Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 114 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 114
  3. Negative: 38 out of 114

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  1. jimplunder
    Nov 28, 2011
    8
    Well, let's be honest, a single-purchase computer game about Magic: The Gathering isn't supposed to rival the table-top card game, unless you put it online and allow people to purchase every legal card that exists in the game. What "Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012" is, is an introduction to the world of Magic: The Gathering. The game gives you several pre-madeWell, let's be honest, a single-purchase computer game about Magic: The Gathering isn't supposed to rival the table-top card game, unless you put it online and allow people to purchase every legal card that exists in the game. What "Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012" is, is an introduction to the world of Magic: The Gathering. The game gives you several pre-made decks and you dual A.I. and human opponents in a battle of who can make the better pre-made deck. There is some customization involved, such as has been written before, by unlocking cards and purchasing packs as DLC. But when all is said and done, you have to build a deck that fits your strategy for that particular deck. For those of us who never played MtG very much, this is an excellent way to allow us to play the game too. But the game itself was pretty good. The campaign is just a bunch of single-duels versus an A.I. opponent with some challenges sprinkled in on the side (like you have 1 life, your opponent has 4, beat them in 1 turn). The Campaign was easy for me, although I heard friends who struggled with it. It all comes down to the draw, really... When I got to the Archrival campaign, that was horrendously difficult... It's a 1v3 battle with you and two allies versus a single computer with 40 life and "Scheme" cards (which basically are overpowered equalizers to help the 1 play a good game, or completely dominate you...). For those, I'd say bring a friend (or two) because the AI isn't very good at supporting you and makes some very stupid decisions (for instance, not blocking a creature that's attacking when it has more than enough damage and toughness to stop it).
    Who is this game for: People who are new to MtG, people who haven't played MtG in a while, people who don't like adding/subtracting/keeping track of the math involved in MtG, people who like to casually play MtG but don't have the money to buy all the cards
    Who isn't this game for: Hardcore MtG fans, MtG fans who love customizing decks    … Expand
  2. grom358
    Dec 19, 2011
    7
    A worthwhile purchase bringing the magic of Magic the Gathering to newer players. The pro for me is for only $10 you gain access to a number of decks and a streamlined interface for playing matches against friends. However it really needs way better deck customization for the more experienced Magic players. The current deck customisation is very limited. You can only remove/add cards thatA worthwhile purchase bringing the magic of Magic the Gathering to newer players. The pro for me is for only $10 you gain access to a number of decks and a streamlined interface for playing matches against friends. However it really needs way better deck customization for the more experienced Magic players. The current deck customisation is very limited. You can only remove/add cards that belong to a deck. I would like to see being able to choose any card included in the game. Also the GUI is very buggy at times, and still hasn't been patched yet. Fix the GUI bugs and full deck customization and this game would be a 9.… Expand
  3. murlochieftain
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    With the addition of the Archenemy campaign, and being able to play as the arch-enemy online, as well as the two-headed giant mode, I found my $10 was well spent. The game is a lot of fun for magic fans, well-balanced, and the DLC is worth the buy for different styles of play, (I found that the Dark Heavens deck suited me very well.)

    I only wish they would allow us to decide how much mana    With the addition of the Archenemy campaign, and being able to play as the arch-enemy online, as well as the two-headed giant mode, I found my $10 was well spent. The game is a lot of fun for magic fans, well-balanced, and the DLC is worth the buy for different styles of play, (I found that the Dark Heavens deck suited me very well.)

    I only wish they would allow us to decide how much mana is in a deck, choose which cards we want to add from other decks, and how to spend mana on the battlefield. I haven't had any problems with not being able to block or not being able to cast instants at the appropriate times, so I am not sympathetic towards those that do. This was probably addressed in a patch before I purchased the game.

