Many players criticize Hearthstone. But Cortyn from MeinMMO explains why the game is as much fun as it hasn’t been for a long time.
I want to be honest, I had actually finished with Hearthstone mentally. I really had a lot of fun with Blizzard’s card game for many years, and it was the perfect filler to pass 20 or 30 minutes while waiting for other games.
But with the new patch for the release of “The Darkmoon Madness” and the 135 new cards, Blizzard has fully captured my attention again. They just push exactly the right buttons that were necessary to engage me with the card game once more.
I know I stand relatively alone with this. A large part of the Hearthstone community does not like the new level system, finds the Tavern Pass too expensive, and generally finds the rewards too frustrating. Many feel cheated. I can understand most of the criticisms, but I still see it differently – even though Blizzard has apologized for some things.
I am motivated by bars that I can fill. That’s why I probably like the new level system so much. Playing against new gold rewards, packs, or even hero skins over more than 50 levels is fun for me.
I share the criticism that the last levels of the reward path require too much XP. If I have to complete several weekly quests for a single level-up, it gets a bit tiring. The required XP should be lowered a bit or the XP gained should be increased a bit. I believe that would help most players.
Successes hit the same note for me. When I receive a small message at the end of a match that I have unlocked another achievement, it makes me smile with satisfaction. I simply like that; it was already the case in World of Warcraft. The good feeling of slowly but surely working through a list motivates me immensely and ensures that I approach achievements purposefully. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have tried so often to obtain all of Yogg-Saron’s Fate Wheels or to win a match in such a way that I have only one health point left.
Of course, in a way this is “fake content” because most achievements only give achievement points that you can’t do anything with. A few of the achievements do give rewards like additional XP, but that’s more of an exception.
Finally, it’s the “Duel Mode” that really excites me. It combines everything I like about Hearthstone.
- A constructed little starter deck,
- along with the powerful treasures of the adventures,
- mixed again with semi-random card rewards after each battle.
- All in the arena format – after 3 losses, it’s over.
Especially in heroic mode, which costs gold (or real money) and rewards with gold and card packs, it’s incredibly fun. At least for me, despite all the criticism.
Whether my newly found interest in Hearthstone will ultimately be lasting, I cannot say yet. After all, World of Warcraft is also vying for my interest with Shadowlands. But with the current innovations, it is ensured that I will log in again and again for a match when wait times arise.
If the Duel Mode and the reward path remain as interesting in the future as they already are in the pre-release phase, it looks really good that Hearthstone will become a lasting game again.
How did you like the changes in Hearthstone? Do you find achievements, rewards, and the Duel Mode sensible and good? Or isn’t it your thing?
But I am currently full of hope that Blizzard has turned the corner …
