Looks great in a glass case but are they playable?
Gwent, the fast-growing card game from CD Projekt Red hit PC and consoles a few months ago but despite its success and continued growth, diehard fans still ponder a physical copy.
If you’re into sadomasochism, comb the Reddit threads of Gwent and you’ll find a small yet hardcore debate over the practicality of handheld Gwent cards (a la Magic the Gathering) underway. It’s an interesting thing to watch play out. Part hope, part fantasy, fans of The Witcher and memorabilia collectors ponder its real world application.
A number of concerns seem to occur no matter where you look when the topic comes up. First and foremost amongst players is the sheer cost of all five hand held decks. Combing through various sites such as Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy you can expect to find a five-deck pack for roughly $100 USD.
Now, for the truly hardcore collector, that’s a drop in the bucket but for players more interested in actually playing the game, the investment comes with a major caveat:
You can’t update a physical card. Ain’t no patch for that.
But why would you want to update the cards in the first place, they’re pretty much the same as the cards in The Witcher 3, right? Pretty balanced. Nope, not at all. The most common and flammatory issue with the physical cards is their poorly balanced gameplay. While online players can simply download the latest patch and (love it or hate it) be on their way, once you have that physical copy, that’s it.
Another complication comes in the form of synergies and the interactions that cards have with one another (online, that is). Aside from astute and overly picky players with a rulebook in their sweaty palms, one of the most interesting features of Gwent becomes, well….it becomes pretty bland to be honest. Without the interactions that makes Gwent a diverse and more skill-based game you might as well buy some Magic cards and save yourself some dough.
Regardless, the issue persists and truly dedicated fans have even opted for making their own cards using custom sites. It’s a pretty industrious approach but, without even looking at the price, likely to cost even more than buying a deck on a major retailer’s site.
Despite the hurdles and financial investment, the physical deck seems to persist amongst forums. There is clearly a demand for a physical deck among more hardcore fans and, if CDPR is willing to innovate (something they seem more than capable of) on how physical decks change over time, then it seems like there is a dedicated fan base waiting to pick up the latest and greatest Gwent decks.
What are your thoughts on physical Gwent decks? Should they stay online or is a physical deck worth the effort? Let us know.