    I would give this game a 9, but the User Score is always inaccurate, as far as I can tell, and the critics whine a lot less, directing negative attention at specific flaws that were not fixable.    … Expand
  4. vandana
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    As someone who played MTG a long time ago and enjoyed it but will not commit to building an advanced collection anymore I was delighted to receive a product allowing me to occasionally jump into the amazing world of Magic: The Gathering for a reasonable price. The game provides a great platform for duels in many modes (1v1, 2v2, archenemy) both in single and multi player. It offers someAs someone who played MTG a long time ago and enjoyed it but will not commit to building an advanced collection anymore I was delighted to receive a product allowing me to occasionally jump into the amazing world of Magic: The Gathering for a reasonable price. The game provides a great platform for duels in many modes (1v1, 2v2, archenemy) both in single and multi player. It offers some basic campaigns and puzzle challenges and ability to play on-line using basic decks with unlockable cards. All this is served in neat and functional environment. The game has a simple aesthetic style, nice music and decent UI. I recommend this to all those who want to try what MTG is without either paying a fortune or committing a great deal of time - the most important thing about this game for me is that it gave me hours of intelligent FUN!… Expand
  5. Eisensapper
    Jan 8, 2012
    8
    I had one played MtG once before getting the game and decided to give it a try, since buying it I have logged around 102 hours on it and still love playing it. I can see were if you were a die hard fan of magic this game would be unappealing since you are chained to an archetypal deck, but I have learned to accept this and once you do it can be quite a lot of fun. There are issues with theI had one played MtG once before getting the game and decided to give it a try, since buying it I have logged around 102 hours on it and still love playing it. I can see were if you were a die hard fan of magic this game would be unappealing since you are chained to an archetypal deck, but I have learned to accept this and once you do it can be quite a lot of fun. There are issues with the multiplayer interface, a major one being connected at random to other players. I would much rather see a list of possible opponents as well as a point based system which would determine your playing level in multiplayer. Other than that small issue I think this is a great game and well work the money.… Expand
  6. F4Z3
    Feb 4, 2012
    3
    The game is quite well built and will allow any new players to learn quickly the basic rules of MTG.
    Nevertheless, I've been playing MTG for more than 10 years since 3rd Edition and i felt very frustrated by this game.
    Discovering the game and new decks was a very pleasant time. First above all, the random draw system card is absolutely awful... Full mana, mana death, worthless    The game is quite well built and will allow any new players to learn quickly the basic rules of MTG.
    Nevertheless, I've been playing MTG for more than 10 years since 3rd Edition and i felt very frustrated by this game.
    Discovering the game and new decks was a very pleasant time.
    First above all, the random draw system card is absolutely awful... Full mana, mana death, worthless mulligan...you ll experience those cases many many times.
    Second point : lot of glitches... Taking control of a creature, you ll also take control of the equipment attached to it, sacrificing a creature doesnt work if you only have a shrouded creature...lof of more.. and no update to correct those glitches.
    Third point : IA tapping your lands will also makes you lose your hair....Potentially able to cast 2 spells, you will only be able to cast 1 because IA will use all your mountains, instead of using some other lands.
    Fourth point : customizing your own is impossible.

