Title: Magic 2015 Duels of the Planeswalkers
Genre: CCG, Strategy
Platform: XBLA, PSN, Steam, Google Play
Price: $9.99 (base game), $19.99 (Special Edition on Steam - includes wallpapers, OST, & ebook), or $34.99 (Steam only; includes S.E. bonuses plus several card collections)
Release Date: July 16th* (approx. Specific date depending on platform
Version Reviewed: Steam retail version (base game)
Magic 2015, for those who are unaware, is the 5th yearly videogame iteration of the hugely popular, now 21 year old CCG Magic: The Gathering. Like last year's game (review can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=477 for reference),
this is a niche game. This is not to say that it's by any means a
bad game, just that it's appeal may be limited.
Now, in as far as changes go from last year's game, fans will be both pleased & irritated. On the positive side, the in-game interface has reworked to be more user-friendly for the most part (although it does still have issues). Additionally, the preconstructed decks of previous game entries are gone.
Players can now build their own decks - a feature that players have been clamoring for. Between this & the fact that the card set has been updated yet again, this allows for more strategies & tougher games against fellow players. Also, for those that are either new to Magic or a bit rusty, there is an extensive tutorial in game.
On the downside, like in previous game enteries, modes found in earlier games have been removed. While, yes, the standard campaign, multiplayer free-for-all games for up to 4 players (or 1 player & up to 3 AI "bots") remain, other modes are gone, including the popular 2 Headed Giant mode (2 teams of 2 battle it out rather than everyone for themselves). While the removal off last year's Sealed Deck mode is fine since it's been rendered redundant, the removal of 2 Headed Giant is a little disheartening. The only other complaint that I have is the menu system - it seems to be bogged down in needless animation & can be laggy at times.
Another positive is that, unlike previous years' enteries (& noted in last years' review), the devs & publisher haven't gone
too overboard with what seems like a blatant money grab with unnecessary "time is money" DLC (it's still there, just not as much of it).
Summary: All in all this is a good but flawed game. I feel that a purchase is warranted due to the pros outweighing the negatives.
PROS: - New card sets
- Players can build decks from scratch
- Improved in-game interface
- extensive tutorial
CONS: - Loss of game modes, most notably 2 Headed Giant
- Menu system needs improving
Grade: B
