Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft: Preview (Beta version)

The days have passed when the genre of collectible card strategies on computers was represented mainly by interactive versions of Magic: The Gathering – quite complex and multifaceted games from the series Duels of the Planeswalkers. With the onset of the era of conventionally paying entertainment, this genre has become one of the fastest and most profitable ones: on the PC Freedic CCG, almost every month, and even on mobile devices, their number is completely running out. Company Blizzard, who always knew how to hold her nose in the wind, of course, could not stand aside and began to develop her own collection card strategy Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. In August, its closed beta testing in America began, and in September, the line reached Europe. We also decided to test the Russian version of the game and share impressions with you.

Heroes and cards

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft offers a traditional entertainment program. Players collect their own deck of cards and converge in duels with each other or with computer bots (the latter are presented only in the training mode of training). For those who are not in the know, we recall that the cards in such games are not a “three”, “seven”, “ace”, but creatures, spells and special capabilities of the hero, the leader of the deck, who with their help attacks the opponent, strengthens his own and weakens the enemy “units” and so on.

For each of the 9 presented heroes of the world Warcraft (Available a warrior Garrosh Hell scream, magician Jaina Predmur, Druid Malfurion, Paladin Light -bearing and other familiar comrades) You can and should form your deck. In addition to common for everyone, there will be unique maps that determine the branded style of the battle. So, Jaina relies on the magic of ice, freezing enemies, the warlock Guldan knows how to call demons, and the warrior Garrosh actively uses weapon cards (allow the hero to personally attack the enemy) and armor. In addition, each hero has one unique ability on which cards are not spent: for example, a luminous luminous can be called a paladin-recruit, and the priest Anduin Rinn restores 2 health points.

True, initially only Jaina Predmur is available to players, and the rest of the characters open as you win them in training mode with bots or in duels (rating and non -navigation). After all 9 heroes are open, an arena will become available: there you need to collect a deck of random cards and hold out for fractions with other players as long as possible. After three lesions, the arena will have to be left, but in return you will definitely be awarded some reward.

Pay or not pay?

The main expenditure resource in the game is gold – it is spent on the purchase of new sets of cards, in which you can find especially powerful rare specimens, and on a pass to the same arena. You can buy sets for real money: even a store is built into a closed beta that kindly offers to purchase maps of cards for rubles and taking into account VAT. If, as a result of the next correction of the balance, some cards are withdrawn from the game, then the authors promise to compensate for all expenses.

However, it cannot be said so far that in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Rules “Donat”. Intra -game gold can be dashingly earned by performing numerous daily tasks (for example, win 3 matches by one or another class), receiving awards for visiting the arena and for reaching the hero of the next level (they give experience both for victory and defeat).

While there is not enough global rating, the opportunity to quickly evaluate the level of another player and his awards, which are given out for victories in rating duels.

Detailed level editor Duels of the Planeswalkers V Hearthstone no: you just type 30 cards of all the options presented, and then, as new sets are obtained, you can replace them with more powerful. However, the desired card is allowed to create. Magic dust is spent on this, which is the second important resource in the game. It is issued as a reward for victory in the arena, and also turns out by spraying (that is, destruction) of other, weaker cards.

Holy simplicity

In general, it was initially clear that Blizzard does not envy the laurels of the same Duels of the Planeswalkers And he is not going to make the equally sophisticated, complex and deep CCG – with a huge Talmud rules, an advanced editor and a clear e -sports bias. We will talk honestly: Hearthstone – This is an openly “casual” card game. In depth and tactical saturation, it is still inferior not only by computer variations of Magic: The Gathering, but also to its direct competitor – Might & Magic: Duel of Champions, which has recently officially launched in Russia.

There, for example, it is necessary to save different types of resources in battle directly in the battle for playing certain cards, personally deciding which of them is now more important for you, and you also have to correctly arrange the “units”, covering your hero, moving forward the “tanks”, hiding behind their backs and so on. IN Hearthstone the leader can be beaten directly, bypassing the creatures placed in front of him. And the resource (mana) is consumed one for all, and it is replenished automatically. In addition, in Duel of Champions, the deck limit is practically not limited.

However, this does not mean that Hearthstone – The game is primitive. The same restriction on the number of cards can be called equally as a simplification and a plus: in such a situation, the outcome of a duel is less dependent on the will of a case that is randomly decisive, which of the 60 remaining cards to throw you at the moment.

There are very interesting tactical nuances in the game. So, special attention should be paid to the cards of creatures with the ability “provocation” – until they die, you cannot attack the hero. And the emphasis is on the maps of secrets: they work under certain circumstances (for example, if the enemy calls the creature, then you get a copy of it for free, and if you attack your hero, then the latter activates 8 points of armor) and bring an element of surprise into the game – after all, the enemy does not see what secret you play is playing.

Well, no one canceled the need to form a deck very competently, selecting cards for the selected style, taking into account their combinations and effects.

In any case, it is clear that the developers are not betting on the difficulty twisted to the ceiling. WITH Hearthstone Blizzard acts in a traditional way: takes some popular concept, makes it understandable and accessible to everyone and wraps it in a colorful, most convenient cover. The interface here is much more understandable and more comfortable than in the same Duel of Champions and Duels of the Planeswalkers. The Matchmaching system works efficiently and without failures, the chat does not bother anyone. The game looks gorgeous (you need to see how, thanks to the animation, the screen literally breathes during a duel!) And it sounds great – already at the stage of closed beta heroes are perfectly and expressively talking in Russian. And here are a lot of pleasant nostalgic references to our favorite games from the series Warcraft. So we have no doubt: Hearthstone Waiting if not a rich e -sports future (although the tournaments on it, of course, will be held), then, in any case, the guaranteed success among thousands of players who want to simply relax and enjoy after heavy working everyday life.