Culdcept Begins Review: A Brilliant Return to the Franchise | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: Nintendo Switch

Price: $44.99 (Switch) / $54.99 (Switch 2)

One of my favorite games on the Nintendo 3DS is Culdcept Revolt. It’s the game that introduced me to the series, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve wanted a new entry for the longest time, even asking NIS America (which published the 3DS game that got me hooked) when we’d be getting another one. So when I saw Culdcept Begins announced during a Nintendo Direct, I jumped for joy. Seriously, I leapt out of my seat. And when I finally got to play it, I wasn’t disappointed. Culdcept Begins takes everything I love about the series and builds upon those strengths, making it the definitive entry in the franchise.

For the uninitiated, Culdcept plays like a board game. Imagine if Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering had a baby. That baby would be Culdcept. The premise is simple: collect enough magic before your opponents to win. There are several ways to earn magic, but the most common is by claiming territories on the board. Think of it like buying property in Monopoly. Instead of purchasing land and building houses or hotels, though, you place creature cards from your hand onto unclaimed spaces, making them your own.

Playing cards also costs magic, so every decision matters. I need to be strategic about what I play because landing on an opponent's territory means paying them a magic toll, unless I decide to try and take that territory for myself (more on that in a moment). And if I don't have enough magic to pay the toll? I'll have to start selling off my own territories. Sound familiar?

When I start to get several spaces of the same element, I start to increase the amount of magic I earn. But I really start earning magic when my opponents land on my owned spaces, especially if I start to develop my land. 

I can develop my territories in two different ways: by rolling the dice and passing over a territory I own during my turn or by landing on a castle or fort space. Developing, or leveling up, my territories increases the amount of magic opponents must pay when they land on them.

Unlike Monopoly, my territories can be taken over by my opponents, and I can take over theirs. To do this, I attack the defending creature with one of my own. In most battles, the attacker strikes first, although some creatures always attack first whether they are attacking or defending. If my creature successfully defends the territory, my opponent still has to pay the toll. If my attack is greater than the defending creature's health, I capture the territory.

This is where item cards come into play. Weapons and armor can be equipped during battle to give my creature an advantage. There are also spell cards that can weaken an opponent's creature, neutralize its abilities, or otherwise turn the tide of battle.

Of course, all of these cards cost magic to play, and if I'm not paying attention to how much magic I have available, I can get into trouble very quickly. Sometimes, it's smarter to pass on claiming a territory or attacking an opponent rather than spend magic I can't afford to lose.

One of my favorite aspects of the Culdcept series is customizing my deck. Culdcept Begins leans into this as well. I can customize each Book, which consists of 40 cards. I want to make sure I have a good mix of creature, item, and spell cards that complement one another so I'm never caught unprepared in battle.

The artwork is fantastic. Remember, the last Culdcept game I played was on the Nintendo 3DS, so seeing the vibrant artwork on a big screen brought a smile to my face. There are 400 different cards, and each one features a beautiful design with a modern anime aesthetic.

One of the things I appreciate about Culdcept Begins is its support for GameShare, even online on the Nintendo Switch 2. Plus, I can battle against up to three other players. Culdcept is a board game at heart, so I'm thrilled this feature made it into the game. My only disappointment is that GameShare requires me to use a pre-built Book instead of one of my custom Books.

One of the things I wasn't expecting was the story mode. Admittedly, I wasn't looking forward to it. I just wanted to jump in and start playing. The story ended up surprising me. It follows a new student with a mysterious past, and I found myself becoming invested in the characters and the world. Each chapter includes a battle, with the early chapters serving as a tutorial. I need to win each battle to progress, but even when I lose, I still earn new cards to add to my Book.

Speaking of which, I do wish the game didn't require me to complete the first few story chapters before unlocking multiplayer. I understand why the developers made that decision. The story serves as a tutorial for new players. However, as someone already familiar with Culdcept, I wanted to jump online right away. The card shop is also locked until a few chapters into the story. Again, I understand the reasoning, but I wish these features weren't locked behind the campaign.

Final Grade: A

I've been waiting a long time for a new entry in the Culdcept series, and Culdcept Begins doesn't disappoint. The local and online multiplayer features, along with GameShare, were exactly what I hoped would be included, and I'm thrilled they made it into the game. While I wasn't expecting a story, it grew on me over time. That said, I wish multiplayer and other features weren't locked behind the first few story chapters. Overall, though, Culdcept Begins is the best game in the series. If you're a fan of Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering, Culdcept Begins is an easy recommendation.

Review code provided by Overload PR