    So, be aware... if you are a beginner only want to play for fun, game is ok. If you are a true MTG player and expecting a true MTG experience, you get nothing but frustration.    … Expand
  7. i-bs-2000
    Feb 25, 2012
    7
    I found this game to be amazing, the decks are very well put together, as well as the game-play. There have been major bugs as of lately with the new ability to play as a Planes-walker yourself, but these will be resolved soon, when I first played Magic the Gathering Duels of the Planes-walker - 2012 it was flawless in every sense. The decks are just great, an amazing game, I also playI found this game to be amazing, the decks are very well put together, as well as the game-play. There have been major bugs as of lately with the new ability to play as a Planes-walker yourself, but these will be resolved soon, when I first played Magic the Gathering Duels of the Planes-walker - 2012 it was flawless in every sense. The decks are just great, an amazing game, I also play MTG different types of tournament rules (e.g, multiple years of decks, or even decades) and LOVE this game! I hope this was helpful, as well as relatively informative, it was my first review, please let me know how it was. I suggest buying the full pack, I believe it is around 40 dollars on steam, but if you buy each expansion separately you'll spend an extra 20-30 dollars I believe, good hunting every one and enjoy playing!… Expand
  8. Cinetyk
    Jun 22, 2012
    7
    I decided to write this review after being surprised at the low user score 5.5 (as of 22-June 2012) and reading some of the negative reviews. I think one thing you have to bear in the mind, and most negative reviews don't, is that this game is targeted towards players new to magic or players who want a casual experience, even if they may be very experienced. For players completely new toI decided to write this review after being surprised at the low user score 5.5 (as of 22-June 2012) and reading some of the negative reviews. I think one thing you have to bear in the mind, and most negative reviews don't, is that this game is targeted towards players new to magic or players who want a casual experience, even if they may be very experienced. For players completely new to Magic, the tutorials may be a little lacking, but that's always the case: the best way to learn the basics of Magic is with a friend/tutor. After handling the basics, the tutorials here and the experience playing will make the rest of the learning. This game features 10 decks of various colours including some multi-colored ones. Each deck has its own "theme" and I found that the themes are well-explored, fun and comprise a good diverseness of Magic/deck styles. Each deck has additional 20 cards to unlock as you win games with it. After unlocking cards you can enter the deck manager and add/remove cards as you please within the pool of each specific deck. The game automatically adds lands for you according to the cards and colours of your deck, and you cannot control the numbers lands you have. Also, you cannot create your own original decks. You begin with a few decks and unlock new ones during the single-player campaign (against the computer) when you beat them. There's the default campaign and the "revenge" version of it, where the opponents have better cards in their deck, the same ones you can unlock, which makes it more challenging and competitive. There's also the Archenemy campaign which lends an interesting twist on the traditional Magic formula. In Archenemy you play with two AI team mates against a single opponent, the Archenemy, which has special "scheme" cards which are powerful and equalize his disadvantage. There are some single-player puzzles which, similar to chess puzzles, will make you push the boundaries of magic-thinking and improve your depth in the game. Lastly, in online multiplayer you can play 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 and Archenemy. Sometimes online there's a little lag, which may make it you will not be able to play some cards at the exact timing you want, which is a little frustrating and can break some games, especially tight ones. The AI, for the most part, does a nice job in playing Magic, but of course it isn't going as deep as a human player can. The real annoying thing that can happen is, because you don't choose which lands to tap to play spells, sometimes you have lands to play spells of different colours, but the AI will tap some of the coloured lands too much and you end up with no more lands of that colour available. So, the verdict: despite the technical issues I mentioned, Planeswalkers 2012 is a good game, especially for players in search of a good Magic experience without all the magnitude and cost of real life Magic or Magic Online. The decks have soul and interesting cards and the variety of the decks makes for a good magic experience in the vast universe the different colours and game styles provide. This makes sure no duel is the same as before and that things are interesting and fun for a long time. And for 8.99… Expand
