Cross Blitz (Early Access) review

Wish deckbuilders had a more substantial storyline? Cross Blitz two modes of play deliver intersecting plots as well as an engaging roguelike mode.

As titles like Baten Kaitos, SteamWorld Quest, and Slay the Spire have all demonstrated, card-based battles and light role-playing can complement each other quite well. Although developer Tako Boy Studios claims there are another 14-16 months before Cross Blitz emerges out of Steam’s Early Access program, currently the game’s two playable modes reveal potential.

Both are built around deck-based combat that’s delightfully easy to learn. And given that most fights don’t last long, Blitz lives up to its speedy moniker with fast and fluid matches.

Cross Blitz the Gathering

The card-based showdowns take place on a 4-by-4 grid that’s split down the middle. When it’s your turn, you can place as many cards on the bottom half of the board as your mana supply allows. Across every game you’ll begin with a single mana point. For each subsequent round, your resource pool is replenished, and your capability is increased by an additional unit.

Each card contains three visible stats: attack power, mana cost, and hit points. When minion cards are played, they strike any opponent card placed in the same column. If there are no enemies, the attack depletes from a players’ pool of hit points. And if your health is completely drained, you’ll lose the match. Of course, cards often inject new rules, exceptions, and strategic possibilities.

Matches Driven by Momentum

So, if you can afford a five-mana cannon, it will launch a projectile at any random opponent- occasionally even targeting a player. Factor in spells as well as traps and you’ll find that combat delivers a healthy amount of variety, while evading complication.

Blitz’s approach means that showdowns might be uneventful for the first few turns. But a skilled player could methodically build an offensive front, before playing a single card that awakens into an unsurmountable succession of devasting attacks. These kinds of come-from-behind moments occur with just enough frequency to offset the occasional discouragement and potentially, a bit of deck management. I just hope that Blitz’s forthcoming additions preserve the balance and avoid the stat-flation that has tarnished other TCGs.

Quintapath Traveler?

Head into Cross Blitz’s Fables mode and you’ll find a framework for five different storylines, each spotlighting a different character. At present, you’ll only find plotlines for a pirate named Redcroft as well as Violet, a prominent pop idol. Some might find these five-hour-or-so storylines light on complexity when compared to an ambitious JRPG.

But instead, Tako Boy keeps the exposition light and undemanding. Should you accidentally skip a section of dialog, it’s never hard to figure out what was missed. That said, there are some gratifying character crossovers between the two stories and Phil Giarrusso’s retro-style artwork is stunning with plenty of animation during each battle. Hopefully, the remaining three stories help tie up some of the ambiguities that constrain a sense of closure. And while character cultivation isn’t as robust as traditional RPGs, being able to grow a talent tree and creating a deck that complements your playstyle provide freedom.

Accompanying Fables is Blitz’s Tusk Tales, offering a roguelike pursuit ideal for players longing for an experience that can be completed in an hour or so. After selecting a mercenary character (the game has plans for 20), you’ll move up the ranks on a branching map. Beyond spots that provide an opportunity to enhance your mercenary or tune your deck, both in individual runs and permanently. And pleasingly, Tusk Tales isn’t too tightfisted when it comes to meta-game rewards, proving some incentive for repeat play.

Conclusion

As present, Cross Blitz does a few things that are poised to annoy players. You can click on an opponent’s minion cards and study their info for as long as needed. But when spells are played, card qualities are briefly flashed on-screen and there is no opportunity to review the information further. Consequently, learning how to counter the CPU is more difficult than it should be. Periodically, you’ll face difficulty spikes when facing certain rivals. Although some deck management should get out of a jam, occasionally you’ll face a foe with a relic or a stack of evolution cards that provide an unreasonable advantage. Lastly, Cross Blitz is playable on Steam Deck, using a mouse-based interface. But the addition of controller support would be exceedingly welcome.

Given the game’s current $20 price point, Cross Blitz offers a respectable amount of value. Presently, the game’s two storylines offer about 15 hours of play, while the roguelike mode can easily double that number as you’re chasing down unlocks. If Tako Boy can complete the game’s plotlines, build on the basic framework, and most importantly- relax the difficulty, this could be a serious contender in the deckbuilder genre.

Cross Blitz was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.