Review – Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Blizzard has made about twenty billion dollars so far from World of Warcraft, their biggest game. It’s safe to say they know a thing or two about making enjoyable content and enticing gamers to come back for more, and that depth of experience and professionalism is clear from this dangerously addicting card game. Despite the cartoonish aesthetic and juvenile characters, Hearthstone means business.
A kind of amped up top-trumps, the well-crafted and genuinely fun tutorial takes you through the basics and leaves you with a solid understanding of the rules and interface, but the meat of the gameplay is in exploring all of the possibilities in matches with strangers, friends or the computer.
Recently released on iPad, the game does offer in-app purchases, but this isn’t pay-to-win crippled freeware. Many serious players never spend a penny. Note however, that regardless of platform, you do need an internet connection to play.
★★★☆☆
This review originally appeared in INSIDER Magazine with The Irish Independent on 8th May 2014.