Hearthstone: Goblins vs Gnomes Review (PC)

Hearthstone has only been out for less than a year, but it seems that Blizzard's creation is only getting more and more momentum as time goes by.

The collectible card game registered over 20 million players worldwide, and a brand new expansion was just released a week ago, sparking even more interest in the fate of the heroes of Warcraft.

One of the best things about the expansion is the fact that, in the early days, you never know what you're going to run into. Before the dust settles and all the clear winners become undisputed, there is a lot of experimenting to be done.

This is perhaps the most exciting time to play Hearthstone since the release of the last expansion, The Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure. That time around though, apart from 36 new cards, there were also some exciting single-player boss battles.

Goblins vs Gnomes only delivers new cards. However, "only" might not be the best word to use in this case, as the number of newly added minions and spells is 143. This means that the meta has been completely upturned and will remain so for a few more weeks, during which time new concoctions will gradually make their way through the ranked ladder.

New deck archetypes emerge

Backstory

I'd been following the leaks going around the Internet prior to the expansion's release, and a growing sense of dread followed my every move. The theme of the expansion, the everlasting rivalry between the tinkerers of the Horde and Alliance, Goblins and Gnomes, translated into a lot of dice rolls, as far as game mechanics go.

Thematically, the effects really fit into the ongoing conflict between the two races, given their history of experimentation and the crazy effects of their failed machinations, as likely to blow up in your face as they are to secure a win against the enemy.

You now have a lot more random effects and variability, which on one hand means more exciting plays where you get to turn the game around, and on the other means less consistence when deploying cards, and that could really throw a wrench in your plans.

Some weapons and minions have a 50 percent chance to attack the wrong enemy, and there are now several effects where you get a random x cost minion, ranging from full spectrum available.

Some of the effects can be counterbalanced in one way or another, in the sense that you still get added value for using the card, but that value can vary greatly.

A ton of new cards

Gameplay

The core premise of the game is very simple: you choose a class and you assemble a 30-card deck, with a maximum of 2 copies of each card, with the exception of Legendaries, which are one-offs.

You then venture into the fray, going against similarly equipped players, casting spells and throwing down creatures, your minions, trying to get their life total below 0 before they do it to you.

You start at one mana point maximum, and each turn that maximum increases by one, up to a total of 10, and the cards vary in power and mana cost, and you have to figure out the best way to employ them and the various synergies between them in order to win the battle.

Alternatively, you can also play in the Arena, where, after paying an entry fee, you assemble a deck out of random cards, keeping your fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

After the expansion went live, I jumped in, bought a few packs, crafted what was needed to put together a few makeshift decks, and had a blast. The random effects weren't as bad as I had imagined, and playing the game was more fun than it had been in quite a while.

The explosion of new decks was perhaps the greatest thing of all, seeing how people tried to make use of new combos and figure out exciting new ways to use older cards. Some of the decks, of course, turned out to be too gimmicky, satisfying when things worked out, but prone to fail most of the time, especially when faced with more consistent aggro decks.

Of course, some new MVPs popped up, and Dr. Boom is shaping up to be THE Legendary card of the expansion, going on almost everyone's lists.

Sometimes you get lucky

Paladin control decks making use of their new-found early game prowess are crushing even turn 1 Undertaker Hunters, and overall, the cards seem to be balanced enough to improve the variety of decks you find at the higher echelons of play.

For us, regular mortals, things are even better, because there is even more variety. Sure, you'll still go up against the same entrenched archetypes, aggro Zoo and Hunter decks, control Warriors and Priests, but there are also a lot of people trying out new things, testing the waters to see whether they can break the meta.

Granted, the experience of a veteran with a generous library of cards to choose from is very different from the one of a lowly newcomer, fresh out of boot camp. I've been playing for quite a while, so I have a decent collection of cards, but I would hate to image how the game would seem for someone new to the title.

This is something that Blizzard needs to address in the near future, as the game's casual mode of play is far from being what one would imagine. If you don't have cards, you get your behind handed to you rather unceremoniously, and I think that many players, especially now since there are so many new cards around, will quit because of the huge grind they see waiting for them.

That being said, it seems like there are now more options for those starting out, a wider range of inexpensive decks that can be used with some success.

The introduction of the Mech minion type means that many deckbuilders are trying to capitalize on the robust synergies between the new cards right now. In addition to Mechs, Pirates, Beasts and Murlocs have also gotten a little bit of love, waiting for someone to build a deck around them.

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Sound and visuals

As always, Blizzard fully delivers on both fronts, bringing an incredibly high production value, especially since the game is so limited in scope. It's a card game, you just move rectangles around and raise or lower health scores.

The art team at Blizzard managed to maintain the same high standard of quality as in the original release, with a ton of special effects, both visual and audible, enhancing your gameplay experience.

Everything you do offers some sort of feedback, from clicking on the game board to inspecting the cards in your hand, it's all designed to make the game come alive and make you forget that it's basically about statistics.

The artwork is beautifully drawn and animated, the spell effects look gorgeous, and the many battle sounds and the minion quips do a standout job of complementing the actual gameplay, no matter if you're winning or losing.

The new interactive background is even bolder in its imagining, enabling you to launch rockets using lasers, and to light up explosive fireworks. Every new spell and unit comes with its own unique animation, and checking out the flavor text on each of the cards in your library is really worth the time.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion