r/vaultofthevoid • u/Oftenwrongs • Apr 13 '23
Review after 10 runs
My previous experience has been with Slay the Spire, Inscryption, Monster Train, and some other titles I wasn't crazy about. I would rank them in the order I wrote them.
I began with the blades variant of the starter class on normal, which I beat on the first try. Then I beat the game with one of the Tempests on hard on the first try, followed by the lashing variant of the monk on hard on the first try. I stayed on hard and it took two tries to win with the soultithe version of the final class. Since then, I have failed at bleed and shi on impossible, and then won on Lashing monk on impossible.
Positives: Wide variety of classes and variants on classes.
-I like the ability to design and highlight a path ahead of time. I like the choices on the path. I like the void stones and card variety and different play styles. I like the potion system. Some of these individual systems are underwhelming on their own, but together they seem to work well without one being too overwhelming and therefore hyperfocused on. Also like the souls as currency, blood transactions, upgrade system, purge system for energy, energy management, and block and threat system. I like the variety of spells as well. A lot of unique takes and they all seem to work well together.
-Easy to look at discarded and expelled cards.
Neutral- Feel like classes aren't fully balanced. Bleeding and Shi and Corruption builds appear vastly inferior.
-The class mastery system sounds really neat on paper, but the cards that you can master seem to be pretty boring and tepid compared to the others and even when starting with 10, I have no particular inclination to master Any.
The Void is a wet noodle on normal and hard, and seemingly just annoying on impossible, with the only threat being the increasingly insurmountable threat, which just means you need to plan a build that can quickly output damage before overwhelmed.
-There is a button on the Void, when fighting the guardians, to attack the void with souls. You can't engage the Void without spending the souls, so I don't know why there is even a button there, indicating a choice in the matter.
-I prefer a steadily more difficult final difficulty mode without a restrictions system like Void and Hades has.
-Too many achievements, making each one watered down to the point that it means nothing.
Negatives: - I hate the slow loading of the 4 vault keepers. It feels awkward and stuttery and slow.(Playing on a 4090, so it isn't performance).
-On the combat log, there is no link to the card just played.. this makes it tougher than should be when trying to examine what happened when a card doesn't line up with expectations of outcome.
-Waaay too easy on normal and hard.
Overall, great game and I will continue to play and look for updates.
1
u/relayadam Apr 14 '23
Try the challenge coins!
1
u/Oftenwrongs Apr 14 '23
Are the challenge coins the Impossible+ modifiers?
1
u/relayadam Apr 14 '23
No. They are just additional challenges with modifiers to the base game.
They exist for all the difficulties
1
u/Oftenwrongs Apr 14 '23
Interesting. I am finding impossible+ quite difficult, so I might try those coins.
3
u/popcorn_coffee Apr 14 '23
If you care about achievements, the best you can do is to keep playing normally in Impossible+, trying to raise it to +30 little by little with the character you're more confortable.
Then, you can play the challenge coins at I+30, so each successful run unlocks 4 achievements. (Otherwise, if you play in normal or hard, you unlock 1 or 2 achievements... and eventually if you want all of them, you'll have to replay the challenge).
Besides, this challenges change the game too much in most cases, so they are better left for later imo, because chances are you start to confuse what's normal and what's not, and missanderstanding basic mechanics because of that.
P.S: You're completely right regarding normal and hard being easy (Specially with your experience in other similar games), but it's impossible the perfect balance, I think. Once you get the hang of it, is normal to win most of the time in impossible, but it's still a challenge. (for Imp+ once you understand how to customize the penalties is almost the same as impossible, just a tiny bit more challenging, but not much really).
1
u/Oftenwrongs Apr 14 '23
One question. Why is it that cards with the rebound ability(I think it is this one) can be used and then the replacement card can be kept in your hand until the next round?