This is a review of Master Duel as an implementation of a Yu-Gi-Oh duel simulator, not a review of the game of Yu-Gi-Oh itself (though I do find that to be positive as well). Too many reviews here are about the current meta, and not the software. I'm going to break this down to some Pros and Cons.

• Fast and smooth gameplay
  
• Card crafting system makes getting any card trivial
  
• Dismantling unused cards for credits towards desired cards is great
  
• Chain resolution visuals help understand what's going on a lot
  
• The duel log solves a lot of issues with previous games with knowing what effects are going off and targeting what things
  
• Starting Gems through F2P gaming is pretty generous
  
• Can easily build a meta deck without spending any money
  
• Animations and sound are a big plus. Has that hearthstone/arena feel.
  
• Way less gatcha terribleness than Duel Links
  
• Secret packs make it easier to get cards for a specific loved archetype
  
• Crafting can open secret packs making it less of a random grind through master packs
  
• Mates are cute and fun. You can also have a car as one which is weird.
  
• Ban list is based off of (but different from) OCG, so for a TCG player it's a brand new meta that's fresh
  
• Maxx 'C' is at 3

• Master packs have most of the cards, which makes any individual pack generally not useful
  
• Gems slow down after the start. Making one meta deck (with staples) isn't bad. Multiple meta decks will take a grind in f2p or require whaling.
  
• Solo mode feels repetitive after a while. Some matchups are remarkably hard (final Gem-Knights battle)
  
• No private or invite only rooms makes it harder to manage a local community (or for streamers).
  
• Following someone (how the friend list works), doesn't let you just automatically spectate a duel they're in or see what they're doing in any meaningful way. It's lacking.
  
• Ban list is a custom one based on OCG rather than letting the user choose OCG or TCG
  
• Rumors of some summon from gy bugs during battle
  
• Secret packs only last 24 hours
  
• No side deck and all games are best of 1
  
• Maxx 'C' is at 3

If you don't like Yu-Gi-Oh as it exists as a paper game, you probably won't like this game. It's current day meta, so higher tiers will involve hand traps, negates, board building and board breaking. It's very true to the actual game and has almost all of the cards made for it.

If you do like Yu-Gi-Oh, this is by far the best official way to play the game. It has a huge community, it's easy to get into, it's remarkably cheap compared to Duel Links or what I was expecting them to do. Getting a playset of Forbidden Droplet without spending a dime is remarkable if you play Yu-Gi-Oh in cardboard. While there are definitely some flaws, some fixable and others probably less likely, I still think this way surpassed my expectations for a Yu-Gi-Oh F2P game. It's really high quality and fun if you like Yu-Gi-Oh.

This is a review of Master Duel as an implementation of a Yu-Gi-Oh duel simulator, not a review of the game of Yu-Gi-Oh itself (though I do find that to be positive as well). Too many reviews here are about the current meta, and not the software. I'm going to break this down to some Pros and Cons. [h1]Pros[/h1] [list] [*] Fast and smooth gameplay [*] Card crafting system makes getting any card trivial [*] Dismantling unused cards for credits towards desired cards is great [*] Chain resolution visuals help understand what's going on a lot [*] The duel log solves a lot of issues with previous games with knowing what effects are going off and targeting what things [*] Starting Gems through F2P gaming is pretty generous [*] Can easily build a meta deck without spending any money [*] Animations and sound are a big plus. Has that hearthstone/arena feel. [*] Way less gatcha terribleness than Duel Links [*] Secret packs make it easier to get cards for a specific loved archetype [*] Crafting can open secret packs making it less of a random grind through master packs [*] Mates are cute and fun. You can also have a car as one which is weird. [*] Ban list is based off of (but different from) OCG, so for a TCG player it's a brand new meta that's fresh [*] Maxx 'C' is at 3 [/list] [h1]Cons[/h1] [list] [*] Master packs have most of the cards, which makes any individual pack generally not useful [*] Gems slow down after the start. Making one meta deck (with staples) isn't bad. Multiple meta decks will take a grind in f2p or require whaling. [*] Solo mode feels repetitive after a while. Some matchups are remarkably hard (final Gem-Knights battle) [*] No private or invite only rooms makes it harder to manage a local community (or for streamers). [*] Following someone (how the friend list works), doesn't let you just automatically spectate a duel they're in or see what they're doing in any meaningful way. It's lacking. [*] Ban list is a custom one based on OCG rather than letting the user choose OCG or TCG [*] Rumors of some summon from gy bugs during battle [*] Secret packs only last 24 hours [*] No side deck and all games are best of 1 [*] Maxx 'C' is at 3 [/list] [h1]Overall thoughts[/h1] If you don't like Yu-Gi-Oh as it exists as a paper game, you probably won't like this game. It's current day meta, so higher tiers will involve hand traps, negates, board building and board breaking. It's very true to the actual game and has almost all of the cards made for it. If you do like Yu-Gi-Oh, this is by far the best official way to play the game. It has a huge community, it's easy to get into, it's remarkably cheap compared to Duel Links or what I was expecting them to do. Getting a playset of Forbidden Droplet without spending a dime is remarkable if you play Yu-Gi-Oh in cardboard. While there are definitely some flaws, some fixable and others probably less likely, I still think this way surpassed my expectations for a Yu-Gi-Oh F2P game. It's really high quality and fun if you like Yu-Gi-Oh.