the devs have definitely shown they’re willing to rectify their mistakes. With as much polish (heh) and detail that this game has, it’s a shame it doesn’t have a larger following currently. The gameplay has multiple layers of strategy, the art is gorgeous (just look at premium Seltkirk) and, speaking of premium, you earn rewards, both new cards and the currency to make them, incredibly quickly, so you’ll be able to make competitive decks soon after starting. Some concepts may seem difficult to comprehend at first, such as card advantage and when how to time your turns, but the learning stage doesn’t take long. All you need is to practice a little, or watch some of the excellent instructional videos online. Whether you’re new to the game or returning after a hiatus, there’s no time like the present to get into Gwent.

I loved the Witcher trilogy on console and am enjoying this souped-up version of the in-game card game. It took a while but two weeks into it I’m winning maybe half the hands. The visuals are first-rate and the reward system is generous. I did drop the $30 on a starter pack and it helped, but isn’t mandatory. Anything you can buy you can also earn the old-fashioned way, by playing a lot. Patiently studying the decks and learning some tricks takes time but is enjoyable. It’s a complicated, challenging and enjoyable realm. Recommended. Earlier: First impression: Balance issue where I’ve been playing two days and I’m pitted against vastly superior deck. I’m still playing starter deck and opponent is whipping out artifacts and all sorts of combos and beats me in two rounds. I assume that by dropping $30 I can at least begin to feel competitive. Huge learning curve and I played the heck out of Gwent in the Wild Hunt on PS4. I don’t want to have to pay to compete while I’m still just beginning to learn the basics. Back to practice play I guess. Brutal learning curve — you’ve been warned.

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This game likes to pair you up with people that live on the other side of the globe, where the lag is traumatising. Most of the time you’d sit there to be inevitably disconnected and the game will 100% counts it as a loss. There is no way to guarantee region lock, and even though I live in NA, I have been paired with people from China for about 50% of the matches. Why do I think they’re from China? Well, here’s my theory. First, if not obvious enough, they have Chinese usernames. Second, because China censors and have their own system of internet, players have to use VPN in order to play this game. Why they would set their region to NA is beyond me, but I have a strong belief that this is the case. Depending on the time of day you play this game, the frequency that you’d encounter Chinese players would vary. If you work night shifts like me and play this game at odd hours, the number of Chinese players you’d encounter is abysmal. I have had 5 games back to back where the game just lags to a disconnect and the players usernames are indeed in Chinese letters. DO NOT mistake me for being racist or hateful of the Chinese, I love them and they are awesome. However, it is hard to enjoy a good game of Gwent with them when the game barely responds and gives you a loss because of network issues. Something has to be done.

The game itself is fabulous. This is a beautifully polished game of skill that requires no payment to contend with other players. I’ve played hundreds of rounds already without dropping a dime on this app and yet I never felt disadvantaged. The art is great, the collecting is fun, and the rounds are honestly exhilarating. 4 star review despite the high praise because I keep playing games down to the last 2-3 cards, and pretty much 1/3 of the times where it looks like I’m definitely going to win, my connect drops and I’m slapped with a loss. This never happens at any other time in the game. I’m pretty sure it’s something to do with opponents leaving but there’s nothing more frustrating than dominating an opponent all game just to go down a rank in the end. Maybe for now lost connection games could result in draws? Despite the above, I still definitely recommend this game. I’d imagine this is something they’re looking into already, and this is a game you want to experience. With the connection issue addressed, this game gets 6/5 stars.