  9. Jordan969
    Jun 23, 2011
    8
    It's tons of fun for new players as well as experienced players. The single player mode is good and the fact that you win cards after every winning game keeps you playing. There isn't a lot of customization but you get many decks to choose from. I hadn't played magic in years and I learned everything back in a couple minutes. The multiplayer is fun and can be challenging. I wish thereIt's tons of fun for new players as well as experienced players. The single player mode is good and the fact that you win cards after every winning game keeps you playing. There isn't a lot of customization but you get many decks to choose from. I hadn't played magic in years and I learned everything back in a couple minutes. The multiplayer is fun and can be challenging. I wish there would be more achievements for multiplayer and all. All things considered, for a $9,99 it's incredible. You get to play Magic anytime and anywhere you want whether it's alone or with people online. 9/10… Expand
  10. SimplePsymon
    Jun 19, 2011
    9
    D2012 is what the old duels game was always meant to be; sharper graphics, faster loading times, and the decks are well balanced for once! and not your typical rock-paper-scissors balance either, every deck has a fairly equal chance of beating any other deck, and there are ten to choose from. Each with it's own unique qualities and mechanics that really add to the 'flavour'. If you areD2012 is what the old duels game was always meant to be; sharper graphics, faster loading times, and the decks are well balanced for once! and not your typical rock-paper-scissors balance either, every deck has a fairly equal chance of beating any other deck, and there are ten to choose from. Each with it's own unique qualities and mechanics that really add to the 'flavour'. If you are uncertain do yourself a favor and try the demo - it's free - and see for yourself. 9/10… Expand
  11. Dangles
    Jun 22, 2011
    8
    This game is suitable for those new to MTG, those who suck at MTG, and those who hate trying to find physical players to play against. There isn't a huge amount of content, but the base game (no DLC currently) is a mere 10 bucks. It makes learning the game fun and progressive, which is great for beginners as I mentioned. The lack of deck customization is expected and warranted, especiallyThis game is suitable for those new to MTG, those who suck at MTG, and those who hate trying to find physical players to play against. There isn't a huge amount of content, but the base game (no DLC currently) is a mere 10 bucks. It makes learning the game fun and progressive, which is great for beginners as I mentioned. The lack of deck customization is expected and warranted, especially since there aren't that many cards in this game to begin with. If you are looking to play full scale MTG, stick with Magic Online; you will however spend just as much money buying boosters digitally as you would through physical booster packs.… Expand
  12. destiny_kid
    Jun 24, 2011
    8
    This game is far improved from the previous one. You have a little more in storyline, graphic is improved and the loading time in battle decreased make it more enjoyable.Al is tought even at easiest difficulty ( I like it). Card was designed in art style make me seem to lost in magical war.And it's always fun to duel with your friend . A little disappointment for me is that sound sytem isThis game is far improved from the previous one. You have a little more in storyline, graphic is improved and the loading time in battle decreased make it more enjoyable.Al is tought even at easiest difficulty ( I like it). Card was designed in art style make me seem to lost in magical war.And it's always fun to duel with your friend . A little disappointment for me is that sound sytem is poor sometimes make me fall asleep but it's still fun. Play it and you will love this one too.… Expand
  13. Mackdaddy37
    Jun 26, 2011
    8
    As someone who always viewed Magic: The Gathering as little less than a colorful deck of cards used in a foreign game only dreamed of by children and pasty-skinned "vampires", I was hesitant at first to pick up this game on steam. I never even considered that, hey, I might get really into it. I must say that if you're like me and you are cautiously looking over your shoulder to make sureAs someone who always viewed Magic: The Gathering as little less than a colorful deck of cards used in a foreign game only dreamed of by children and pasty-skinned "vampires", I was hesitant at first to pick up this game on steam. I never even considered that, hey, I might get really into it. I must say that if you're like me and you are cautiously looking over your shoulder to make sure no one sees your mouse cursor hovering over the "buy" button, go ahead and click it, because the game that you'll get is far more than the above description; it's a strategy that is oddly reminiscent of chess, with a hell of a lot more depth.

