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Looking for your next card-battling RPG game? Why not mark your calendar for the upcoming Card-en-Ciel by Inti Creates? If you’re a fan of games like Mega Man Battle Network and Yu-Gi-Oh!, in particular, then Card-en-Ciel will be right up your alley. Of course, Card-en-Ciel has some differences that are worth highlighting. Shall we see how Card-en-Ciel intends to set itself apart from the rest? Check out everything we know about the upcoming Card-en-Ciel down below.
What is Card-en-Ciel?
Card-en-Ciel is an upcoming deckbuilding, rogue-lite, RPG adventure game currently being developed and published by Inti Creates. It plans to feature a whopping over 300 card characters and 50 vocal songs. With each victory, you’ll have the opportunity to bring on a new ally to your team. The more allies you ramp up, the more strategies and combos you’ll have at your disposal.
Story
Inspired by Mega Man Battle Network, Card-en-Ciel stars Neon, a gaming detective who collects cards and uses them to launch battles against enemies. He traverses across ten different dungeons to reach the end goal, presumably investigating Card-en-Ciel’s virtual worlds to uncover a hidden mystery. All along, you’ll collect new character cards, voiced in English and Japanese, that help switch up your strategy and strengthen your overall deck.
I presume new characters will also inform the story, influencing your decisions and possibly leading to multiple outcomes. On the Inti Creates website, it mentions using your deck to “outsmart the glitches” and adventuring “through the eras of gaming.” I suspect the “glitches” and “eras of gaming” parts refer to a merging of characters from different games as a fanservice. Perhaps this is the mystery Neon will be investigating. Check out the official brief story description via Steam below:
Card-en-Ciel stars Neon, a gaming detective, as he collects and battles with over 300 cards on a deck-building RPG adventure. Earn a chance to recruit a new ally with each victory, opening up new strategies and combos.
Gameplay
Card-en-Ciel’s gameplay pits Neon against various enemies. Each enemy encounter transports you to a 3 by 6 battle grid. You have access to a bunch of different cards with different actions, ranging from attacks to movement to special abilities. Thereon, you take on ever-expanding roguelite card battles, perfecting your skill and technique as you progress through ten different dungeons.
With time, you unlock better “Muse Cards,” which give you access to a wide range of powerful abilities, adding another layer to gameplay. You also access 50 vocal tracks, powering through the mixing and matching of unique combo attacks. Further, Card-en-Ciel will allow up to two players per session. Check out the official gameplay description via Steam below:
Cards can be used for their effects, for movement, or their Special Skills. Choosing the right mode for each card is key! The true value of each card comes out when you combine it with other cards. On top of that, you'll use the Muses' song abilities, hidden card “glitches”, and even your enemies' attacks against them to perform satisfying, full power combos!
Development
Developer and publisher Inti Creates is currently working on the release of Card-en-Ciel. You probably already know Inti Creates from their previous works, most of which have captivated the masses worldwide. The studio is based in Chiba, Japan, and has over 20 years of experience developing games. Fun fact: the studio was formed in May 1996 by ten developers who previously worked at Capcom. Today, Inti Creates has grown to become one of the most talented video game-developing studios worldwide.
So far, Inti Creates has sculpted a solid reputation for developing 2D action games with stellar pixel art. They’re mostly known for developing Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX series. Additionally, they have worked on Blaster Master Zero and Mighty Gunvolt Burst. Based solely on the studio’s previous works, it makes sense to get chirpy about a Mega Man Battle Network-inspired Inti Creates game.
We have a “Project Kickoff Trailer” out now on Inti Creates’ YouTube channel, as well as a playable demo that took place at the PAX East 2024 event in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 21–24, 2024. Here’s to hoping that Card-en-Ciel stands out enough to warrant many more iterations to come.
Trailer
Card-en-Ciel - Project Kickoff Trailer
By all means, check out the reveal trailer for Card-en-Ciel, which is out now on Inti Creates’ official YouTube channel. It pulls the curtain on quite a ton of gameplay and story beats, including the grid system players will use to launch battles. Straight off the bat, it’s easy to spot the similarities between the upcoming Card-en-Ciel and Mega Man Battle Network.
For one, both games use a similar battle grid and card-based system. The traversal between the nodes is also similar. However, you can also spot differences in gameplay. Capcom and Inti Creates have collaborated on several projects over the years. So, it’s no surprise that the visual and gameplay design of Card-en-Ciel mimic Mega Man Battle Network. The question is, will Card-en-Ciel do enough to stand out on its feet?
Release Date, Platforms & Editions
Inti Creates has yet to announce an exact release date for the upcoming Card-en-Ciel. All we know is that the game is coming soon, with the Steam store page stating the release date is “to be announced.” While we keep our eyes peeled for the release date’s confirmation for you, you’ll be happy to know we have confirmation of the platforms. Card-en-Ciel will launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms via Steam. Virtually all platforms, current and next-gen, will receive iterations of the upcoming game.
Unfortunately, we don’t know whether we’ll have access to several editions of the game. So, we can assume for now that only a standard edition will be made available for purchase. For PC owners, you can add the game to your wishlist on Steam as early as now to get a notification as soon as it drops. Meanwhile, you can always follow Inti Creates’ official social handle here for new updates on what’s to come.
