Cross Blitzis an upcoming RPG/card battler with a distinctive pixel art style that’s an obvious departure from the “realistic” fantasy ofMagic the GatheringandHearthstone,but there’s more toCross Blitzthan a cute, arcade-y face. Developer Tako Boy Studios hopes to produce anindie gamethat will defy genre norms and appeal to fans of narrative-rich, single-player RPGs as well as deck building and card battling games. Game Rant spoke with programmer Tom Ferrer and artist Phil Giarrusso aboutCross Blitz, particularly its heavy narrative focus.
Ferrer began developingCross Blitzby building a two-player card battler that would serve as the bones for its multiplayer, roguelike, and campaign modes. Early in development, he and Giarrusso made a conscious decision to steer away fromfree-to-play monetization. On Steam,Cross Blitzwill be a premium title with no further purchases required to unlock content, apart from future DLC. As a mobile title,Cross Blitzwill be free to download with a one-hero demo, and an option to purchase the full game’s content. On either platform, players will never need to use real-world currency to purchase card boosters.
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Perhaps the greatest departure from normal card games, though, isCross Blitz' focus on narrative. Unlike most card games featuring narrative-lite tutorials for PvP,Cross Blitzaims to give playersa robust single-player experienceanchored by a strong story.
A Card Game with Solo-Play in Mind
Giarrusso said a key difference betweenCross Blitzand other card battling games is Tako Boy’s approach to PvP.
“One of the main reasons we developedCross Blitzis that we feel there are so many card games right now with such a heavy PvP focus. I don’t necessarily want to say we wanted to make something more casual, but we wanted something easy to get into with lots of game modes, where you don’t have to engage in a highly competitive game.”
Titles likeMagic: The Gathering,Hearthstone, Shadowverse,andYu-Gi-Oh!are defined by their competitive scenes. Furthermore,cards in games likeHearthstoneare balanced around multiplayerrather than campaign or adventure modes, which generally feel like add-ons. WhileCross Blitzwill accommodate online play, the primary goal is to give players an engrossing, light-hearted campaign filled with cute characters and fun hijinks, according to its developers.
This sounds like a winning proposition, especially in light of cozy titles and comfort games' recent boom in popularity. The deep, synergistic mechanics of card games have a broad intrinsic appeal, especially for fans ofRPGs with rich combat systems. However, many players are put off by the prospect of grinding for cards or mastering highly specific combos to prevail in the current meta against other players doing the same. By refocusing on the PvE experience,Cross Blitzopens the doors to a new audience.
A Card Battler with a Story to Tell
Tako Boy is playing its cards close to the chest when it comes toCross Blitz’narrative. However, Giarrusso did share a few key details about Tako Boy’s storytelling framework.
“As of now, there are five different campaigns where you play as one of the heroes. You see the story from their perspective, but all these events are kind of happening around the same time. All these stories are leading to an overarching narrative. So each hero gives you lore bits, and tells you what’s happening in different parts of the world, which is called Cross Dawn Island.”
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Story-driven gameplay is something of a rarity in card battlers, where thematic connective tissue is usually more a matter of aesthetics than narrative progression. Even franchises likeMagic: The Gatheringwith tremendously deep bodies of lore rarely have those narratives interact with their mechanics in appreciable ways. Other card battling titles likeHearthstoneorthePokemon Trading Card Gametake an even lighter approach to narrative, theming experiences based on universes' whose stories are conveyed in other media.
From Yu-Gi-Oh! to Fire Emblem to Odin Sphere
There is no question thatCross Blitzis a passion project for Ferrer. “I’ve been wanting to make a card game for my entire life,” he said, citing several key influences includingYu-Gi-Oh!andHearthstone, but also sayingFire Emblemwas a hugely important series in his life. Giarrusso added that the anthropomorphic characters of thelong-fallowBreath of FireRPGfranchiseand the uniquely whimsical monster designs ofDragon Questhad a huge impact on the feel of Cross Dawn Island and its cast of characters.
Other influences included the JRPG favoriteFinal Fantasy,as wella cult classic:Odin Sphere. While Vanillaware’s side-scrolling action RPG seems to have little in common with the mechanics ofCross Blitz, Giarrusso said both titles have five main playable characters whose stories overlap and cross paths, conveying a larger metanarrative. Giarrusso expressed his love for that multifaceted approach to storytelling, where players can see how different characters get along through chance encounters while contributing to a greater whole.
IfCross Blitz' many influences are an indication of what kind of story Tako Boy is planning on telling, the forthcoming card battler should presentold-school RPG fanswith a tantalizing option when it releases.
Cross Blitzis currently in development for PC.
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