Star Wars Unlimited review in progress: Now this is card gaming

Star Wars Unlimited is off to a fantastic start with a well-rounded introductory set embracing TCG newcomers while maintaining a great deal of strategic depth for veterans of the space. It’s utterly engaging in the moment-to-moment and addicting well beyond the game mat. For card game enjoyers and Star Wars fans alike, this is not one to miss.

Whether you’re brand new to the world of Trading Card Games (TCGs) or a veteran of Magic and many others, Lucasfilm’s bold new step into the genre should certainly be on your radar.

While it’s obviously early days yet, as Star Wars Unlimited only just arriving on store shelves with its first set, the initial launch is already inspiring a ton of confidence for the game’s long-term future. With its addicting combat structure, gorgeous production quality, and its respect for the rich Star Wars universe, there’s simply no denying the potential here.

After just a few games the hooks began to seep in and before long, it was hard to shake the thought of anything else. “How can I upgrade my deck? What can I do to work around this opposing strategy? What other cards are out there?” Star Wars Unlimited is thoroughly engrossing having left a remarkable first impression.

This is where the fun begins

Jumping into any new TCG can be quite overwhelming at first. All the rules to learn, all the new buzzwords to remember, every unique card effect to master, even if some of it’s familiar to veterans, there’s always plenty of unique quirks to bear in mind. Star Wars Unlimited is no different in that sense, but it does serve as a great entry point for newcomers to the genre.

After reading through the intro pack’s rulebook and getting a test game out of the way, the basics came into focus quite quickly here. Rules are explained thoroughly enough, buzzwords are presented on the game mat itself so you don’t have to commit them to memory right away, and the assortment of cards in the first set are straightforward enough as to not bog down the beginner’s experience. Though that’s not to say the game is entirely designed as an entry-level only TCG.

While it offers a great starting point, with a structure easy enough to figure out in just a few games, Star Wars Unlimited piles on plenty of intricate mechanics sure to take dozens of games to master.

It’s an exceptionally well-rounded entry into the market, appealing to newcomers and veterans alike. Allowing Star Wars superfans to enjoy a TCG for the first time, while still providing that depth TCG fanatics crave in the long-term.

Above all else, however, Star Wars Unlimited is just downright fun. At least with the starter pack, the two beginner decks are so well balanced that every turn and every decision feels important. With any given play you can flip momentum on your side, completely changing the course of your match. Even with each ‘reset’ phase between rounds of combat, your choices feel vital. Do you burn another card to grow your resources for long-term gain, or should you hold your hand in full and play it slow?

There’s always plenty to consider in every moment, making it a thoroughly engaging experience for the full duration of a given match. Of which, you can expect some lengthy contests, especially while figuring things out.

Clearly aimed at Star Wars fans, it’s even more enjoyable if you know the universe well. With dozens of iconic characters scattered throughout the decks, hilarious references strewn about, especially with ‘Event’ (ability) cards, and the all-powerful heroes and villains (Leaders) to work around, it’s an absolute blast if you’re familiar with the subject matter.

Better yet, Star Wars Unlimited boasts some of the most appealing designs in the TCG space, and that’s not just limited to the often stunning artwork itself. Simply the way in which various cards are presented strikes a chord as well. If you’re lucky when opening Booster Packs, rare versions of even the most tame, common cards in your deck can suddenly get a new lease on life with wonderful designs that spill out beyond the ordinary borders, taking up the entirety of a card in the process.

Add shiny effects on top if you’re really lucky and there’s a near endless desire to open packs and upgrade your deck time and time again. I’m already thinking ahead to how some of my favorite Star Wars characters may be introduced in the TCG and how their cards might look. It’s a premium quality that does justice to the beloved franchise.

Pursuing the high ground

Although the starter pack serves its purpose as just that, a starting point, you’ll quickly realize its shortcomings. Fundamentally, the starter game mats do come across as rather flimsy, though upgrading to a premium quality certainly isn’t cheap. Not to mention, displaying damage is rather inelegant.

Physical tokens need to be dropped on your cards or your base to display damage, but said tokens only come in 1s, 5s, and 10s. If you’ve taken nine damage, for instance, that means five tokens in total (5×1 & 1×4) need to be dropped on a single card to convey the information. As you can probably tell, this isn’t the most practical solution. With limited room, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep on top of, often leaving players to just ask what health a card has left.

Similarly, while the starter Leaders in Luke and Vader are great to begin with, upgrading or pivoting to any other strategies can only be done through randomized boosters at this point in time, obviously not the most affordable method.

In due time, we’re sure to see various bundles and deck packs hit store shelves as well. But in the early days of Star Wars Unlimited, your options ironically feel quite limited unless you’re a whale more than happy parting ways with hundreds of dollars for the premium experience.

So if you are jumping into the new Star Wars TCG as a beginner in the space, it’s crucial you bear in mind the costs associated with further exploring the hobby. While you can just purchase the intro pack and be content for a good while, anything beyond that requires a rather substantial investment.

The chosen Star Wars TCG

With that all said, there’s no two ways about it, Star Wars Unlimited is off to a phenomenal start. While costs can add up in the long run, the price of entry isn’t too rough to help get you in the door and once you’ve grabbed a seat in the Cantina, there’s no doubt you won’t want to leave anytime soon.

Incredible production quality, an addictive gameplay structure, and a well-designed set of cards for day one all lend themselves to one of the stronger beginnings in recent TCG attempts to gain a foothold in the highly competitive genre. From here, the potential is through the roof.

Future expansions focusing on the prequel trilogy, tie-ins with timely Disney+ series releases, rare event-specific cards, crossovers with other Star Wars properties be it the High Republic books of the Jedi game series, there really could be no end to the game’s long-term support.

Off to a great start and with a clearly vibrant future ahead, I’m utterly hooked in already and can’t wait to see how Star Wars Unlimited evolves over the years to come.

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