Hard from the jump, almost to the point where I thought I had missed a key mechanic that was causing me to struggle so much. Unintuitive card mechanics and grindy encounters. It IS possible to work out how to play effectively but it's not worth the hassle. Should have spent more time explaining key strategies to the player than introducing a story which you don't know if it's worth investing in until you've had some battles play out. Try Roguebook instead for a better play experience.
Nothing is broken and if you're desperate for more twin stick action, I daresay this is probably worth looking at. For me though, it was repetitive and lacked the visceral punch of the better games of this type. Upgrades were steady but uninspiring, not doing enough to switch up the gameplay. The shotgun is a 7 shot pick-up to begin with which makes it seem exciting, yet although it makes the enemy health bar fall quicker, it just doesn't FEEL like it packs much punch. Seems small, but in a game all about shooting and dodging, the shooting part is weak.
The epitome of a 2 and a half star game. There's nothing wrong with it, so long as the 8 bit visuals don't put you off. Sadly, there's not a whole lot to recommend it for either. Mana Spark references Binding of Isaac with one of it's pick-ups and plays like a slower, less-fun and just generally all-round worse version of that game.
