Ahead of the Game - Pack Hero is Pokemon TCG Pocket but with a card exhibit, pet buffs, and an album to boot
Gotta collect them all
- Open card packs and add them to your virtual album
- Deploy combat strategies against other decks
- Expand your museum and hatch pets too
It's all about the silly satisfaction of tearing tin foil in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
Ever since I failed to catch up with all the latest expansions in Pokemon TCG Pocket and I quit cold turkey, I have to admit - I still get that occasional opening-packs itch that the card battler does so well. With Pack Hero, they've broken it all down into even simpler mechanics, as all you really have to do is swipe right to tear open your digital card packs, swipe down to slip them into your album sleeves, then duke it out in (Mortal) Kard Kombat.
Okay, it's not as brutal as that, but it's essentially just like the aforementioned Pokemon card battler, but with more casual mechanics. For one thing, the number you see on every card serves as both your attack power and your HP, so you won't have to go too deep into mathematics to sort your matches. For another, the creatures bear a striking similarity to said Pokemon, so it all feels very familiar but with a fresh twist.
The dopamine that comes with every pack is the real reward here. If all you're really after is getting to ooh-and-ahh at your marvelous collection, that's great. But if you're looking for something a tad more strategic, Pack Hero has that too. Melee pets take damage each time they attack, while ranged ones can snipe safely from a distance.
Higher rarity cards offer special skills as well, such as dealing random damage to another enemy card or inflicting status effects upon contact. It's up to you to maximise your blows to win - and each one does feel incredibly satisfying.
One gripe I have at the moment is that the ads can be incredibly intrusive too, as annoyingly, Pack Hero's decided to employ both disruptive ads and rewarded ads at the same time. I'm not entirely sure if that'll change as it's officially launched, but if it isn't, then they definitely take away from the enjoyment a fair bit.
So, how do you play Pack Hero: Pet Collector?
That said, it's free to download on Google Play right now as an early access piece, so if you're curious, have a look yourself! You can also open up a museum of sorts and put your cards on display to earn some extra in-game money, as well as unlock pets that offer buffs in combat. It's all pretty refreshing, to be honest!
