Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution

About

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution" is an Anime Simulation game with both multi-player and single-player modes. The game allows you to build your deck from over 10,000 cards, engaging in battles with iconic Duelists from the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. Featuring new Link Monster cards, Reverse Duels, and Battle Pack Sealed Pack and Draft play, the game offers a faithful adaptation of the animated series, but has been reported to have bugs.

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Play Modes

Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution screenshot

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,886 reviews

story63 positive mentions

grinding56 negative mentions

story
425 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
78%
8%
The story mode of the game allows players to relive iconic duels from the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series, spanning multiple arcs, but it is criticized for its lackluster presentation and unbalanced story decks that often lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While the game provides a nostalgic journey through the series, many players find the storytelling simplistic and the AI opponents overly reliant on luck, making the campaign feel tedious at times. Overall, it serves as a decent introduction to the Yu-Gi-Oh! lore for newcomers, but veterans may be disappointed by the execution and depth of the narrative.
- “It's a lot of fun being able to play story decks throughout the anime duels.”
- “The story mode lets you fight 'historic' duels on the anime with the deck that the characters themselves used, both sides.”
- “The story allows you to go through every story arc and it's pretty fun to relive those moments.”
- “My biggest gripe with the game is how lazy the story mode is.”
- “The storytelling in the campaign mode is basically on the level of certain adult movies.”
- “The story mode is utterly barebones; you'd genuinely see more thought and care in the story mode of Doki Doki Literature Club. It's essentially a really bad visual novel that tries to feed you the cliff notes version of whatever Yu-Gi-Oh story you select.”
gameplay
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
72%
9%
The gameplay of the game is generally solid, providing a comprehensive introduction to various summoning mechanics and card strategies, making it accessible for both new and returning players. However, it suffers from slow pacing due to lengthy animations, repetitive prompts, and some broken mechanics that can disrupt the experience. While the extensive card catalog and campaign mode offer depth, the grind-heavy nature and lack of quality-of-life features detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Gameplay is very solid; all techniques and knowledge are needed to win, and you can finally build a deck with all the cards from the series available.”
- “The tutorials for XYZ, Pendulum, and Link monsters are good enough to learn the basics of each summoning mechanic if you are one of the many people who stopped paying attention to Yu-Gi-Oh after 5Ds.”
- “With the new tutorials explaining the new mechanics and the addition of Master Rule 5, this game is a good starting point for new and returning players.”
- “Grinding gameplay: while the game can be played as intended, surrendering matches ironically is the most efficient method for gathering points for card packs, compromising the essence of strategic gameplay.”
- “The gameplay has major issues....”
- “Extremely game-breaking gameplay elements.... this game.... did they even test it out???”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
67%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the dated visuals and user interface, often comparing them unfavorably to previous titles and mobile games. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and find the visuals acceptable for a card game, others criticize the lack of modern updates and refinement, suggesting that the graphics feel more suited to earlier console generations. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the gameplay is enjoyable, the graphics are a significant drawback, with many hoping for improvements in future releases.
- “The art style is way more stylish, the UI blends perfectly into the duel field, and the animation is much smoother and way more fun to look at.”
- “This game is great and all for people who really enjoy playing Yu-Gi-Oh, and the visuals are outstanding.”
- “Yugioh original series is a childhood series of mine, and to be able to play it again with good visuals and newer cards is a real breath of fresh air.”
- “Heck, some of the old GBA titles had a better UI and visuals than this.”
- “- terrible art style and UI design: this game looks awful by 2020's standards, it looks like a game from the PS2 era.”
- “Graphics look awfully simplistic, there's no special visual or sound effect when dealing cards, the UI is especially clunky.”
grinding
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the RNG mechanics that lead to numerous duplicate cards and slow progress in acquiring desired cards. While some appreciate the ability to unlock everything without real money and enjoy the deck-building process, the overall sentiment leans towards the grinding being a major drawback that detracts from the enjoyment of gameplay. Players often resort to surrendering matches or using external tools to alleviate the grind, indicating a significant imbalance in the game's reward system.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It is grindy, inconsistent, and annoying.”
- “An absurd amount of grinding is required to acquire cards from packs, but they give out way too many duplicates, so you might get unlucky and never pull enough cards to optimize any deck even with a lot of playtime.”
- “Earning points to unlock packs is an insanely slow grinding bore with a reward system so stupid that you can make more points just by endlessly surrendering duels instead of playing the game properly.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
67%
24%
The music in the game has been widely criticized for being repetitive and bland, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of variety and absence of iconic tracks from the anime. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack feels generic and uninspired, leading some to mute it entirely or seek out mods for a better experience. Overall, the music is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the immersion and enjoyment of the game.
