Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution Review (Nintendo Switch)

Growing up, I always found myself glued to the TV watching every episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! that was on CW Kids every Saturday morning. The show was an instant hit for myself and prompted to start collecting all the cards and even the show’s specials on VHS. Even though I had a bunch of the cards, I really didn’t know how to battle well but loved showing them off. Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution helps bring my wonder of battling to life and makes it much easier. It has a meaty tutorial to go through, as well as maintaining that love of collecting the cards. There’s also much to offer in terms of content, thanks to its lengthy campaign that models the anime’s storyline, as well as the online portion. This is by far the definitive Yu-Gi-Oh! release that longtime fans have been craving and one that newcomers can enjoy.

Ties to the Anime

What makes this title especially unique is how close it relates to the anime series. Within the Campaign section, there are six different stories to choose from. Each set resembles every rendition of Yu-Gi-Oh! that has been released. As you go through the respective sections, it’s quickly noticed that they follow the main plotline of the story. For instance, in the first chapter, players start off with a battle against Joey explaining the core mechanics. After this, the character head over to Yugi Mutou’s uncle’s card shop to check out a Blue-Eyes White Dragon until Seto Kaiba shows up and sets the plot in motion. Of course, this is the exact plot of the original series but users can also mix things up.

Once story battles are completed, the roles can be reversed. Instead of playing as Yugi Mutou destroying the competition, the role of the villain is also available. Use the same story deck or a personal built one to rewrite how the battles were fought and experience new pieces of dialogue. This aspect is incredibly entertaining, yet you’ll definitely want to use a custom deck. Playing with the cards that the game gives you shows that an obvious advantage is given to Yugi throughout the series. Trying to change the story can be tough but adds an extra challenge to those that may need it. Make sure to know exactly what moves you’re making too as the game doesn’t let you take back an action even if it’s still your turn. Because of this, some battles can be lost due to a simple and accidental button press prompting a reset.

Deep Gameplay

Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution adds so much to the game that it’s tough to learn at first. Every mechanic that was added into the series throughout the franchise’s lifespan is available. Players can use all sorts of different techniques and tactics that they may or may not have tried out before. It’s not a bad thing that there’s plenty of new rules to learn but if you haven’t tried a Yu-Gi-Oh! card game before, it’s going to be pretty tough. A tutorial can be found but it’s incredibly lengthy and throws a lot at you at once. With 19 different chapters in the tutorial, you’ll either grow bored of reading rules or skip it altogether. If you do read through it all, everything is concise and leaves no room for questions. It’s perfect to get the hang of every mechanic. Just playing the game is a better means of understanding the basics. It’s a fantastic title for newcomers and longtime fans to jump into and get the most out of.

This is a very deep game, as previously mentioned. Players can experiment with new deck layouts and customizations much like in real life. Cards from all throughout the series can be used in a deck, so it feels expansive and much more realistic to playing the game. After winning battles, you can also earn credits and booster packs to help build a better collection and unlock stronger cards. At the time of writing, there aren’t any microtransactions to buy the best cards. However, you can still receive duplicates from opening booster packs, but it helps it feel real albeit a bit annoying. Besides this, Konami has made the most expansive Yu-Gi-Oh! game yet thanks to all of these inclusions.

Multiplayer Action

A highlight of the game is definitely the ability to play online. Players can jump into a Ranked Mode, Quick Match, or Local Modes to compete with others looking for a duel. On top of this, there is a leaderboard to show who truly is the best of the best at this title. Compare yourself to the global spot or simply just look at who is the best among your friend list. Something that was noted is that finding a non-ranked match took a bit longer to queue into than one that’s ranked. Personally, I didn’t care too much as it was fun playing against others either way, but it can become very intense in ranked matched. Don’t go into those looking for easy wins because most of the time it turns into a hearty competition.

This release runs fantastic and smooth on the system. It’s the perfect game to boot up on the go and for quick bursts. You’re also able to play in lengthy sessions, as well thanks to the amount of content and online battles that can be had. Although, the game does struggle with its music selection. There was really no need to turn up the volume as the tunes felt more along the lines of elevator music than anything else. A unique soundtrack definitely could help out with the overall experience. Nonetheless, you’ll be playing this game no matter what sounds are coming out of the screen.

Other Ocean Interactive and Konami have created a truly expansive Yu-Gi-Oh! release that longtime fans and newcomers to the series can enjoy. A deep tutorial helps players of all types understand the many rules and motions that make up a duel while the online has players coming back for more. The campaign goes hand-in-hand with the anime series that they are modeled after and they also let players attempt them from the opposite viewpoint. With such a large card set and lengthy campaign, there’s bound to be hours of fun that players can have. Although there are a few problems with battles, like not being able to undo a mistake, it’s still incredibly enjoyable. Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution on the Nintendo Switch is one of the best titles the franchise has seen and is worth playing.

Thank you so much to Konami for providing us with a review code!