Pokémon TCG Online has been the series’ online TCG client since 2012 - 2011 if one counts its Pokémon Trainer Challenge browser iteration - and despite its age, it can be tough to part ways with it. Thankfully, based on the limited beta, Pokémon TCG Live is taking strides towards being a worthwhile successor for players most interested in a no-frills approach to the game. There are some areas where the streamlining could stand to be expanded, but it’s a promising start to a welcome upgrade to the online Pokémon TCG simulator.
Pokémon TCG Live does exactly what it needs to do: play Pokémon TCG. Visuals convey information quickly without feeling overbearing, such as bold numbers indicating the number of remaining Prize Cards and cards in the deck, or green arrows above cards in-hand that can be dragged onto the field to play. The option to play a “Casual” or “Ranked” match also succinctly offer players the main options they need to play a game of TCG how they like. The rules of using a 60-card deck to knock out opposing Pokémon, take six Prize Cards, and claim victory remain unchanged from the tabletop TCG rules.
During the limited beta, Expanded format won’t be available for Ranked matches, and only a limited number of Expanded cards will be available for use in Casual at all. Although more cards from Expanded sets will be rolled out over time - as well as the addition of Expanded in Ranked - it’s here that Pokémon TCG Live may have removed a few too many frills. According to David Whitfield, Associate Product Marketing Manager for Pokémon TCG Live, pre-Expanded content is currently not planned for inclusion, despite comprising of over 40 classic sets. Some of these include cards that have been brought back into legality through reprints, such as Copycat, unique art for consistently reprinted cards such as Switch and Super Scoop Up, and decades worth of Energy designs, including the beautiful HG&SS-era Energies.
Pokémon TCG Live places emphasis on player expression through an in-depth character customizer - in fact, one may find the avatars almost too expressive as they emote and gesture over most actions taken in the midst of a match. But the lack of pre-Expanded content puts a bit of a damper on player expression when it comes to the specific versions of cards they choose to use in their decks. A way to obtain these cards would be most welcomed in the future, especially when considering how accessible Pokémon TCG Live aims to make obtaining the Standard and Expanded-era cards it does include.
There are no in-app purchases in Pokémon TCG Live; all exchanges use in-game currency. A battle pass provides rewards simply for playing, and upgrading to the premium pass uses crystals that are also earned through playing the game. There are no options to purchase crystals with real money, which gives Pokémon TCG Live a welcome feeling of accessibility. What’s more, redemption code cards that come with physical TCG products will continue to be printed, allowing players who collect the physical cards to make use of them even within TCG Live.
The accessibility of cards in Pokémon TCG Live is further heightened by the credit system. Where TCG Online had the option to trade cards with other players, TCG Live instead converts excess cards into credits based on their rarity. These credits can then be used to craft cards of the player’s choosing. While the lack of trading may seem concerning at first, the credit system allows even fodder commons to contribute to the acquisition of rarer cards, while such cards would have been entirely unhelpful in TCG Online’s often ruthless trading ground. Credits look to take out the middleman by giving all cards a value when it comes to expanding one’s collection.
As a limited beta, Pokémon TCG Live has wiggle room for improvement, especially when it comes to including older sets of cards. As a simulator for Standard Pokémon TCG games, though, it does exactly what it needs to do, which bodes well for future Expanded play. Card collection similarly bodes well, with the entirely free-to-play structure and preservation of product redemption codes, even if the removal of trading may take some getting used to.
The Pokémon TCG Live limited beta launches on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices to users in Canada on February 22, 2022. Screen Rant attended a gameplay demo session for the purposes of this preview.