    This game makes a fantastic intro to the physical card game itself. Hey, you might even start building your first deck like I have!    … Expand
  14. Blehme
    Sep 14, 2011
    8
    First: Limited deck customizing, but for balance reasons this is an obviously a pro. If they gave the ability to completely customize decks from a pool of cards A: There would be major balance issues that would be nearly impossible to deal with and B: There would be 2 or 3 deck lists that are used by everyone, because most other options are pretty useless. Eliminating deck building givesFirst: Limited deck customizing, but for balance reasons this is an obviously a pro. If they gave the ability to completely customize decks from a pool of cards A: There would be major balance issues that would be nearly impossible to deal with and B: There would be 2 or 3 deck lists that are used by everyone, because most other options are pretty useless. Eliminating deck building gives bad players nothing to hide behind. Its easy to look up a posted deck list, copy it and the strategies an experienced player came up with, and then winning with that deck. It takes a lot of skill however to play 1 on 1 with a player with the same deck, and win. When the cards and decks are very closely balanced, skill is one of the main thing that's going to take the cake.

    Second: This game is really smooth I think. It seems to have a great flow, and I think they did a really great job on balancing decks. The only deck that I consider useless is the Strength of Stone deck, but all other decks are pretty balanced if you are a decent player. I hate to see people complaining about balance, when most of the time they get mopped its because they are probably fairly new to MTG, or their opponent drew a really good hand. Some of this game is luck, some of its skill.

    Third: I pre-ordered this game, and I was very disappointed with the release state of the game. There were so many clunky/buggy issues with Xbox AND PC versions. They seemed to have cleaned most of them up now, but there are still major lingering bugs that need to go away.

    Fourth: I loved the game play, and the competitiveness, but it gets old. It took me about 50 hours of game play to unlock all of the decks, as well as to get pretty bored with the online play. I have 100% achievements unlocked too. Just very little content it seems

    Overall, I really enjoyed this game and I feel its definitely worth 10$ (5$ on sale right now with steam). I wouldn't consider this more than a casual game though. I break it out at least a few times a week and play a few games, but that's about as far as it goes. But again, for 10$? You really cant beat that.

    I also believe Wizards really need to focus on pushing out decks, balancing decks with new card releases, as well as fix the remaining bugs that have been there since release. If they started coming out with a deck a month or something like that, or 1 new card for all decks each month, this would allow Wizards to control the balancing issues and keep players interested.    … Expand
  15. TheDoc
    Jun 16, 2011
    9
    I hadn't played M:TG for about 15 years so my memory was a little shaky going in. The game quickly brings you up to speed with tutorials, and then lets you play. The 10 decks it comes with are all very good and play very differently from one another. Campaign mode is good, as it lets you get a feel for each deck as you play against them. Computer can be a bit cheesy at times, to the pointI hadn't played M:TG for about 15 years so my memory was a little shaky going in. The game quickly brings you up to speed with tutorials, and then lets you play. The 10 decks it comes with are all very good and play very differently from one another. Campaign mode is good, as it lets you get a feel for each deck as you play against them. Computer can be a bit cheesy at times, to the point where it almost feels like they're not playing by the same rules you are. The best aspect of this game is definitely the multiplayer. There are 3 different game types which you can play with friends or random players. All and all, it's a very accessible way to get into (or back into) Magic: The Gathering. It really brings all the fun of the card game for a fraction of the cost, and without having go to dank comic book shops on gaming night to compete with the "regulars."… Expand
  16. The_Ommadawn
    Jun 19, 2011
    10
    I picked up Magic: The Gathering having never played a fantasy card game before. I'd read reviews on this site and could tell that people who have a background in these areas were disappointed with this release. With no frame of reference I had no idea what deck swapping was etc and I thought I'd give it a go regardless. To be honest, I'm getting bored with the usual racing, RPG, fps, mmoI picked up Magic: The Gathering having never played a fantasy card game before. I'd read reviews on this site and could tell that people who have a background in these areas were disappointed with this release. With no frame of reference I had no idea what deck swapping was etc and I thought I'd give it a go regardless. To be honest, I'm getting bored with the usual racing, RPG, fps, mmo games that flood the market and this looked to be something new. As a novice, the game is daunting. I didn't find the tutorials deep enough and I was left with many unanswered questions. After playing for a few hours and the basics under my belt I began to defeat my opponents. There is a surprising amount of strategy and tactics within this game and I can see why there are books and forums flooded with tips. I'm still a long way off from going online and going head to head with a pro, but I'm really enjoying this game. The interface is very easy to understand and I love the subtle soundtrack. I can see myself playing Magic: The Gathering for months to come and highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try something that doesn't require W, A, S or D.… Expand
  17. pro7otype
    Jun 22, 2011
    7
    The core game, of course, is excellent and a classic. However, as pretty as the 3D table is, the user interface is just a pain, rather than a pleasure, as it was for me in Legends of Norrath.
  18. femmefatal
    Jun 25, 2011
    10
    Excellent $10 demo with more goodies than you can shake a stick at. Yes I said Demo because it feels like there's more that should be here "Like a Custom Deck Builder" that everybody and his mothers brothers sisters uncle is screaming for. But, at any rate you get some fine fun for $10. I've had it a week now and unlocked 98% of the cards (without cheating and buying them I might add).Excellent $10 demo with more goodies than you can shake a stick at. Yes I said Demo because it feels like there's more that should be here "Like a Custom Deck Builder" that everybody and his mothers brothers sisters uncle is screaming for. But, at any rate you get some fine fun for $10. I've had it a week now and unlocked 98% of the cards (without cheating and buying them I might add). There's lots of balance here and no real one deck that is all powerful and can't be beat. Though in this version it does feel like there is a lot of SCRIPTED AI games. Especially that Archenemy one and just the general feel of things when every single game the AI gets the same cards over n over and of course especially the ones that can screw you over good. My favorite deck is turning into the Elves deck as there's some cards in there I think many overlook like the +1/0 for EACH ELF creature on the table. I've won countless games using this card when I have the table full of elves in the teens to 20's because of a couple of other cards like "for every elf on the table put out a 1/1 elf card. Then the elf cards that just tap and you get a 1/1 elf card and then all the elf cards in general. They have a */* TRAMPLE card (four of them in the deck) based on # of elves on the table that can turn into 20/20's in no time flat, if only there were a way to put wings on them. ;) They have this one archer card that is also */* based on # of elves on table that can just tap itself and attack any flyer on the opponents side. Doesn't ever have to enter combat and can destroy pretty much a card per turn. No other deck has this kind of power imho. You can have your 11/11 and 10/10 junk cards that cost a fortune these elves are serious.
    Of course there's some bug issues and lockups like everytime you press on Leaderboard it crashes to decktop, sometimes during battles the game appears to freeze up. But, if you're willing to sit there for FIVE minutes it will unfreeze. Strange happenings during battles with the cards not doing what they say or cards just disappearing intot he graveyard for no reason.
    Be prepared though as I said for LOTS of SCRIPTED games against the AI. That Archenemy game is so frustrating I would have kicked my cat if I had one. ;)    … Expand
  19. SarahAnn
    Jul 14, 2011
    5
    I love Magic: The Gathering. I probably spent over $1000 in the first month MTG:O was online. My physical card collection count is probably in the millions. I knew what to expect from Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 because I had already played the original. Thats why I can't really bash it for what it is.

