Culdcept Saga
A card-based board game for Xbox 360.
Culdcept Saga, the first Culdcept title for a Microsoft console, was an Xbox 360 exclusive. A demo with two pre-built decks and local multiplayer for up to four players arrived on Xbox Live in December 2007. The full game launched in Japan in 2006, reached North America in February 2008, but never saw a European or Australian release.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- OmiyaSoft, Jamsworks
- Publisher
- Namco Bandai Games
- Writer
- Tow Ubukata
- Composer
- Kenji Ito
- Released
- November 22, 2006 (JP); February 5, 2008 (NA)
- Genre
- Board game, Collectible card game
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Xbox 360
Facts from the source article.
Story
The game begins with the player-nameable Boy selling himself into slavery to aid his struggling village. While departing with his new owner, they encounter Princess Faustina, who carries a deck of magical cards that respond powerfully to the young man. She pleads with the slaver to release him, calling him the savior, but they are set upon by the bandit Rilara. The protagonist learns he is a Cepter, able to control magical cards, and defeats Rilara using cards from Faustina. The slaver sells the protagonist to an arena, where he fights other Cepters to earn his freedom. After gaining freedom, Faustina takes him to the Advatarian Empire, where her father sends them to four elementally-themed lands to negotiate peace. This is revealed as a ploy for the king to launch an all-out attack, forcing the protagonist and Faustina to flee. Faustina is kidnapped by High Priest Sapphius, a powerful Cepter who seeks to destroy the Empire and the world. The protagonist undergoes the Trials, overseen by the hermit Diarna, and becomes a true Cepter, learning that a Cepter's purpose is to reassemble cards into Culdcept, the book of creation. The High Priest destroys the Empire. The protagonist can choose to travel to the Northern or Southern Continent to face him, but each time Faustina perishes. He reassembles Culdcept and is granted godlike power by the goddess Zeromn, but chooses to return to the past, finding creation pointless without Faustina.
Gameplay
Players roll dice and move around a game board, claiming spaces by summoning creatures to guard them. Landing on an opponent's square allows the player to challenge the creature instead of paying a toll; winning claims ownership. The first to return to the start after amassing enough magic wins. Creatures are summoned from customized decks of cards, called books, which players design from their available pool. Other cards bestow items or represent spells. Standard gameplay fixes deck size at 50 cards, though this is customizable in multiplayer. Nearly 500 cards exist, but most must be earned through story mode progression or by completing matches; winners earn more cards than losers. Luck plays a role, but strategy and planning matter. Squares have elemental types (fire, earth, water, air); a creature's defense and offense are boosted when its element matches the square. Some powerful creatures require controlling a certain number of squares of a given terrain. Players may upgrade owned squares to exact higher magic tolls.
Development
The story was written by Tow Ubukata, a science fiction and anime author. Kenji Ito, who worked on the SaGa series and earlier Culdcept games, composed the music. The soundtrack spans 4 CDs and is available on iTunes but was not released physically outside Japan. Card artwork came from many different Japanese artists, each using their own style; the process of completing and importing the images took over a year.
Reception
Culdcept Saga earned generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu rated it 34 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 gave it 32 out of 40. IGN observed that single matches could last over four hours and that the core gameplay never strayed far from rolling dice and playing creatures, yet later called it a hidden gem of 2008. GameSpy also noted the lengthy matches and the frustration of bad luck, but praised the game's blend of strategy and chance. Both IGN and GameSpy criticized the game for revealing players' hands, which reduced strategic surprise. 1Up.com highlighted its depth and online play. The game sold 27,960 units in Japan by November 30, 2008. GameSpot nominated it for Best Game No One Played, and Gaming Target included it among their 40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Culdcept Saga?
Culdcept Saga was developed by OmiyaSoft and Jamsworks.
Who published Culdcept Saga?
Culdcept Saga was published by Namco Bandai Games.
When was Culdcept Saga released?
Culdcept Saga was released on November 22, 2006 in Japan and on February 5, 2008 in North America.
More in Bandai Namco Games of the 2000s
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