- “I remember playing 'Nightmare Troubadour' (2005, NDS), 'Spirit Caller' (2007, NDS), 'Stardust Accelerator' (2009, NDS) and the enjoyment I had from the more carefully balanced duels, the progression, the duel puzzles, the immersion, the music.”
- “Also, the song that plays in the background during the Vrains campaign is a goddamn bop.”
- “That game has voice-acted attack commands, 3D monster summonings, even the soundtrack in that game is more exciting to get you playing.”
- “The music is lacking, as well as the deck creation system.”
- “No OST from the anime, everything is a repetitive generic soundtrack.”
- “The game seems incomplete in some factors, for example, the menus and graphics are below those of the mobile game Duel Links, and the music is boring.”
monetization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
15%
The monetization model of this Yu-Gi-Oh game is highly praised, as it features no microtransactions, allowing players to earn all cards through in-game currency. Reviewers appreciate the absence of pay-to-win mechanics, highlighting that all content can be unlocked through gameplay, making it a refreshing alternative to other card games that rely on cash grabs. Overall, players feel free to enjoy the game without the burden of in-game purchases, enhancing their gaming experience.
- “Overall, this might be the most solid Yu-Gi-Oh release without microtransactions, so this gets a recommendation in my book.”
- “The fact that getting cards and building decks aren’t hidden behind a wall of microtransactions is my favorite aspect; you truly feel free.”
- “An excellent Yu-Gi-Oh simulator with zero microtransactions.”
- “Very lazy and, if this game had microtransactions with real currency, would probably be illegal.”
- “Overall lack of polish and certain missing cards means that this game doesn't feel like much other than a quick cash grab.”
- “There’s no love in this game no more just cash grabs.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, including freezing issues and AI malfunctions. While some players note that certain aspects, like the deckbuilder and matches, are mostly functional, the overall experience is marred by the prevalence of technical problems, leading to frustration and a lack of polish.
- “The deckbuilder is easy to use, and the matches themselves are mostly bug-free.”
- “I dare someone to speed-run this game with no glitches.”
- “This game is a buggy mess.”
- “This is so frustrating...there are so many glitches that I can't even get through the main menu without it malfunctioning.”
- “Nothing is more frustrating than finally getting that card that will help you out and then losing it after the game freezes.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
27%
45%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While it performs well at 1080p resolution and is generally smooth on consoles, PC users report significant issues, including long AI turn times and high CPU usage, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Additionally, the controls can feel awkward, particularly for mouse users, indicating a lack of fine-tuning for PC gameplay.
- “The game is optimized for 1080p resolution, which still makes the game beautiful to play.”
- “It's optimized for consoles, so there's no problem playing with a keyboard, but some questionable uses of num keys, tab, pause, etc. are a little awkward.”
- “Technical/optimization: 10/10”
- “The gameplay clearly wasn't optimized for the PC and suffers when using a mouse.”
- “I'm excited for the card collection, but it feels poorly optimized.”
- “Poorly optimized - AI turns can take forever (100% CPU load).”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing card mechanics, such as the ability to purchase multiple packs at once and the comedic pop-ups that interrupt gameplay. Players find the exaggerated health points and the ability to defeat NPCs in a humorous fashion, particularly enjoying the playful references to iconic characters like Yami Yugi. Overall, the game maintains a lighthearted and entertaining tone throughout.
- “Funny card game.”
- “The amount of pop-ups you receive that pause your momentum in the game are hilarious.”
- “It's still funny to OTK an NPC opponent like Kaiba with David Wu's 'One Punch Victory Viper' deck.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game offers strong replayability, particularly through its engaging online multiplayer mode and various anime duels, although some story decks may not be accessible. Players appreciate the endless opportunities for replay, with many highlighting the fun and value of returning to the game. However, the online experience can feel sparse at times, requiring patience to find opponents.
- “Strong replay value, 10/10 shout out to the realest mate who put me on this game.”
- “The online multiplayer is fun with endless replayability, but it can be a bit barren; however, if you are patient, you should have no shortage of people to play.”
- “Tons of replayability.”
- “All of the anime duels are playable with story decks, except for a few that I noticed here and there.”
- “- Not very replayable.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is generally perceived as dull and lacking excitement, with some users noting a non-competitive, leisurely vibe that feels underdeveloped. Despite its potential, the clunky interface and overall blandness contribute to a sense that the game is still in beta, making it less engaging for players.
- “While it does have some drawbacks and the atmosphere can seem bland, it is still worth some time.”
- “The atmosphere is so dull and lazy, and the interface is so clunky that the game feels like it's still in beta.”
- “Even though I mentioned before that I appreciate the non-competitive, more leisure atmosphere of this game, the fact that the multiplayer is due to the hype and release of Master Duel is dead.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional responses to the game reflect a mix of disappointment and nostalgia; while some users feel let down by the lack of support and potential for improvement, others express joy and fondness for the game's fun and wholesome nature, particularly for fans of Yu-Gi-Oh.
- “An amazingly fun and wholesome game. I highly recommend it for Yu-Gi-Oh! fans, whether casual or competitive.”