I found myself wanting to play more of Dragon Front even after my 45 minute demo – despite the fact that I’m not a table-top or collectible card game player and the extent of my CCG experience is playing Pokemon in elementary school. I didn’t expect to get sucked into the Dragon Front, the world’s first VR collectible card game, but the immersion of the VR helmet proved too compelling.
Dragon Front transports players onto a 4 by 4 battlefield with beautiful environments and animated soldiers. Think of it as Yu-Gi-Oh come to life, but without the ridiculous hairdo. Your goal is to break through your enemy’s defenses and destroy their castle. The cards you play range from soldiers, spells, buffs, and even vehicles. For example, planes have the ability to shoot over enemies. Each person also gets a “hero” that requires a lot of mana to unlock before your can play him or her on the battlefield. It’s a turn based game, so there are some lulls in the action while you wait for your opponent. But there's also anticipation as you wait for your enemy to reveal what he or she has in store for you.
Dragon Front was developed first as a physical card game before the developers at High Voltage Software began turning it into a VR game. “It was a passion project for us,” said High Voltage Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger. “We want [Dragon Front] to feel like you are playing with a friend at the same table, no matter where you are in the world.” Unfortunately, the physical version won’t be going on sale, though Nofsinger is kicking around the idea of selling limited runs of it in the future.
Although you can’t see your friend’s actual face, there are some human nuances recreated in Dragon Front. Both you and your opponent appear above a battlefield as floating masks. Your head movements are mirrored in VR, letting you see where your opponent is looking. It’s a small touch but it helps make Dragon Front feel more intimate. Strangely, there’s no voice communication to smack-talk your friends.
While Dragon Front is strictly 1v1 at the moment, High Voltage is looking to let other players spectate matches. I’d like to see Dragon Front offer different game modes that incorporate larger parties so groups of friends can play together.
There’s definitely a learning curve to Dragon Front, but it’s not nearly as complicated as other table-top card games as its visuals help to show what’s happening. Instead of having a friend who knows how to play the game explain its mechanics to you, Dragon Front makes it easy on new players with an informative 10-minute tutorial and easy to understand cards.
Given the choice, would I pick playing the VR version of Dragon Front over a physical version? Yes, though I will miss the physicality and collectability of physical cards. Dragon Front currently features two decks, 280 characters, 80 fortifications, and over 100 types of spells. There will, of course, be more cards and starter decks in the future, though High Voltage hasn’t decided how to price them. Dragon Front will be a paid game, which hopefully means it won’t be plagued with tons of paid DLC.
There’s no pricing or launch date for Dragon Front yet. High Voltage wants to release a beta of Dragon Front in Q2 of this year to help with balancing before the game’s official release. Dragon Front will be an Oculus Rift exclusive.
VR adds a layer of attachment to the in-game characters, and I felt guilty when my boneheaded moves resulted in a slain unit. It’s not the most immersive VR experience, but it got me, a person who has never been too interested in playing a collectible card game, excited about the genre.
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