Review: Magic The Gathering for XBLA

Remember back in the day when Magic The Gathering was beyond huge? Everyone from your siblings to adults wanted to garner the embodiment of what was (then) the biggest card game to hit the scene; some would say it was bigger than poker at one point in time. Well guess what? It still is pretty damn huge and over the years has acquired one of the most loyal (and rabid) fan bases out there. I always wanted to get into Magic but never really had the group of friends around me that were into that sort of thing. I hate to say it, but it was always looked at as one of those "geek" games and therefore was shunned, which was an absolute shame. With the recent release of MTG: Duels of the Planeswalker over XBox Live, I can finally say I am thoroughly addicted, happy and "geeked" out.

With a price point of 800 Microsoft Points (roughly ten dollars) this game is just to fun to pass up. Having only played the game a few times in the past I was hesitant at first to actually purchase the game. Luckily, my good friend SS Soulstealer had been eying this release for some time and was the conduit between me and my possible MTG purchase. Thankfully, my purchase was set in stone and I've been playing it ever since.

Run-Down: (gamershell)
"Duels of the Planeswalkers lets players simulate the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game through an interactive digital experience. Players take on the role of a Planeswalker, a powerful wizard who battles others for glory, knowledge and conquest. Each Planeswalker has an arsenal of spells and creatures showcased by virtual cards. Players can either choose to battle against the computer or compete online against real life opponents using Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service offerings."

Basically, DOTP (Duels of the Planeswalker) is geared for online play. The campaign will take you roughly four to five hours to complete (shorter if your an elite Magic player) and roughly a couple add-on hours for doing all the challenges. The upside to the short campaign is the online play. It's smooth, addicting and easy to find a match. Remember when I said this game was and still is huge? It seems to have that same lore to xbox owners because I have yet to experience any problems in finding a match online. You can play with or battle up to four friends or random people over Live; exploiting DOTP multpile match types such as 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 and even Two-Headed Giant Mode which means shared life totals, team attacking and blocking, as well as team victories and achievements! One other point I wanted to hit on was the Mentoring System which is used to provide live assistance, in-game hints and even an in-game rule book and glossary. Needles to say, the developers have made this game extremely easy to pick up and learn regardless of your knowledge of the core game.

Graphically, DOTP isn't going to knock your socks off. It looks good for a card game simulator but could benefit from a few small touches. Having been an avid Culdcept player, I would have liked for the developers to perhaps create better battle animations between opposing cards. Perhaps animate some battle scenes while playing attack cards or even create some magic animations while casting spells. Though the games move pretty fast it still would be nice to see some kind of battle sequence or illustrated ambiance implemented into the core mechanics.

Little nuances aside, DOTP is one of the funniest card games I think I have ever played; over XBLA and real life. You may think the fundamentals of the game are too hard to pick up and that learning how to play MTG is daunting to say the least. My advice to those in this mind-set is: Buy this game, play through the tutorial a couple times and see for yourself just how accessible this so called "hardcore" trading card game truly is.

Magic The Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalker has not only surprised me delightfully but has given me a competitive card game to play with friends. Nothing like some deep, tactical card battles to invest some time in! Though some hardcore Magic players may feel a little skimped by not being able to fully customize their decks, they still will find MTG: DOPT not only delivers on all levels of playability and accessibility but also provides an in depth card game that takes minutes to learn and years to master.

Graphics: 7
SFX: 8
Gameplay: 9
Replay Value: 9
Fun Factor: 9

-GAME HARD-