My son age 10 bought this game and he loves it! It is challenging and fun!
This game is split into two modes, world championship mode and story mode. In WC mode you do stuff like build decks and duel WC oppenens to optain DP(money)so you can buy more cards. There's 3500+ cards in this game so it should take a while. Some of the cards in this game are only available through duel terminals in real life, so that's convient being able to use cards in the game that aren't turnament legal in real life. For those of you who don't know what duel terminals are look it up yourself; I can't explain what it is. I can't say much about story mode because I don't want to give away any spoilars, but I can say that if you haven't been watching the current anime then you'll probably be complitely lost as to what's going on at first. Once you get to a certain point the story will start making more since. As far as difficulty is conserned it's just right. Some opponents are harder than others while some are easier. The A.I. is supposed to be better than it was in past WC games, but it still has it's weeknesses, and if you know how to exploit those weeknesses then you will be much more successful. The A.I. isn't terrible though. Overall this is a very good game that is full of strategy and surprises, so it should keep you busy and satisfied for a very long time.
Another year another Yu-Gi-Oh game. This one has over 3,500 cards.
STORY: This game takes place after the events of the 2009 version. It follows the 5D's show with the Dark Signers. That's as far as I'm going for this.
GAMEPLAY: Normal Yu-Gi-Oh play, with a top down view of the board, instead of the player's perspective, which was found in the 2009 version. There is more in terms of speed duels and racing, which, to me, isn't a bad thing. Variety is good. You still gain DP (Money) to spend on packs, which cost 150 DP each. Now that I've really gotten into the game, I'm earning 300-400 DP on average from each duel that I win. The game also seems to be faster. However, I turned OFF card animations in the options menu, since the game asks you after every phase if you wish to activate something...gets annoying and slows down the game, but it can be turned off from the options menu. The racing is still A = gas and B = Brake. Speed Duels still revolve around Speed Spells.
SOUND: Standard, nothing spectacular, but not bad.
DIFFICULTY: This is where some agree/disagree. At times this can be a difficult game. However, for the most part, it is a standard difficulty. The AI does make better moves, such as waiting to activate Mirror Force until you have some strength on your field, instead of using it as soon as they can on a monster you didn't really need. In that sense, it has become more realistic. Yeah, the AI does have its quirks from time to time, but it has to process over 3,500 card combinations, which is impressive.
WI-FI: Still there and has been changed slightly. You now get special coins for winning/losing a duel, which you can use to purchase cards on Wi-Fi. You can also duel and you will be ranked on your performance. Downloads are still there as well, like a different free card each day, new duel puzzles, and new opponents.
UNLOCKABLES: You can unlock packs and CPU opponents for World Championship by defeating different people 3 times each in story mode, which is better then 5 times like in the 2009 version. Konami has also made it much easier to tell if you have won/loss/tied someone any numberof times by walking up to them and clicking Information, which is a very nice add-on. You can also obtain star chips by winning in CPU Duels in World Championship mode and finding them in random places in Story Mode. These Star Chips can be used to purchase new clothes, duel disks, and different art styles for certain cards.
PROS:
3,500 + cards
Improved AI
Can now track wins/losses/ties against individuals in Story Mode, instead of trying to remember
Wi-Fi duels earn you special coins to buy more cards, as well as DP
Faster to unlock things with 3 wins, instead of 5
Cheaper to buy this game than to buy a bunch of real packs and decks
CONS:
Packs still cost 150 DP, which gets hard to come by when netting around 300-400 DP each duel
POSSIBLE PRO/CON: (Depends on the person)
Racing and Speed Duels are still in the game, with more than the 2009 version
OVERALL: This is an upgrade to the 2009 version, which is a good thing. There is still CPU Duels, Tag Duels, Tournaments, etc. that Yu-Gi-Oh games are known for. This is a good game for people who don't necessarily have the money to buy real decks and packs. 4/5.
The last Yu-Gi-Oh! game that I played was World Championship 2007. It was good, but the fact that there was no storyline and very little DP (in game $$) given for every match hurt it for me. I waited a few years to buy the next game in the series, because I wanted Konami to make refinements to the gameplay. The 2010 edition does just that.
Far more DP is given per battle than before, which makes buying cards a much faster process. Online play is smooth in general, and people seem to drop far less frequently than in the last Yu-Gi-Oh! game that I played (they seem to surrender instead of just quitting). At first I thought the gameplay was slower, but then I turned OFF card animations in the options menu, and it was sped up considerably. 3500 cards to buy and use is a phenomenal amount, and can keep you busy for years. Konami also offers special cards to download online and new limited / forbidden lists to keep the gameplay current.
Which actually brings me to one issue I have with the game. It is not uncommon to buy a deck / pack of cards that contains cards that have been invalidated by Konami. Occasionally, you can buy a "Structure Deck" that contains a set of cards that are meant to be played together. However, if you try and use that deck the game will tell you that a number of the cards in the deck are either forbidden or limited. The only way to use those cards are to play in a Structure Deck match, which is frustrating because you can't add them to your own regular decks. I understand Konami's logic of keeping the game constantly balanced, but it is very un-fun to buy a card from the in-game store and not be able to use it how you'd like to.
Overall, this is a great game. For those of you who aren't familiar with Yu-Gi-Oh!, consider it like a portable Magic the Gathering Online (albeit with a different rule set and a MUCH lower price tag). If you are an adult gamer, don't shy away from this game just because it has Yu-Gi-Oh! on the cover. It is deep, strategic, long lasting, and quite the challenge. Strategy card game lovers need apply!
