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[The Wheel of Fortune]

From the creative minds of Yoko Taro (Drakengard, Nier, SINoALICE) and Yosuke Saito (Drakengard, Nier, DQ XI) Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is an turn-based RPG set in a world of swords and sorcery, told entirely through the medium of cards.

With character designs by Kimihiko Fujisaka (Nier Replicant, Fire Emblem Heroes, The Last Story) and music by Keiichi Okabe (Drakengard, Nier, Super Smash Bros), the story follows a self proclaimed hero as they set off to slay a recently awakened dragon, presented in the manner of a tabletop RPG and playing out through narration from the gamesmaster.




Our main protagonist is a bounty hunter who hopes to secure an immense reward for slaying the dragon. He’s joined on his travels by his companions: Mar, a monster very attached to him, and Melanie, a black witch with a grudge against the Dragon. Along the way, they will meet an array of unique characters including Wynifred of the Ivory Order and her silent soldier, Berwyn, and Heddwyn, her sage and mentor, as well as the Queen of Castle Advent, who rules over this vast land.

Fans eager to dive into the world of Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars can download the free demo from the Nintendo eShop, PSN Store, or Steam. The demo acts as a prologue to the upcoming release and features events that unfold in the lead up to Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, as the Ivory Order search for stolen royal treasure. Click on your preferred platform to find a link to their respective store so you can try it, too!



Furthermore, pre-ordering the game will net you the “Golden Dragon Pattern,” which swaps the reverse card design to an original design by Kimihiko Fujisaka as well as a “Traditional Avatar,” which allows them to change the design of the game piece on the field into a traditional craftwork. Fans of the NieR series will also be able to enjoy theming their adventure with a special bundle set, which includes the game, the Pixel Art Set DLC, and seven more DLC themed after NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… There's also a physical limited edition, although I'm not sure that's available anywhere other than Japan at the moment.


Reviews:​

Metacritic - 75
Opencritic - 74 (Fair)

Screenrant - 4/5 stars

While Voice of Cards does stumble in spots, it shines as a brilliantly told story that successfully replicates the feeling of the best tabletop gaming sessions, with a game master whose engaging voice carries much of the emotion and tension required to make the setup work. While it certainly won't be for everyone, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is a beautiful title well worth a look from any roleplaying fan, and an example of how excellent design can breathe life into any game with enough to say about its world and its heroes.

NoisyPixel - 8.0/10

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars provides a gratifying experience with a distinct presentation, delightful soundtrack, and remarkable storytelling stellarly utilizing its tabletop context. Even when accounting for its lack of challenge and questionable character focus, it still manages to be a welcoming turn-based RPG any intrigued party can dive into without fear of obstruction.

wccftech - 7.6/10

Pros:

• Full narration by Todd Haberkorn
• Extra side quests and hidden treasures keep players hunting for clues
• Little RNG, allowing players to focus on strategy and synergy first
• Unique card-focused presentation
• Calm soundtrack that evokes memories of Hamauzu's Final Fantasy XIII works

Cons:

• Narration lacks emotion and energy during more high-energy story moments
• High encounter rate makes returning through early areas a chore (until you get the ability to evade enemy encounters in NG+)
• The card game minigame is frustratingly bad
• No option to fast-forward or speed up the slower-paced moments in traversal and combat (a patch will arrive after launch to address this)

Destructoid - 7.5/10

If you’re looking for an enjoyable RPG with some novel ideas and strong presentation behind it, Voice of Cards can easily eat up a weekend or two. It’s sweet and doesn’t overstay its welcome, even when I wished it would. While those factors aren’t enough for it to match up against the best-in-class competitors, there are many worse ways to spend a cozy fall evening than curled up with Voice of Cards.

Nintendo World Report - 7.5/10

Pros:

• Competitive mini-game that can be played outside of the game locally
• Interesting story with some twists
• Simple and accessible gameplay
• Unique card-based presentation

Cons:

• Only the last dungeon provides much of a challenge
• Soundtrack and voice work could use more variety
• Too many random encounters

Metro - 7.0/10

A traditional turn-based role-player which utilises its tabletop disguise with charm and polish, but isn’t long enough to fully capitalise on its ideas.
Pros: Great battle system and the tabletop presentation is endearing and satisfying to navigate. Script and characters are enjoyable. Brilliant soundtrack.
Cons: As a role-player its short length limits its potential. The world can feel repetitive and thinly sketched. Main narrative is a little underwhelming.

