Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden continues what The Isle Dragon Roars so brilliantly started: a riff on JRPG foundations delivered in tabletop style, cleverly marrying two closely-related but different sources of inspiration. Its unique spin on the religious pilgrimage theme makes for a compelling, thought-provoking tale that channels classic RPG storytelling style without feeling constrained by it. But more than anything, The Forsaken Maiden proves Voice of Cards’ value as an RPG framework that can play host to all sorts of adventures, and I can’t wait to see what else comes out of it.

The Forsaken Maiden is not really a sequel or successor to the first Voice of Cards. There's no effort to build on the previous game. Instead, The Forsaken Maiden exists in parallel to the first Voice of Cards, as another module to sit on the virtual bookshelf of adventures. I only hope that Square Enix is being rewarded for these and the plan is to fill many shelves with many more parallel modules like this. I will forever find the time to more Voice of Cards if it's going to keep being like this.

Although Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden looks like more of the same, Yoko Taro's new card has a couple of interesting details for fans of the genre.

An adult and dark story that although it does not have a high complexity in its RPG section, it makes up for it with a spectacular soundtrack and a unique staging.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden on Nintendo Switch is a beautiful turn-based RPG with superb music experienced as a tabletop card game. It is unfortunately let down by some technical and interface issues in its current state.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden now proves this is a viable franchise that Square Enix should hold onto. While it doesn’t exactly reinvent itself and sometimes has some technical hitches, it’s simply a great and fun follow-up to lose yourself in for a few hours without demanding all that much. The talented and beloved team are pretty much on their A-game, bringing an excellent experience of gameplay, visuals, audio, and storytelling. With this, I can wholeheartedly recommend a journey into the deep blue sea. You won’t regret it.

With a fresh formula, despite the release being so close with the previous game, The Forsaken Maiden manages to entertain and it's a fun and well told JRPG.

Arriving mere months after its predecessor, we’re happy to report that Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden proves itself to be a satisfying and endearing sequel. It’s mechanically almost an exact copy of the first Voice of Cards, but things like the new setting and Mark Atherlay’s narration help to make it feel like a distinctive entry that stands well on its own. We’d give Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden a high recommendation for anyone looking for another ‘cozy’ game to add to their collection or for players who want to try an engaging, but not overly demanding JRPG. For all its brevity and minimalism, Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is an unforgettable experience.

The improved features in this sequel were the perfect balance, but there were some much-needed quality-of-life features that failed to show up.

Anyone who liked Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars will similarly find much to enjoy in Forsaken Maiden. Those who felt that Isle Dragon Roars was a little too monotonous in its early-going should still attempt Forsaken Maiden, since its biggest strength is a streamlined approach to the game's major selling points. Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is a lovely second proof-of-concept for what is an excellent gameplay design approach, and hopefully it inspires some similar risk-taking in other JRPG designs in the future.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden provides an engaging tabletop adventure fueled by a fantastical narrative. However, there is little to no challenge to be found in the encounters along the way, which weigh heavily on the epicness this story could otherwise provide. Still, this is an undeniably fun experience and stands out amongst any other title released today.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is a rather continuist game in regards to the original installment of the franchise. However, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. At the end of the day, it is an independent role-playing adventure with very original ideas that make it worthwhile. Of course, it is not a marvel, but it is more than enough to have a good time.

Drawing lessons from its elder, Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is a more controlled experience than The Isle Dragon Roars. Touching story, gameplay adjustments, ability to speed up the game... The main criticisms of the original game have been heard. But if we find the charm of this original concept thanks to its minimalist side and its neat artistic part, the title remains logically very similar to its elder by its short development time. The result is certain flaws that are still as present as the random fights that are still as numerous. It now remains to be seen whether Alim and Yoko Taro's teams will continue on this sustained pace of publication after this more successful second attempt.

As we come to the end of another card-filled yarn, my final impression is a positive one. Both Voice of Cards entries present an accessible RPG form for newcomers and enough meat on the bones for veterans. While I was left wanting a bit more length for the first game, The Forsaken Maiden simply feels like an experiment that didn't fully hit the mark. Part of that could also be blamed on a new voice for the narrator/GM, which sounds younger and less weathered or seasoned. Dividing the focus into multiple smaller stories may have hurt the overarching narrative, but this is still an RPG worth playing, with secrets and replay value for intrepid card sharks. I'll be interested to see how, and how quickly, Square Enix follows up with another Voice of Cards title. It seems like this series won't soon be silenced, and that's a good thing.

A little board game and a little gamebook, Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden might be the RPG you've been waiting for.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden does do enough to stand out on its own, mostly due to the narrative. If you weren’t impressed with the first faux tabletop experience, the minor combat changes won’t be enough to persuade you. Likely, due to the closeness to its antecedent, there aren’t enough improvements in this entry to really qualify it as being notably better than the first. Nonetheless, it is a complementary experience that fans of the first are likely to enjoy just as much.