Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 102 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden Game Cover
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"Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden" is a role-playing game presented in the form of a tabletop card game, and is the second entry in the Voice of Cards series. This set includes additional DLC content that allows players to customize the appearance of in-game components and character illustrations. The game follows the story of a young man and woman who must navigate a forsaken island and confront their destinies.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews
story36 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story with emotional depth, showcasing Yoko Taro's signature narrative style.
  • The combat system is more varied and challenging compared to the first game, requiring strategic thinking and teamwork.
  • The art and music are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience of the game.
  • The game suffers from excessive random encounters, making exploration tedious and prolonging gameplay unnecessarily.
  • Character progression is limited, with many party members lacking customization options, leading to a less engaging combat experience.
  • The final boss gauntlet is frustratingly difficult, with no save points in between, which can lead to significant time loss for players.
  • story125 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and unique twists characteristic of Yoko Taro's style, while others criticize it for being convoluted, lacking character chemistry, and feeling repetitive. Many players noted that while the narrative has its compelling moments, it often suffers from pacing issues and an overabundance of grinding, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as an improvement over its predecessor, but still falls short of fully engaging players throughout.

    • “The story is great; I actually like it more than the first game, but I'm not too far into it yet.”
    • “Yoko Taro's signature style ensures that emotional moments and unexpected twists are plentiful, resulting in a solid and entertaining storyline.”
    • “The story, which is the most interesting part, takes a backseat to tedious square-by-square walking where you must press buttons individually to move through giant maps.”
    • “The plot doesn't make any sense.”
    • “When the story is at its worst, it is 'high-school shipping fanfiction' levels of contrived and it will piss you off at some point.”
    • “The story is painfully bad; you will run into issues with not being able to upgrade the weapon of a character in your party and their attack not upgrading with level.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its composition and emotional impact, while others feel it falls short compared to the first installment. Some players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the narrative and atmosphere, though a few note a lack of variety in tracks and a perceived decline in overall quality. Overall, while the music remains a highlight for many, it is often viewed as less memorable than that of its predecessor.

    • “The soundtrack is godly, very reminiscent of the Drakenier series but particularly of Re[in]carnation.”
    • “This soundtrack is out of this world amazing.”
    • “The game also handles its music very well in how it plays it; when you are going through a sad instance, the sad music will take priority over the battle music when you get into combat.”
    • “Map design, music, gameplay, and balance are all far worse than compared to the first game...”
    • “The music is slightly changed and the English narrator was exchanged.”
    • “Music is actually a step down in my opinion, though.”
  • gameplay34 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Forsaken Maiden" retains familiar turn-based RPG mechanics from its predecessor while introducing some innovations, such as dual attacks and party-wide healing. However, many players find the balance lacking, with issues like excessive random encounters and repetitive combat detracting from the overall experience. While some improvements have been noted, the gameplay remains a divisive aspect, appealing primarily to fans of the series rather than newcomers seeking a refined RPG experience.

    • “Regarding gameplay mechanics, 'The Forsaken Maiden' introduces several innovations while maintaining the user-friendly and well-designed systems from the first game.”
    • “Gameplay overall is better though; in the first game, you could just use your most powerful attack on each character and easily win most fights.”
    • “You have to adapt to different playstyles a lot more often in 'The Forsaken Maiden' because of the shifting party members, so the gameplay is sufficiently challenging.”
    • “Map design, music, gameplay, and balance are all far worse compared to the first game.”
    • “The bad parts of this game are the gameplay in general, not because it was poorly made, but because it was poorly balanced.”
    • “The constant encounters with enemies definitely ruined the experience, along with the gameplay being incredibly repetitive.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often tedious and excessive, with many players finding battles repetitive and drawn out due to high enemy encounter rates and lengthy boss fights. While some appreciate the tactical elements, the overall consensus is that the grinding experience is significantly worse than in the previous installment, making progression feel stretched and less enjoyable. Players who enjoy traditional JRPG mechanics may still find value, but the grind can detract from the story and overall gameplay experience.

