An evil black fog is sweeping across the land, destroying everything in its path. Legend says that the only thing that can stop this fog is the power of a magic card. After learning that she has the ability to wield this magic card, Princess Katia sets out to stop the fog. The game's story is not very compelling or deep. In fact, the only reason it's around is to give Katia a reason for traveling around the world. So basically this could be a story about Gary Coleman and his quest to grow two inches and it wouldn't have any effect on the game.
Lost Kingdoms reminded me of the original Magic: The Gathering game on the PC a few years back. The main strategy of the game is building your 30-card deck and battling with it. As fresh as the game idea is, there are more than a few major problems that cause the game to stumble and eventually fall into mediocrity. For example, you're only allowed to use you deck once per level which forces you to play by trial and error early in the game since you probably won't have that great a deck. You have the ability to run from battles at the cost of a card, so running is not an option unless you are in serious trouble. As you come across fairies and save points you can refresh your deck and health, but even these are of little help.
The most entertaining aspects of the game are collecting cards and building decks. It's easy to lose track of time while crafting a finely tuned deck. CCG fans should love this part. Lost Kingdoms also offers a fun two-player mode where you and a friend compete using the decks you created. This is probably the brightest spot in an overall dreary gaming experience.
