Blizzards Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft totally changed the game by capitalizing on the elements of card games that could only be done in a video game medium, relying on RNG-based effects and smooth, crisp card animations rather than overly-complicated mechanics that reduce the amount of luck involved in a given game.

Dire Wolf Digital, a studio that also did the Eternal online card game, was recently entrusted with turning Bethesdas The Elder Scrolls franchise into the next big online card game.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends has been a popular card game since its release, and although the game may not have as much clout, Bethesda and Dire Wolf have carved out a place for Legends all the same.

The world of Skyrim was seen by fans as the most obvious inclusion for an expansion down the road, and Bethesda delivered early - but was it the right time, and has the game improved as a result.

B ut its mostly just more of the same - which is fine, for already entrenched players, but will do little to make dedicated players of Hearthstone or other titles consider jumping ship.

Thats been Legends selling point since day one, and it has definitely lived up to the billing, as its gameplay offers refreshing depth while still delivering an epic feeling.

Previously, RNG primarily existed in the form of Prophecy cards, which could trigger upon an opponent dealing an increment of five damage to a players hero and could swing a lost battle back closer to even.

Its a nice mechanic, though - one that makes the game a little more friendly to newer players while helping mitigate the skill gap between Legends best and the tier below them.

It makes for some good storytelling, too, when recounting how a match hinged on the flip of a single card.

The Shouts never really feel game-breaking until theyve been played a few times, and even then theyre just powerful but not broken.

Werewolves have innocuous abilities - or none at all - until an enemy is damaged enough that they lose a rune, and then they become powerful creatures with aggressively slanted keywords.

Dragons are, quite suitably, some of the biggest, baddest cards in the entire game, and can often win on the spot unless theyre answered quickly, which is how a dragon should feel.

None of the mechanics feel as though they are a significantly different playing experience than ones that existed previously.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends Heroes of Skyrim is an enjoyable expansion that will sate fans of the game until the next set releases and provide some memorable, lore-infused moments along the way, but it does little to attract a new player who wasnt already interested to check the game out.

Game Rant was provided with Heroes of Skyrim card packs for this review.

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