For years the
Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has attempted to capture the appeal of the animated series
as well as the intensity of the card game. There have certainly been a number of
weak offerings that just weren’t able to balance between what fans really like
(a game that makes good use of the license) and what is needed (a game that uses
all the card game essentials) but there have also been improvements to the
series. Sadly, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Beginning of Destiny does not revolutionize the
series or really improve upon the franchise but it does deliver an accurate
version of the card battles.
Unlike past
games in the franchise, The Beginning of Destiny falls directly under Shonen
Jump’s latest Yu-Gi-Oh! GX series so you can expect to find all the usual
characters associated with the new anime and manga series. The game’s main story
mode puts you in the role of a transfer student with great grades but you’re
also a prime candidate to make a name for yourself in the Duel Academy campus.
As the new kid on campus you’ll be meeting the GZ series characters like Jaden
Yuki, Koyo Hibiki as well as a number of other students and faculty members.
Sadly, campus
life is not as interesting as it may sound even with the familiar Duel Academy
students scattered throughout the school. The game rarely allows you to freely
explore the school seeing as you are only given a limited number of areas to
visit on campus since all you’ll really do is go to class, duel with classmates
and head back to your dorm room. Your routine is true to the campus living and
you’ll be given enough time to chat or challenge students before class begins
but the repetitive nature will start to wear thin quickly.
It would have
been interesting if the campus was wide open for exploration as well as add
other activities aside from dueling but unfortunately we’re only left with a
thin plotline. You can try to befriend a classmate to use as a partner in the
game’s Tag Duels but making friends isn’t easy since characters react
unrealistically. You really can’t please all the people all the time and even if
you do manage to make a good impression on Monday, by Tuesday you’ll find
yourself trying to impress them all over again.
What you will
get to do and do right is duel. At any point when you’re not attending classes,
you will get the chance to challenge any student you come across on campus.
Different characters have different play skills and cards so you will have to be
careful who to challenge. Once the challenge is made you will find yourself
dueling using the familiar rules of the actual card games. You’ll even use
rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to draw a card first. The actual card
duels play out the way a real card duel plays out and you will always find
plenty of challenges thanks to the solid AI.
The good news is
that you don’t have to be a seasoned Yu-Gi-Oh! card player to enjoy the game’s
card duels. Part of the charm of attending class is that you will learn all the
basics as well as tips on how to use your strongest cards so anyone who is
confused by what to do during what phase will receive an education in all the
card-playing aspects involved in duels and the game even allows you a closer
look at the cards and the monsters you can summon on the playing field. Tag
Duels are also handled well enough so depending on your partner you will have
somebody to play to your strengths. You can even skip Story Mode and just duel
against a friend in Free Duel mode.
On the graphics
front, The Beginning of Destiny is quite hideous. In fact, the visuals are just
as dated as the dated RPG feel of the campus interaction. The character models
during exploration are deformed to the point that you won’t be able to tell who
is who or it you’re speaking to a male or female character until you actually
speak to them. There are also some cinematic cut scenes that would look bad even
as a PSOne game so don’t expect much in the graphics department.
Unfortunately,
the game’s sound doesn’t fair any better than the poor visuals. The game’s music
is repetitive to the point that is seems like it’s on a continuous loop that
rarely ever changes no matter what situation your character finds himself in nor
does it feel like it belongs in a Yu-Gi-Oh! game. This is really too bad since
there is no voice acting to be found and the sound effects are minimal.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX:
The Beginning of Destiny is a disappointing game that could have been bigger and
better than this flawed PlayStation 2 offering. All the basic elements are
present including a main mode filled with recognizable characters and familiar
card duel basics but these things aren’t implemented as well as they should have
been in this game that feels dated and monotonous. This is a game even die hard
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX fans should definitely forget about completely.
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Gameplay: 5.0
When it comes
to campus life, The Beginning of Destiny doesn’t make an effort in making you
feel like you’re a student in this interesting Academy. Befriending a partner is
also a chore since characters act unpredictably each day. At least the card
duels are true to the real deal.
Graphics: 4.0
The graphics
are just a bland as the gameplay and even fans of the anime will be disappointed
by the quality of the game’s visuals. This one truly belongs on the PSOne
instead of the PS2 and you’ll agree the minute you see the visual effects and
poor animation.
Sound: 4.0
The funky jazz
might not sit well with others and the fact that it gets repetitive very quickly
will no doubt make gamers go for the mute button. Since there’s no spoken
dialogue, you won’t be missing a thing.
Difficulty:
Medium
The opponent
AI is actually bright enough to draw some interesting cards during duels and
they know how make due with their current deck. Some characters are easier to
beat than others and there are challenges aplenty from main characters.
Concept: 5.5
The card
battles are actually wonderful versions of the actual card games and that will
impress fans but the poorly conceived story and bland interaction with favorite
characters will turn off fans. Even Jaden doesn’t seem as interesting as he does
on the show. The game does come with three Special Edition cards inside for
actual card players.
Multiplayer:
5.5
True fans of
the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game will definitely enjoy sharing this game with a
friend but why Konami left out online multiplayer is a question that will be on
many gamers’ minds. Sadly, even the multiplayer game runs into the same slowdown
as the single-player game.
Overall: 5.0
The Beginning
of Destiny had all the makings of a wonderful Yu-Gi-Oh! GX title but its dull
single-player story and little interaction with the world make this a boring and
repetitive game. Even the hardcore fan of the anime and the card games will find
it hard to really like a title that does little to keep the game fresh or fun.