Siliconera - 7.0/10

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, the new Yoko Taro game, puts aesthetics first. But if you love a slower pace? You'll have a good time.
It feels like combat was designed for the endgame and deconstructed to make the early stuff simpler. A full game with the boss fight's complexity and balance would be cool.
It's weird to cheer for your party member getting an ailment, but since it replaces any previous one, it happens sometimes!
RPG 101: always take out the healers first.

The Gamer - 3/5 stars

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars features a striking and quirky tabletop style with delightful gameplay that doesn’t overcomplicate things. While the storyline won’t necessarily grip you, it’s told in a fun and interactive way and this is an easygoing pick up and play title that you can enjoy at your own pace. You won’t be challenged when going card-to-card against your enemies, but you can still find the thrill of a frustrating hand if you delve into the minigame.

 

[Danjin44]

Gorgeous OT!!!!

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Gorgeous OT!!!!

Much appreciated, mate! I'm dying to play the full version of this as well haha it can't come out soon enough!


Mods, my apologies if I posted this too soon, but I had a free hour right now and I realized this comes out in less than 3 days, so I figured a bit of buzz and hype couldn't hurt a niche game like this. The more people get interested in it, the better! I'm sure plenty of users will at the very least check the trailer out once they get to know more about the game.

I'll use this post to share with you several of the character's designs as well, I think they're fabulous and I hope it helps people on the fence to decide to check out the game:

 

[Danjin44]

I'll use this post to share with you several of the character's designs as well, I think they're fabulous and I hope it helps people on the fence to decide to check out the game:

They made the right choice choosing Kimihiko Fujisaka as the artist for this game, the character designs looks gorgeous.

 

[Captain Toad]

The demo gave me NES Dragon Quest vibes. Am I crazy in hoping the game will require a bit of grinding to proceed?

 

[Saber]

Much appreciated, mate! I'm dying to play the full version of this as well haha it can't come out soon enough!


Mods, my apologies if I posted this too soon, but I had a free hour right now and I realized this comes out in less than 3 days, so I figured a bit of buzz and hype couldn't hurt a niche game like this. The more people get interested in it, the better! I'm sure plenty of users will at the very least check the trailer out once they get to know more about the game.

I'll use this post to share with you several of the character's designs as well, I think they're fabulous and I hope it helps people on the fence to decide to check out the game:

Damn, the artwork of this game is gorgeous. Nice OT.

 

[Danjin44]

Damn, the artwork of this game is gorgeous.

I LOVE Fujisaka's art, I'm big fan Yoko Taro but what attracted me to this game wasn't him, it was Fujisaka's character design.

 

[Subterranean]

Excited for this one. The demo swayed me quite a bit but I am going to wait on reviews before I decide to make a purchase.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

The demo gave me NES Dragon Quest vibes. Am I crazy in hoping the game will require a bit of grinding to proceed?

I had the same impression when I played the demo! As long as the challenge stays consistent and there aren't any overly weird difficulty spikes, that's quite alright for me. The demo was different than what I expected when watching the trailer, but in a good way. That's why I made sure to point out several times throughout the OP that it's not a card game per se, but a traditional, turn-based RPG instead. I saw plenty of people on the reveal thread being left disappointed that this was a "card game" and quickly dismissing it as something they wouldn't touch because of it.

Damn, the artwork of this game is gorgeous. Nice OT.

Cheers! Honestly, I barely had to do any work. The artwork itself is exceptional, like you said, and it part of the reason why I became so interested in this game to begin with. Perhaps it can attract more people into giving it a go if they become familiar with these character designs.

Excited for this one. The demo swayed me quite a bit but I am going to wait on reviews before I decide to make a purchase.

That makes sense, I've seen several people on the fence and waiting for reviews before pulling the trigger. There are some concerns that the gameplay (combat) itself may be too simple for a full-fledged RPG, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.


I found some more character designs (13 total!) that I found interesting, I'll share them down below under a spoiler tag so they don't clog up this thread even more on mobile.
Here's a cheeky sneak peek:

Spoiler: More character designs (mostly NPCs, not really a spoiler)

 

[Danjin44]

looks like we have new candidate for (NSFW) Best Butts in Gaming.

 

[ParaSeoul]

From the creative minds of Yoko Taro (Drakengard, Nier, SINoALICE) and Yosuke Saito (Drakengard, Nier, DQ XI) Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is an turn-based RPG set in a world of swords and sorcery, told entirely through the medium of cards.

