LIVE GAMES

Online games still holding our attention

Long before videogames had the technology to tempt us into buying lootboxes and gacha characters, we had to make do with trading card games.

Could it even be argued that TCGs are the original live service games? Some of the most enduring have ensured longevity by delivering enhancements to the core action while releasing seasonal extras in the form of expansion packs. It should be the perfect mesh with videogames, though many devs have struggled to make it work. There’s a reason

Hearthstone blew up on mobile – it was the first to really nail it. With the buzz around the newly announced

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, could another successful one be about to arrive?

But wait. Yu-Gi-Oh games have been coming out since PS1. But, as you know, these games have always been fairly rigid, taking liberties with the rules to offer condensed, often messy experiences that are supplementary to the source game rather than any kind of addition. Master Duel is the first time Konami has made a serious attempt to replicate the card game accurately, and it’s coming to PS5 and PS4, as well as being available across pretty much every device around. Covering both the TCG and the Japanese version, the OCG, it promises a wealth of content that’ll be kept updated. Can quickfire card matches that embrace what makes physical versions great make a real play for our living rooms?