    • “Except the main hero, the other two main characters barely have any significant attacking skills, which makes battles tedious and exhausting.”
    • “The encounter rate made things a little tedious, though...”
    • “100 maps and floors added to everything, this game could have been cut down to a quarter of its length if it wasn't for the tedious fights you had to go through literally every three moves; it was always the same, same enemies, same fights.”
  • graphics12 mentions

    The graphics in "The Isle Dragon Roars" feature a charming art style that blends RPG elements with a tabletop card game aesthetic, though many NPC cards are reused from the previous game, leading to a sense of visual stagnation. While the overall artwork and character design are praised, the lack of innovation and dull map exploration detracts from the experience, leaving some players wishing for more originality. Despite these criticisms, the visuals still resonate with fans of high-quality 2D artwork.

    • “The artwork that aren't reused asset edits/flips is lovely.”
    • “An RPG wrapped in a tabletop card game aesthetic, it's pretty nice.”
    • “If you're like me and miss when most Japanese games showed high quality 2D artwork front-and-center, this is a breath of fresh air.”
    • “Map exploration was pretty dull in The Isle Dragon Roars, with barely any change in visuals throughout most of the game.”
    • “Combat is almost entirely the same; character sprites and graphics are reused from the first game.”
    • “The series has a lot going for it when you take into account the music and visuals, but I can't help but feel there was absolutely no risk taken with this game, which is sad since the wind is definitely at its back.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its impactful storytelling and Yoko Taro's signature style, which evokes strong feelings and unexpected twists, leading to a deeply engaging experience. However, some players criticize certain narrative choices, particularly the portrayal of emotional abuse, which they find problematic and unnecessary for character development. Overall, the emotional story is deemed worth experiencing, despite its controversial elements.

    • “Yoko Taro's signature style ensures that emotional moments and unexpected twists are plentiful, resulting in a solid and entertaining storyline.”
    • “Definitely worth playing for the emotional story alone!”
    • “After you beat the Isle Eater, Laty's father explains that the reason why everyone emotionally tortured Laty was so that she wouldn't become a maiden and thus wouldn't conduct the ritual and sacrifice herself for their sake.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game has been notably diminished in favor of a more mature narrative, leading to mixed reactions from players. While some character cards and backstories retain a humorous touch, the overall comedic elements feel sparse and insufficient to offset the game's more tedious aspects.

    • “It has its humor in the game.”
    • “The character cards and their backstories are funny and interesting.”
    • “What makes it even more funny is the fact that the gameplay has some improvements.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a nostalgic and distinctive style that enhances the storytelling, making it stand out among RPGs. However, some users feel that the English version lacks a strong atmospheric intent, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The English version didn't seem intent on creating an atmosphere this time.”
    • “Every character, enemy, and setting is represented this way, creating a nostalgic and distinctive atmosphere that sets it apart from other RPGs.”
    • “This accessibility is precisely what one would expect from a game of this style, allowing the focus to remain on the story and atmosphere.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is notably inconsistent; while some users appreciate the solid growth compared to the first installment, others criticize the male protagonist as lacking depth and emotion, likening him to a "sock puppet." Overall, the character design and aesthetic receive praise, but the development itself leaves much to be desired for some players.

    • “Ost, character design, and aesthetic are lovely.”
    • “There is nothing else, no character development at all. The male main character is a sock puppet, worse than the real sock puppet, has no emotion, and is extremely far away from the first game's main character.”
    • “The character development is also pretty solid in this game compared to the first game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers feel that the game's replayability is limited due to a lack of additional content, such as side quests, diverse item options, more playable characters, and flexible choices for completing the game. They suggest that enhancing these elements would significantly improve the overall replay value.

    • “The game offers a wealth of side quests and multiple character options, making each playthrough feel unique.”
    • “With various paths to choose from, the replayability is impressive, allowing players to experience different outcomes.”
    • “The flexibility in gameplay choices ensures that no two runs are the same, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.”
    • “For this price range, you need to add more content like side quests, more item options, more playable characters, and flexible choices to finish the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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