With character designs by Kimihiko Fujisaka (Nier Replicant, Fire Emblem Heroes, The Last Story) and music by Keiichi Okabe (Drakengard, Nier, Super Smash Bros), the story follows a self proclaimed hero as they set off to slay a recently awakened dragon, presented in the manner of a tabletop RPG and playing out through narration from the gamesmaster.




Our main protagonist is a bounty hunter who hopes to secure an immense reward for slaying the dragon. He’s joined on his travels by his companions: Mar, a monster very attached to him, and Melanie, a black witch with a grudge against the Dragon. Along the way, they will meet an array of unique characters including Wynifred of the Ivory Order and her silent soldier, Berwyn, and Heddwyn, her sage and mentor, as well as the Queen of Castle Advent, who rules over this vast land.

Fans eager to dive into the world of Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars can download the free demo from the Nintendo eShop, PSN Store, or Steam. The demo acts as a prologue to the upcoming release and features events that unfold in the lead up to Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, as the Ivory Order search for stolen royal treasure. Click on your preferred platform to find a link to their respective store so you can try it, too!



Furthermore, pre-ordering the game will net you the “Golden Dragon Pattern,” which swaps the reverse card design to an original design by Kimihiko Fujisaka as well as a “Traditional Avatar,” which allows them to change the design of the game piece on the field into a traditional craftwork. Fans of the NieR series will also be able to enjoy theming their adventure with a special bundle set, which includes the game, the Pixel Art Set DLC, and seven more DLC themed after NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… There's also a physical limited edition, although I'm not sure that's available anywhere other than Japan at the moment.


There are no reviews out at the moment, and we don't know when the embargo will lift. That being said, once they're published I'll edit them in here as soon as I can.​

Demo available on PS5? Normally not into card games but Yoko Taro tho

 

[Danjin44]

Normally not into card games but Yoko Taro tho

Its not a card game, its turn based RPG with card as its aesthetics.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Its not a card game, its turn based RPG with card as its aesthetics.

PS5 tho??

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

Demo available on PS5? Normally not into card games but Yoko Taro tho

Aye, click the PS Store link and you'll be able to download it there. I played it on my PS5.

If you like RPGs and Yoko Taro, I'm convinced you'll be interested in this. It's more of a traditional, turn-based RPG.

 

[Davevil]

I think a real physical card game version would have been a masterpiece
However glad that SE has decided to experiment

 

[Nico_D]

I will definitely get this down the line. I didn't even finish the demo before I already knew it's for me.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

I preordered this on Sept 27th when I saw the positive buzz. I was super excited to dive in on the 28th. Then I found out the game was coming out on Oct, 28th, not Sept.

It's been a long wait.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Gotta love how they are developing those charcters backstories.

 

[Labadal]

Nice OT. I'm hyped. Can't wait. This is how I will approach my Switch on release day.

 

[Punished Miku]

I will definitely get this down the line. I didn't even finish the demo before I already knew it's for me.

Just keep in mind the demo is a prologue. It's not really that story heavy, but it is different content leading up to the main game.

 

[Raven117]

I tell you. Been thinking about this one since I've played the demo...The possibilities of where it could go are just staggering.

With Taro just doing Taro stuff....I mean...geesh.

 

[Saint Boot]

Gotta love how they are developing those charcters backstories.

It's a little creepy to be honest. Like she only worked on her upper body, but her lower body still looks smooth and sexy.
Kinda like that guy in Lady in the water who was only weight lifting one arm.

 

[Isa]

Nice OT! Got it installed and ready to go later this week. Can't wait to listen to that music again and uncover all those stories and such. The art is phenomenal.

 

[Vaelka]

How did they manage to get a 7 years old rating xD ( on Steam )?

Anyways it looks neat, for obvious reasons for me.

 

[Shifty1897]

Reviews are trickling out, most seem to be falling in good but not great territory. Complaints about the game being too easy and being too short seem to be the most common, where the story and music are praised. Reviewers seem divided on the card aesthetic, though you'll know how you feel about it based on the demo.

 

[Danjin44]

I don't mind the length because short after this game get released SMT5 comes out, so I'm happy I can finish this before SMT5 drops in.

 

[Raven117]

I don't mind the length because short after this game get released SMT5 comes out, so I'm happy I can finish this before SMT5 drops in.

This.

 

[Punished Miku]

Reviews are trickling out, most seem to be falling in good but not great territory. Complaints about the game being too easy and being too short seem to be the most common, where the story and music are praised. Reviewers seem divided on the card aesthetic, though you'll know how you feel about it based on the demo.