    However, when the developers come out and say they are going to fix the deck    I love Magic: The Gathering. I probably spent over $1000 in the first month MTG:O was online. My physical card collection count is probably in the millions. I knew what to expect from Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 because I had already played the original. Thats why I can't really bash it for what it is.

    However, when the developers come out and say they are going to fix the deck building aspects of the game, I expect them to actually do so. Instead we are presented with the same deck modifying that we saw before, only with the ability to remove unwanted cards. The decks are pretty standard stuff and it pains me when I think about the kinds of decks I could put together if they allowed. Even if the pool was limited to cards you've unlocked in other decks, it would still be better than this.

    The main change in this edition is the archenemy battle which pits you and two allies versus a boss. I don't like it. It feels like another game being played with MTG cards. For $10 I expected to get more.    … Expand
  20. Pablo92jedi
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    It's perfect for all who don't want spend a lot of money for cards!
    It's not correct tell: "you can't do your deck", because this is a game that want to teach you how do a deck and what deck you shall to buy in the real life!

    With adds, this games give you 100 hours of fun!
  21. charleswagner22
    Aug 28, 2011
    10
    Gmae is lots of fun. Just to name a couple of things i love about this game is that I can play alongside my friends instead of just fighting them. Also I like how I don't have to buy real cards or anything because it is so much more of a hassle IRL.
  22. Wickednin
    Nov 11, 2011
    1
    I have been playing MtG from day one and never stopped. I am not gods gift to MtG, but I know my way around it very well. Here are just some of the absolutely unforgivable truths about this game.

    1: Can't pick the mana to spend. AI does that for you and sucks at it. Are you kidding me? That's half of Magic. Knowing when to save those two blue over the black or the one white over the    I have been playing MtG from day one and never stopped. I am not gods gift to MtG, but I know my way around it very well. Here are just some of the absolutely unforgivable truths about this game.

