With its recent release on consoles other than the Nintendo Switch, Yu-Gi-Oh: Legacy of the Duelist – Link Evolution has received a major free update. Since I reviewed the game when it initially released last summer, I wanted to dive into the biggest additions and changes that this new update brings to the game, and make no mistake– it brings plenty to the table.
The biggest addition is the 900 new cards that come with the update. From support for classic archetypes like the Dark Magician and Magician Girls to more VRAINS archetypes like Dinowrestlers and Trickstars, there are new cards for essentially every type of deck and duelist. These cards are acquired through new packs in the store and through dueling any of the freshly-added characters from VRAINS. A ridiculous amount of Campaign duels have been added to the previously limited VRAINS section of the story mode, which are fantastic for snatching new cards and familiarizing yourself with Link summoning and the mechanics behind some of the newly added cards. Some of the duels can get annoying (if I never see another Aromage in my life, it will be too soon,) but if you use your own deck or a counter-deck, you should be alright.
“While I liked how Link monsters functioned in regards to Extra summons, I don’t mind going back to easily being able to use more than one Extra monster.“
Another major change to Legacy of the Duelist comes in the form of Master Rule 5. Until now, Legacy of the Duelist followed the Master Rule 4 format, which allowed for only one Fusion, Synchro, XYZ, or Link monster on the field (outside of the effects of Link monsters.) With Master Rule 5, duelists can once again place Extra Deck monsters on any space on the field, allowing for up to six Extra monsters on the field at one time. The only exception to this is that Link and Extra Deck-summoned Pendulum monsters still have to be summoned in the Extra Monster Zone. Regardless, this is a major mix-up to the current format, as it changes the way that decks will be built in general. While I liked how Link monsters functioned in regards to Extra summons, I don’t mind going back to easily being able to use more than one Extra monster.
Finally, let’s talk about the smaller changes. A few new animations have been added for certain monsters, while others have had their animations altered slightly. Dark Magician Girl’s new animation is much more dynamic, and Exodia’s long-overdue animation is suitably incredible. A few notable monsters are still missing them (Flame-Wingman comes to mind,) but the fact that new animations were added at all is surprising but welcome.
Overall, this free update makes Link Evolution even better, and absolutely worth revisiting if you initially grabbed it upon its initial Switch release. If you don’t already own the game, I’d say it’s currently in the best form it’s ever been in, and that this is a great time to jump in.
