The card mini-game has become one of the open-world JRPG sensations
We’ve all been eagerly waiting for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to come into our lives, and we can finally fully enjoy Square Enix’s title. JRPG lets us managing Cloud, Tifa, Barret and companies in their quest for the Sephiroth, but not all of the journey consists of stress and battles. That’s why the Japanese company has included a good handful of mini-games to keep us entertained.
Score goals with Red XIII, jump on a dolphin with Cloud or invest eternal clock in a golden saucer These are some secondary incentives perfectly integrated into the experience. They each have their own nuances and ways of playing, but the one that completely takes over is Sangre de la Reina.
Creators a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth They’ve already shown us some previews of the mini-games ahead of launch, but the name of the map has been particularly impressive. I was able to try it for the first time during a preview in London, and after finishing almost every game possible, I had a very strong desire: I need an indie video game like food.
Solid foundation, strong deck
The mechanics of Blood of Queen are not exactly simple – apart from the fact that we have to score more points than the opponent – and therefore it allows a lot of depth during the game. We’re presented with a board with three rows of black and white rectangles next to a framed logo so we can start playing, but there’s an important first step to take. A selection of decks of cards that we will have, with a maximum of 15 that have unique characteristics.
Each has a different value that adds to the final total on the line, and their effect can tip the balance in our favor. Chakaba, cockatiels, monsters of all kinds and conditions, and even the main characters are presented in card format so that we can put them into play. Contiguous space boosters, opponent destroyers, position conquerors and a huge list of skills that we will have to take into account to destroy every time it is our turn. So, until you add a little 145 possible cardswhich shows the depth that the Japanese studio has given it in the additional game mode.
Discarding bad cards, having a balanced deck, and knowing when we should play are important. I’ve established myself as a very offensive player who tries to destroy, although it’s true that I’ve had to think a lot more about certain problems. Sometimes the screen shows a game that has already started with a given deck that you need to know very well to win, and it’s a great way to get to know new cards.
An ecosystem so well built, embroidered in such a wide way that the popularity that Sangre de la Reina achieved among the community. “Of all the minigames available, the Queen’s Blood card game is possibly one of my favorites,” said Naoki Hamaguchi, Director Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Unsurprisingly, even the creator himself is raving about the format, which I join at every stop in the open world. In Calm, Mount Karel, Nibelheim, or Costa del Sol, any place in the title allows you to buy new cards to add to your collection, and I did it like a little kid going to a kiosk to buy a new pack of trading cards. It was his childhood experience that prompted the Japanese developer to choose a mini-game.
“It goes back to my personal experience with Final Fantasy as a kid, playing Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX. I guess it was just my biased opinion that if Final Fantasy has a minigame that continues throughout the game and acts as a break from the main story, a card game is the best option.”
This is not an easy hobby
Far from settling in as a passing amusement, Queen’s Blood is supported as a secondary mission with its own narrative. We’ll have to find out what really happened to the game’s original creator, who disappeared under strange circumstances. As if that wasn’t enough, the curse seems to haunt those experienced players who stand out from the crowd.
Such warnings about the danger to residents of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, who organize tournaments on board the ferry to the Costa del Sol and are ready to challenge you anywhere. There are a good handful of NPCs that we know purely from the placement of cards on the board, be it Regina, the robot Wise, or the fantasy Navalan. We have small conversations with them to get to know both themselves and the game itself, some of which are repeated throughout the adventure. And this plot background was one of the pillars for Hamaguti to give the green light to “Queen’s Blood”:
“We wanted to incorporate a unique element into each mini-game and make them all feel different and special. It also means that the way we had to present them will not be the same. Some of these will be very connected to the main story and very much a central part of the game, while others will be more like one-off experiences that you’ll see and be contained within a specific mission.
I thought it would be really nice to have a minigame with its own separate story as a third person. It’s not the main narrative, it’s a completely different story, but it continues throughout the game in parallel. That’s what Queen’s Blood does. So I thought that all these different positions or ways of incorporating mini-games into the overall structure would help add variety.”
More decks?
One of the disappointments Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is that Sid and Vincent’s presence is minor and limited, especially, to the latter parts of the trip. Although the charismatic pilot has a greater point of presence, andThe former member of the “Turks” manages to shine a little more thanks to the Queen’s Blood. I won’t reveal exactly what his role is among so many letters, but we should be thankful that we can enjoy his sharp phrases and insightful glances.
Knowing Square Enix, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that we’ll see a Blood of the Queen exclusive video game in the future, but for now I’m going to fingers crossed for a PS5 update with more content.
“We haven’t decided anything in terms of the future development of Blood of Queen, but so far the media that has played it has given very positive feedback about it, so we want to consider future expansions as a possibility,” Hamaguti notes. Be that as it may, I still have a few JRPG battles to fight and I’m happy to savor them.
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