I enjoyed the demo a lot but it really was too easy. Sounds like more of the same with more story. Im down for that. Sounds like a solid 8/10.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

I'll add some of the reviews I found to the OP in just a second. Here are the PC requirements for anyone looking to buy this on Steam:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows® 8.1/10 64-bit (ver.1909 and above)
• Processor: AMD A8-7600 / Intel® Core™ i3-2100
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon™ R7 260X / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 650 (VRAM 2GB)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 5 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX® 11.0 Compatible Sound Card
• Additional Notes: Maximum resolution: 1920x1080, Monitor capable of 60FPS + required Supports Keyboard, Mouse and XINPUT gamepads

Furthermore, I think it's important to note that the game will come with Denuvo as DRM, according to the Steam page. For those playing on PS4/PS5, you can check out the game's trophies here (it does have a Platinum!).

 

[Labadal]

So... too short and mostly too easy. A bit disappointed by that, but I'm keeping my pre-order.

 

[kiphalfton]

looks like we have new candidate for (NSFW) Best Butts in Gaming.

And delts too.

Abby eat your heart out.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

I added all of the reviews I could find to the OP. Here is the initial batch:

​

NoisyPixel - 8.0/10

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars provides a gratifying experience with a distinct presentation, delightful soundtrack, and remarkable storytelling stellarly utilizing its tabletop context. Even when accounting for its lack of challenge and questionable character focus, it still manages to be a welcoming turn-based RPG any intrigued party can dive into without fear of obstruction.

wccftech - 7.6/10

Pros:

• Full narration by Todd Haberkorn
• Extra side quests and hidden treasures keep players hunting for clues
• Little RNG, allowing players to focus on strategy and synergy first
• Unique card-focused presentation
• Calm soundtrack that evokes memories of Hamauzu's Final Fantasy XIII works

Cons:

• Narration lacks emotion and energy during more high-energy story moments
• High encounter rate makes returning through early areas a chore (until you get the ability to evade enemy encounters in NG+)
• The card game minigame is frustratingly bad
• No option to fast-forward or speed up the slower-paced moments in traversal and combat (a patch will arrive after launch to address this)

Destructoid - 7.5/10

If you’re looking for an enjoyable RPG with some novel ideas and strong presentation behind it, Voice of Cards can easily eat up a weekend or two. It’s sweet and doesn’t overstay its welcome, even when I wished it would. While those factors aren’t enough for it to match up against the best-in-class competitors, there are many worse ways to spend a cozy fall evening than curled up with Voice of Cards.

Nintendo World Report - 7.5/10

Pros:

• Competitive mini-game that can be played outside of the game locally
• Interesting story with some twists
• Simple and accessible gameplay
• Unique card-based presentation

Cons:

• Only the last dungeon provides much of a challenge
• Soundtrack and voice work could use more variety
• Too many random encounters

Metro - 7.0/10

A traditional turn-based role-player which utilises its tabletop disguise with charm and polish, but isn’t long enough to fully capitalise on its ideas.
Pros: Great battle system and the tabletop presentation is endearing and satisfying to navigate. Script and characters are enjoyable. Brilliant soundtrack.
Cons: As a role-player its short length limits its potential. The world can feel repetitive and thinly sketched. Main narrative is a little underwhelming.

Siliconera - 7.0/10

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, the new Yoko Taro game, puts aesthetics first. But if you love a slower pace? You'll have a good time.
It feels like combat was designed for the endgame and deconstructed to make the early stuff simpler. A full game with the boss fight's complexity and balance would be cool.
It's weird to cheer for your party member getting an ailment, but since it replaces any previous one, it happens sometimes!
RPG 101: always take out the healers first.

The Gamer - 3/5 stars

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars features a striking and quirky tabletop style with delightful gameplay that doesn’t overcomplicate things. While the storyline won’t necessarily grip you, it’s told in a fun and interactive way and this is an easygoing pick up and play title that you can enjoy at your own pace. You won’t be challenged when going card-to-card against your enemies, but you can still find the thrill of a frustrating hand if you delve into the minigame.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

I thought these highlights from a Famitsu interview with Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito would be nice to share as well:

The Yoko Taro card RPG Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is featured in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine with some interesting comments from the creator and producer, Yosuke Saito.
Here are some translated highlights from the Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito Voice of Cards interview:

On how the project started​

Yosuke Saito: “When Yoko-san heard that Fujisaka (Kimihiko Fujisaka of Mistwalker) was returning to Japan, he kicked off the project in super speed [laughs].”

Yoko Taro: “Being able to create work by Fujisaka-san was the first goal.”

