Free Load

There are already mobile games based on Marvel Comics characters for just about every genre out there on mobile. So what's left? Nexon believes that a collectible card game might fill an unexplored niche, and given the popularity of mobile card games in general, that seems like a pretty decent bet. Marvel Battle Lines offers many of the things you might expect and a few that you probably don't to hopefully convince people this is something they've been missing.

What's In a Name?

Let's start with the game's title, which wasn't chosen just for catchy marketing purposes. Instead of a Hearthstone-like setup with cards on opposing sides of a playing field, Marvel Battle Lines features a 3x4 grid upon which the cards are played. Positioning is crucial, as creating unbroken lines of your own cards (three across or diagonally, or four horizontally) sets off an attack that sends each character in that line off to attack the opposing player's avatar. Battle lines. Get it? To add to the strategic decisions players must make, the energy needed to play cards doesn't simply accumulate turn by turn, but rather appears in various locations on the playing board itself. That adds a needed bit of randomness to each match, along with forcing some interesting choices. Is it better to play a cheaper card and complete a battle line right away, or go for more resources on the board to improve your position later or deny an advantage to your opponent?

Putting You in the Story

While it's possible to earn avatars of various Marvel heroes and villains, each with their own abilities and stats, to serve as the centerpiece of a deck, the main character in the Campaign mode is someone you can find just by looking in the mirror. Yes, you actually get thrust right into a wide-ranging tale that takes place all around the Marvel Universe. It certainly feels like it would be a draw even for people who aren't the biggest fans of the card game aspect, and it's illustrated and presented in comic book-style panels and pages with some excellent art to boot.

But Plenty of Other Modes Too

Naturally, Marvel Battle Lines isn't solely a single-player affair. Not only is there an Arena mode, where you can actually put your collected avatars and best cards to the test against other players in live PvP and move up the ranks for better rewards, there's also a Quick PvP Match mode that is exactly what it says. No ranking points are on the line, but it's a great way to just jump in and see if a newly constructed deck works the way you'd like it to, or just to compete without any serious stakes. For more solo fun, the devs also added a Special Ops mode, where you have to win battles and meet certain conditions, and a Trials Simulation section that resets daily and challenges you to conquer a series of five increasingly difficult AI decks. It's hard to imagine running completely out of things to do if you find yourself playing this game often.