The SteamWorld series has been able to swap multiple genres and is now going into the RPG. More precisely, it is not a huge shot, where eight heroes with a sophisticated story background would embark on a busy quest full of dialogues or friendly branches, but a card RPG. And after Hearthstone's success, they are pleased to pick up new numbers.

Fortunately, there was no fast-fermented play where the authors tried the genre unnecessarily and had nothing to bring. The series of game elements is so balanced that card lovers with appropriate values ​​and combat properties will enthusiastically create new decks or change them continuously to fight mobs or bosses as needed.

That story is here, and with humor she is trying to talk about the heroine Armilla, who would like to be part of the heroes' association. The way there, however, leads through good deeds and now one offers, when a certain monarch ruled over the council of the association in one village. The motivation for the heroes would be and now only use them to wander across the royal empire. The game uses a page-to-page narration to tell pages where pages are used as chapters - at the beginning and at the end you are usually rewarded with a series of dialogs and move a bit further. Hand-drawn images are a nice revival, but the variety of heroes is not so significant and a group is sometimes annoying. But heroes and their ambitions are very easy to classify and that we are going again to save the town, kingdom and the world does not mind too much. Occasionally, dialogues are full of satirical allusions to common triumphs to become a hero, just confirming that SteamWorld Quest is more focused on individual characters than their common goal.

For example, Armilly irritates you at first by constantly dreaming about getting into an alliance, which is difficult for a merchant's daughter. But the opportunity makes a heroine and she does not hesitate to take advantage of it. A Copernica buddy may love you from the beginning if you like rational types, but she also has challenges. Former hero Orik would like to get rid of the heroic acts and the pair of thieves look especially ahead. The story putty will not bring so many interesting elements, but you will not be wandering empty.

Each chapter, after a small prologue, throws you into a 2D world where you will discover individual rooms. The maps are diverse - sometimes a chapter can fit into 8-10 screens, sometimes twenty. There are no hidden hiding places, so do not hesitate to head to the left or right again if you feel that the map can continue. Rooms in 2D graphics have active characters, enemies await you, and chests full of objects. Each chapter also counts as a percentage of treasure collection success rates - so it's worth returning to missions to get everything. You never know whether there is a useful bakel and a piece of armor waiting there. The environments are typical RPGs: towns, forests, mazes ... but they are beautifully drawn, with a sense of detail, and a steampunk atmosphere.

Characters progress to higher levels, while taking experience for fighting. In parallel, you can get points for the character: its power, magic and other qualities. There will be moments in the game where characters reach beyond their limits if they come across an extremely powerful enemy who is often healed or has a lot of HP. Repeat chapters are worthwhile - you may discover more arcades, hidden rooms, new treasures and increase your level-two extra. When you come to taste the game system, you will repeat some fights for another tactic or enjoy the boss again.

You take three characters and eight types of cards to fight. Initially, you have no more choice, and after the first chapters, the number will increase and you have to choose which ones you scroll to the outfit and which will be out of play. Each card has a different property and is intended for someone else. There are two kinds of cards: basic cards can also be used for free and you will get a steam point. Better cards work the other way around: accumulated steam points glow. The better the card, the more it swallows. Two points for a strong attack, but a good hit in just four! And that means using four cards to get to it at all.

The tactic is to use the cards correctly in each round. If you use the base in a certain round, you get three points and you can invest in something stronger later. But one round offers a combination: if you hit two base cards, the third one can be better for two points. In one round, you can even use three cards from one fighter - and then the fourth comes as a bonus. Or you can use all three characters, each for something else: the mage is a shield, the mechanic heals, and the attacker takes HP to a certain enemy. Sometimes it is necessary to choose offensive tactics and get rid of enemies as quickly as possible. Other times you have time to mix cards and attacks to taste.

In later stages it is necessary to properly think which cards to take. In one round, you can use the card swap two times, and sometimes you can get into a stalemate that you only have cards that ask steam points that you don't currently have or don't like. The cards also show the power of the character - the basic attack takes 30 HP first, then 50-60 or even more. The same goes for healing or magic. Investing in a character pays off and also take care of its equipment.

Partially, you can make it easier if you are the first one on the map to see the enemies - the bonus will result in fewer HPs. You often have something to do to steady the struggle: especially unpleasant enemies that conjure up poisoning and poisons or treat every three rounds. Then you have to find a tactic to look at them. So that after 21 rounds, you can't find out how to move them and you have barely half your health ...

The chase for the best possible outfit lasts until the end of the game, and from time to time you cut an earlier chapter again to see which ones are worth having. Not that the same rounds repeat, but in the middle of the game you already know what to whom. You can extend the extra 15-hour base with another extra watch.

SteamWorld Quest has a distinctive atmosphere used in graphics, but the work of a small Image & Form team continues to surprise. Switch is great and the individual chapters offer the ideal length for playing every day. About an hour, plus / minus a little grind.

The transition to the RPG genre with card fights has come out. Full length SteamWorld Quest holds its line of humor, narration and engaging fights. The tactic is strong, the characters are just enough and cards quite a lot, so you have to realize. An appropriate length will confirm that less is more and the game will not get bored.