On Alim as the developer and the reason for making it for consoles​

Yosuke Saito: “I thought that they were a company that does a good job at making games after seeing Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Brave Frontier.”

Yosuke Saito: “At first, we thought about making it for smartphones. However, the administration would take a lot of time, so I decided that we couldn’t split up the scenario team’s hours of operation.”

Yosuke Saito: “We still have unannounced titles and surprises, but they’re a secret for now.”

On any elements that connect Voice of Cards to Drakengard or Nier​

Yoko Taro: “I don’t think there is anything, but I could’ve just forgotten.”

On that other project that Yoko Taro previously said he was working on​

Yosuke Saito: “We’re still concurrently working on it. I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at first but been going all-out since we started.”

If you’re wondering about that “other project” that Yoko Taro is working on, Yosuke Saito brought it up back in December when he mentioned that he and Yoko Taro were working on two new games. One ended up being Voice of Cards, while the other still remains unannounced. Saito said that he strongly opposed it, but Yoko Taro eventually persuaded him by arguing it for three hours, followed by an hour-long presentation.

 

[Saint Boot]

One thing I want to know is if the prologue from the demo will be in the main game or will it forever be demo only.
Also want to know if the characters themselves have their own voices in addition to the narration because if not that will be kind of a bummer, imo.

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

One thing I want to know is if the prologue from the demo will be in the main game or will it forever be demo only.
Also want to know if the characters themselves have their own voices in addition to the narration because if not that will be kind of a bummer, imo.

I'm quite certain that the content from the demo is exclusive indeed; it's supposed to act as a prologue and as far as I know the story in the full game begins with a team composed of the protagonist, Mar, and Melanie.

The only voice acting in the game is from the narrator, that was confirmed by the development team themselves. It's mostly due to budget restraints.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

I need length confirmation and total party members for me to buy tomorrow.

 

[Deerock71]

An easier RPG that's not long winded and preachy? Sign me the fuck up!

 

[The Wheel of Fortune]

I added a new review to the OT! It's currently sitting at a 75 MC score.

Screenrant - 4/5 stars

While Voice of Cards does stumble in spots, it shines as a brilliantly told story that successfully replicates the feeling of the best tabletop gaming sessions, with a game master whose engaging voice carries much of the emotion and tension required to make the setup work. While it certainly won't be for everyone, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars is a beautiful title well worth a look from any roleplaying fan, and an example of how excellent design can breathe life into any game with enough to say about its world and its heroes.

Has anyone here had a chance to give it a go yet?

 

[FluffShake]

Excited to try this!

 

[Punished Miku]

Excited to try this!

I even splurged on the NieR DLC.

 

[Captain Toad]

This is exactly the game I've been wanting to play for a long time. As a fan of the original Dragon Quest (Warrior) games on NES, this is my perfect comfort food.

 

[Danjin44]

This is exactly the game I've been wanting to play for a long time. As a fan of the original Dragon Quest (Warrior) games on NES, this is my perfect comfort food.

For me as well, and the length good enough for me to finish this game before SMT5 drops in.

 

[Saint Boot]

I really liked the Ivory group in the demo. But I do not like how they are acting in the main game.

 

[Danjin44]

I really liked the Ivory group in the demo. But I do not like how they are acting in the main game.

I trusted them! By treated me like dirt.

 

[StateofMajora]

Demo was boring tbh, and the aesthetic feels cheap to me more than anything.

But that does not mean there won’t be a nice story here overall, and i did like the music. Probably a clearance purchase for me.

 

[nikos]

Does anybody know if demo progress carries over to the main game or is it a separate experience?

 

[Danjin44]

Does anybody know if demo progress carries over to the main game or is it a separate experience?

Not it doesn't, it's separate experience.

 

[bender]

This game does almost everything right. It's like having Yoko Taro as your dungeon master for a grand adventure. It feels like the type of game we might have gotten in the PS2 era but with a much higher level of polish and presentation. I love the amount and variety of random encounters. Unfortunately, and much like the demo, the game is devoid of challenge, Maybe that changes after the first few hours but I have my doubts. The AI in the card mini-game is also dumb as rocks.

 

[Saint Boot]

I trusted them! By treated me like dirt.

Yeah everyone seems like Jerks in this game except for Mar and two others. It's an odd thing, but it's my biggest complaint. I don't like being bait and switched like that. I don't know fully why I grew so attached to the Ivory gang as much as I did, but I am fully latched onto them and it still confuses me and bothers me as to how that happened.

 

[nikos]

Not it doesn't, it's separate experience.

Thank you. I'll play through it before picking the game up.