NEOVERSE: Trinity Edition

Neoverse Trinity Edition brings the strategy of a deck-building game together with rougelite elements. Similar to a game like Slay the Spire, but with a different polish. The story is virtually non-existent, which is unfortunate, but understandable for the type of game. Purely from Neoverse’s aesthetic, the expectation is that the game will be simple, but you will slowly start to uncover a deep and multifaceted strategy game that remains fresh throughout numerous hours of play.

Neoverse Trinity Editon is a surprisingly addictive deck-building card battling game. There are some things that will make you think this was a converted mobile game from the West, especially given anime-based heroines. The game leaves a lot for you to figure out but provides enough varied missions so that successive playthroughs don't feel completely monotonous. It requires some patience to master the system and unlock new cards but on the plus side, it plays well in undocked mode making for a great travel game!

As it stands, Neoverse won’t convert diehard Slay the Spire fans, but it can effectively woo the ones who are looking to scratch that itch with a new IP. Even with challenge modes, special gear to grind, and multiple bosses, there’s less complexity and potential for wildly different runs, less magical chaos and luck of the draw. The developers have clearly put thought into the battle system, even though they’ve crafted a game that provides more overpowered gameplay loops than its inspiration. Its design is overly flashy - sometimes even gaudy and cringey, especially the additional unlockable “costumes” for the heroes - but Neoverse’s superficial surface isn’t hiding a dearth of substance, with numerous hours of deckbuilding enjoyment to be found.

Overall, there’s a lot to recommend in Neoverse Trinity Edition. It’s addicting, it’s great in short bursts and long runs, and it’s got characters and decks that are excellently balanced. Really, the only downsides are the lack of tutorial, the small text (it’s very hard to play in handheld mode until you know what the tiny text says), and the slightly wonky controls (it’s very easy to accidentally select the wrong item or card and then use it without realizing it, though you learn to be more careful eventually). There’s plenty of replay value, too, with each character having multiple unlocks for new cards, costumes, skills, and more. There’s also additional modes if you’re looking for a greater challenge.

On the surface, Neoverse Trinity Edition has everything a deck-building TBS needs to be a highly recommended one, mainly due to its more-than-decent mechanical depth, and, yes, because of its sexy exterior. Sadly, this just doesn't achieve being the next Slay the Spire it wants to be. A bit repetitive, and with a visual wrapping that's as generic as it is nice to look at, Tinogames Inc.'s creation is far from bad, but also something that's far from greatness. Only for - very - big fans of the genre - just be ready for something that's maybe a bit too easy/casual-friendly for your liking.

The problem is that for all of Neoverse's merits - it's a good looking game, with good, balanced mechanics and excellent replay value - it's also ultimately unsatisfying to play. The narrative context is only ever a tease, and without a reason to get into all those fights and collect all those cards, Neoverse ultimately feels hollow. I'll keep Neoverse around for five-minute time-filler play sessions here and there, but I'm ultimately disappointed with this game. It could have easily been so much more than this.

Neoverse Trinity Edition has a lot of good ideas and could very well be a card game classic on the Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately a poor performance - which includes frequent losses of frame rate and a frustrating user interface when played on the Nintendo Switch screen - as well as a lack of a proper introduction to the way the game is played make this experience way more unappealing than it should be. This is a real shame, because its gameplay is very fun and the mechanics are very well thought, but the game's performance truly harms the experience to a level it should not.

Neoverse Trinity Edition succeeds at being an enjoyable deck builder, but it does so in a way that's seemingly desperate to highlight its limitations. It runs embarrassingly poorly at times, and does almost nothing to ingratiate the player to its many systems, all of which must be puzzled out more or less from scratch. While this is far from ideal, it's not enough to totally kill the game's appeal. Robust strategy is both possible and necessary in order to progress much beyond even the second boss. If you vibe with Neoverse Trinity Edition, it'll last you a while. It's just very, very difficult to get to grips with this bizarre, confusing game.

Despite a fun, if derivative, combat system, Neoverse never truly feels like it shines thanks to disappointing performance on Switch and a story that feels nonsensical and non-existent all at once. If you're a fan of the rogue-lite card-battling genre and have exhausted the best the genre has to offer then you may find some enjoyment in its flexible card buying system and varied character builds, but if not, it's tough to recommend.