Reviewed by Brandy Shaul
Along with its other titles, like EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark and Pirates of the Burning Sea, Sony Online Entertainment was proud to show off an expansion to their already popular online trading card game, based on one of the most popular science fiction television shows around: Stargate SG-1.
System Lords is the newest expansion to the Stargate online universe. Players can expect the same great gameplay offered from the original, along with extra perks like new characters as well as different variations on those characters that you have come to know and love.
Gameplay is played very much like a trading card game in the real world. Players have up to 200 new cards at their disposal, in addition to their previous decks. During each mission, one player will act as the hero with the other being the villain. Different tasks will be set forth, or obstacles placed in the way, for the heroes to complete or overcome.
For example, if your characters want to perform a raid, you would first determine how many combat points are needed to complete said raid. Let’s say the number was 6. This means that you would need to assign characters, or cards, to the mission with the right about of combat points to add up to six (two cards with three points, or one with two and another with four and so on), so that the raid could be completed.
Players take turns during each mission, with the villains trying to block the heroes’ progress at any cost. If they succeed in causing the heroes to fail their mission, the game continues on and the roles reverse (villains become the heroes and vice versa). However, if the mission is a success, the hero’s team earns a glyph, with seven glyphs needed to win the game.
There are two other ways to win. Either the heroes must earn a set amount of experience during gameplay, or, as the villains, if you cause your adversaries costs to reach another set amount. New to the System Lords expansion is the condition called the Dominion, used by the Goa’uld System Lords and their Jaffa henchman to allow villains another way to win.
While the gameplay seemed pretty daunting and involved at first, after watching a game over a few rounds, I found it all to be very intuitive. Having the computer take care of most of the work, like making sure the players are following the rules or shuffling the decks, made the game run much smoother and faster than I had expected. The cards themselves are beautifully detailed, with real shots of the actors from the show adding that extra touch.
Adding more real life elements to the online gameplay is the trading space, where players can trade their game cards with others to complete the ultimate deck. Speaking of decks, the online deck builder is perfect for those who love customization, and want to make sure they have the upper hand in all things before playing a game.
Other incentives to building the ultimate deck are the online tournaments and leagues, which offer rewards such as free cards, not to mention the prospect of moving up the worldwide player rankings.
While the game client itself is free to download, the cost of playing the game comes in the booster packs and decks one can buy ($3.49 for 11 or $10.99 for 60 random cards). However, if you simply want to get a feel for the game before you shell out the money for some cards, you can play in the practice levels, with a set “training” deck in order to see if it is right for you, or to just hone your skills before entering real combat against other players.
While most trading card enthusiasts might find the thought of playing a game online to be too out of the ordinary, it is a perfect environment for more casual players who don’t like messing with all of the work that comes with playing a game in the real world. Add to this the fact that you don’t have to find another person in your general vicinity who likes/knows how to play, and you have a real recipe for success.
For more information about the Stargate Online Trading Card Game and the System Lords expansion, visit the official site.