Comic-Con 07: Hands on with Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2

As you grow up, it starts to become apparent that you lose the ability to explain certain phenomena: McFly, Heelys, McVities Go Ahead Forest Fruit Yogurt Breaks or, in this case, Yu-Gi-Oh!

The cartoon series, trading cards and games have grown into a cultural force for youngsters worldwide. But while most of us over the age of 12 have a difficult time understanding the drive behind the card-duelling franchise, its branching out continues, not least with forthcoming video game incarnation, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2.

We got our trembling, ageing hands on the second Yu-Gi-Oh! PSP outing at the recent Comic-Con event in San Diego.

Tag Force 2 plays like a combination of the Yu-Gi-Oh! duelling system and Pokémon, with card battling mechanics placed to the fore, albeit within the context of a simple role-playing game. You battle characters, find new cards for your deck and earn experience to strengthen your core attributes.

We explored a few locations in search of battles: the academy grounds; Silfer Red dormitory; and a creepy abandoned dorm. A world map lays out the location of every landmark you can visit. From this, you select a locale and enter it to hunt down duels or complete a quest.

At any time you can hit the Square button to access a PDA holding information about your deck, as well as a general knowledge database, your character's status and the option to end the day.

You see, Tag Force 2 operates on a day-night cycle that requires you to attend classes, complete any quests, and then cap the day with a night's rest. Some quests can't complete or won't become available until you end the day, so the feature is tied directly to the game's progression.

Making it to your classes will be a big part of Tag Force 2, since they provide advanced instruction on the game's card duelling mechanics. We attended an early class offering guidance on card placement strategy. Veterans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe may find the in-game academics a bit tedious, but those just coming into the game will be sure to welcome the aid.

While the classroom can be a helpful place, getting into battle is where the real fun of Tag Force 2 lies. The game utilises the same battle mechanics as the first Tag Force, with duels playing out on a two-dimensional plane. Battles go through six phases – draw, standby, main 1, battle, main 2, and end. During main phases 1 and 2, you can summon creatures and cast magic cards. However, you can only battle against your opponent's cards once during a turn.

The reward for winning battles is experience, which naturally goes towards increasing your character's core abilities. The better you perform in a duel, the more points you'll receive. Moreover, new battle challenges can boost your experience intake. For instance, one battle challenge we attempted required exerting 10,000 points of damage in a single duel.

So Tag Force 2 won't radically deviate from the first game, which is probably the only way Yu-Gi-Oh! purists would have it. Hopefully, the game's combination of card dueling and role-playing should make it a deeper experience than earlier instalments, too.

But the really good news is that having understood it all, it got us thinking that maybe we're not quite as ancient as we original thought.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2 is due for a September release in the US. No European date has yet been announced.