    1: Can't pick the mana to spend. AI does that for you and sucks at it. Are you kidding me? That's half of Magic. Knowing when to save those two blue over the black or the one white over the extra green.... moving on.

    2: Can't cast an instant after blocking is assigned but before damage is done. At critical times the game just breezes on as if you could do nothing.

    3: Game crashes in multiplayer. Well done.

    4. Can not decide how much land you want in a deck. AI does this for you. That's a very big part of deck building and ....never mind...

    5. Will, at times, decide you can't block with anything and just skip your block. Usually involving creatures with trample it seems.

    There is more, but this stuff here should stop you from buying this if you don't just want to fart around with a shell of the Magic: the Gathering. If that's all you want, then perhaps it's worth a look. Even then, I don't know, smash your head into your desk. It's less frustrating and you know what you will get at least.    … Expand
  23. EwOkSeXsLaVe
    Aug 25, 2011
    1
    WELL..... where to start.... not much to say about this steaming pile of monkeysh!t... MAIN REASONS THIS IS UNPLAYABLE... The 'Chandra' Red deck: Unquenchable Fire and the 'Kiora' Blue/Green deck, they are insanely overpowered and everyone picks them. The decks play themselves, you really just play all the cards in your hand and easily beat anyone facing you who isn't playing the sameWELL..... where to start.... not much to say about this steaming pile of monkeysh!t... MAIN REASONS THIS IS UNPLAYABLE... The 'Chandra' Red deck: Unquenchable Fire and the 'Kiora' Blue/Green deck, they are insanely overpowered and everyone picks them. The decks play themselves, you really just play all the cards in your hand and easily beat anyone facing you who isn't playing the same deck. This game also causes (occasionally) weird video glitches that create waves and tearing and make it so I have to restart my computer... this is the only game that does that. lol Archenemy games it happens more often. This whole thing was an obvious cash-grab, seriously, slapped together right away with 0 consideration. NO balance to the game. NO costumization, which is what makes the game, THE GAME that it is. The other decks can be ok, but they are linear or have weak combinations that rely on a specific card to operate tactically. And with what I said about the other 2 decks, you will almost always lose no matter who's playing any of those 2 decks against you playing any other deck. My cousin and I got 2 of these through STEAM for 20 bones and we want our money back... lol. For the reasons I mentioned, it's just practically unpalyable. THere is no text chat either... although it alludes to it, and it is hard trying to find a game in multiplay. ALSO... I have had hacked games, where people can stall the game and then drop you and your partner. Too many reasons this just isn't worth the cash. Even if they release an expansion to this.... do not buy it, the base-part of this whole thing is broken really, no expansion or adding of other decks is going to save it or make it fair or playable.… Expand
  24. Ginjarou
    Jan 6, 2012
    8
    I can't decide whether I truly love Duels of the Planeswalkers or hate it for what I believe it could be. I love it because I love MTG and trading card games and MTG was my first collectible card game that used to consume all my pocket money when I was a youngster. No matter how much I liked that original card game I just couldn't continue it as I couldn't afford it but now this game hasI can't decide whether I truly love Duels of the Planeswalkers or hate it for what I believe it could be. I love it because I love MTG and trading card games and MTG was my first collectible card game that used to consume all my pocket money when I was a youngster. No matter how much I liked that original card game I just couldn't continue it as I couldn't afford it but now this game has come along with at a much more sensible price though of course lacking much of the fundamental assets that made me love the original card game such as trading and customising / building my own deck. Though through its sleek interface and lovely illustrations (which is something Magic: Online seriously needs to improve upon) I can't help but feel it's that original money snatcher from Wizards of the Coast come back to haunt me from my childhood only this time using Duels of the Planeswalkers to tempt me as to how great MTG is and what I'm missing back in the expensive card / virtual card version. Though tempting as it may be to return, Duels of the Planeswalkers is so fun and so nicely designed it has also encouraged me to stick with this much cheaper version. Despite there being a large number of bugs that can be so frustrating at times it ends games before they get going Duels of the Planeswalkers is a great game for MTG enthusiasts and novices alike.… Expand
  25. Billick
    Mar 29, 2012
    6
    It's a good game for folks looking for an introduction to MTG or players like myself looking for a quick Magic fix without buying a lot of new cards. You can't really do any real deck building with this game, only tweaking the pre-constructed decks given. The controls can be a bit confusing, and you may miss a chance to perform an action if you're not careful.
  26. r00t61
    Jun 22, 2011
    4
    I've played MTG since about 1994. It's the grandfather of all modern CCGs and major respect goes to WotC for keeping it fresh year after year.

