There is little doubt that Master Duel is the best video game translation of theYu-Gi-Oh!TCG ever. As such, it has the potential to be a brilliant method of bringing new players into both the digital andphysical versions of the game. Unfortunately, it often falls at the first hurdle.
Jumping into a casual match, likely using one of the game’s structure decks, new players will often be met with monstrous Pendulum summons, impressive Snake-Eye decks and combos that see players drawing huge monsters out in turn one.
Introducing them to all of this at the same time is a huge error. The experience of being repeatedly pummeled is likely an unpleasant one and more than enough to send many packing before they have truly given the game a chance.
The blindingly obvious fix for this would seem to be the introduction of permanent game modes that allow players to earn gems, before slowly building up to one of the aforementioned meta decks. These modes should, of course, function by the same ruleset but strip back some of the finer details until new players are ready to take them on.
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One of these could be of a similar format to the old-school event earlier this year, with a card list that allows basic elements like Fusion summons. Other modes could then emphasize other mechanical elements in turn, allowing new players to learn more advanced elements of the game at their own pace, without being blown away.
Additionally, the opportunity to use cards that are far from viable in modern Yu-Gi-Oh! is a thrill in its own right. Challenge videos in which players try to summon old cards in the modern game are immensely popular on YouTube, so seeing modes that thrust that kind of thing to the fore would be so exciting.
At its core,Master Duelremains a brilliant game. As a huge fan, it feels important to stress that it could be so much more if only for a little more variety. Hopefully, the future sees a significant expansion on the fundamentally sound formula it currently offers.
James Lynch is a Games Writer on Dexerto’s UK team, specializing in Destiny, World of Warcraft, Baldur’s Gate, Elden Ring, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Assassin’s Creed, strategy and RPG games. He also has bylines at CBR and GG Recon. You can contact him at: james.lynch@dexerto.com
