Recently, I saw a mobile game called "Infinite Fighting" when I was shopping on Tap. I clicked on it and saw that it was a Chinese style placement duel card. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations at first. After all, there were too many reskinned games of this kind on the market. But after actually playing it for a few days, I found that there is something about this game in terms of competitiveness and balance, and I wanted to talk about it with friends who also pay attention to mobile e-sports.
Let's talk about the PVP mode first. There are three types of games in the game: ladder ranking, master arena, and cross-server duel, which basically cover the needs from daily score scoring to high-end confrontation. Ladder ranking is similar to traditional card games, but it adds real-time operation elements. For example, the release of character skills requires predicting the opponent's position and moving skills forward. This is a bit like the game of MOBA games, and it is not just about fighting for values. The Master Arena is a limited-time rotating ban/pick mode. Some popular characters will be banned in each issue. This is very important to prevent one lineup from being overwhelming and encourage players to develop unpopular heroes. The cross-server duel has not been launched yet, but according to the official statement, it is a monthly tournament similar to the S game, with points and knockout rounds. If the event operation can keep up, it has the potential to become a professional league.
In terms of character design, although it is in the Chinese style, the skill mechanism has the shadow of a competitive game. For example, there is a character named "Wing Chun Ip Man". His core skill is "Inch Strength". After hitting a hit, he can follow up with a set of combos, but the player needs to click the subsequent button within 0.5 seconds to trigger the maximum damage. This requires hand speed and reaction, and you cannot win by just hanging up. Another character, "Daoma Dan", is a continuous output type. He relies on stacking bleed layers to deal percentage damage, which is very effective against tank teams. There are currently about 30 characters in the card pool, each with an independent skill module and not exactly the same positioning, which gives a lot of room for tactical matching.
Regarding game balance, I took a look at the latest version update. The official has strengthened several unpopular characters. For example, the dodge probability of "Tai Chi·Zhang Sanfeng" has been increased from 20% to 30%, and the drunken state of "Drunken Master·Su Qier" will no longer confuse his teammates. These adjustments show that the planners are paying attention to the competitive environment and are not blindly offering strong cards to make money. At present, the mainstream of the ladder environment is the classic iron triangle of "Shaolin + Wudang + Emei", but the winning rate is not overwhelming. I have tried a set of "Hidden Weapon Tang Sect + Secret Agent" assassination flow, which can often turn the tables against the crispy players in the back row. Therefore, the strategic depth is there, and it does not mean that you are strong just by spending money on it without thinking.
Of course, as a placement card, the development depth is still there, but the official control is relatively restrained. Each card has a maximum star rating of 10 stars. Star-upgrading materials can be exchanged through dungeons and arenas, and there is no compulsory payment for gold. The equipment system only provides basic attributes, and there is no set effect like some games that force players to spend money on exclusive items. Moreover, PVP has a fair mode, similar to the peak match of King of Glory. All characters have the same initial level and equipment. Only operation and lineup matching can widen the gap. This design is very friendly to zero-Krypton players and can truly screen out the masters.
Generally speaking, this game is still in the testing period, but it has a good foundation, a complete competitive system, strategic character design, and timely balance updates. If the viewing system can be improved in the future and the function of live broadcasting of professional events can be added, it is likely to become the next potential e-sports project after "Honor of Kings". I recommend everyone who pays attention to mobile game competition to give it a try, especially those players who find MOBA too tiring and want to find lightweight strategies to fight against. 😊