    This game deserves little of that respect, however. The game gives you ten pre-constructed decks to use, and allows you to unlock new cards by playing through the (rather thin) campaign. This sounds all well and good, and is an improvement    I've played MTG since about 1994. It's the grandfather of all modern CCGs and major respect goes to WotC for keeping it fresh year after year.

    This game deserves little of that respect, however.

    The game gives you ten pre-constructed decks to use, and allows you to unlock new cards by playing through the (rather thin) campaign. This sounds all well and good, and is an improvement over the original DotP, in which no customization was allowed at all. But it still doesn't even come close to approaching the customizability that forms a core component of the "full" real Magic game. For example, you can't control how many lands you want your deck to run. The computer "automagically" allocates for you, based on an algorithm that I haven't completely figured out. You can remove base cards and add unlocked cards, but even these are limited to certain pre-set quantities. In "real" Magic you can pick and choose as you please, limited only by the rules of the format (e.g., Type II, Classic, etc). The reasons for these limitations are obvious; WotC doesn't want to reduce the profits of its fully customizable online Magic game, which accounts for 30-50% of all WotC revenue.

    This lack of customizability is compounded by the fact that nine out of the ten decks are the same type: big creature beatdown. Even the "multi-colored" decks predominantly favor one color over all others. Other traditional Magic deck styles, like land destruction, discard, lockdown, control, are all absent. The one deck that's different is the mono-red direct damage deck (Unquenchable Fire) - but most annoying is that the other mono-red big creature deck in the game (Strength of Stone) includes a bunch of direct damage cards that Unquenchable Fire is not allowed to use (e.g., Fault Line, Spitting Earth, Spire Barrage), and Unquenchable Fire still includes a bunch of creatures (Fire Elemental, Flameblast Dragon, Cinder Wall) - another example of the lack of customizability. Another annoyance is computer auto-tapping of lands - you have no control over how your lands are tapped for mana. This can become especially problematic when you play a multi-colored deck. The computer seemingly makes random decisions about how to tap your lands, which can often leave you without the proper mana - for example, blue players that like to Counterspell might not have enough blue because the computer happened to tap all those lands first. DotP 2012 includes a few other play modes for variety - Archenemy and Two-Headed Giant - which can be fun. Archenemy, though, is wildly volatile, completely dependent upon what Scheme the Archenemy draws, and often leads to bad beats (to borrow a term from Texas Hold'em Poker). You'll often be holding the equivalent of 3 Aces, only to be beaten by an inside straight draw on the river. Your computer mates also aren't very smart, generally not working with you and sometimes even working against you. The concept of team is alien to them. Archenemy depends almost entirely on luck, with little skill or strategy involved.

    Computer difficulty has three levels, though in my experience the computer doesn't actually get any "smarter." Rather, the computer seemingly gets his hand stacked for him. For example, I've played many games where I can't get enough land, running mono-color decks, even with the computer-allocated land levels running 40-50%. Whereas I have NEVER seen the computer not able to play at least one land a turn, every single turn, even 10-15 turns deep into a duel. Mathematically, this is highly improbable, to say the least. The worst, though, is the final "boss" battle against Karn. He runs a deck that you cannot unlock, even after you defeat him. What's even more galling is that Karn's deck doesn't seem to conform to even Vintage deck construction rules (the most powerful and expensive deck format). In one of my duels, Karn dropped two Mox Sapphires on me in the same turn (Mox Sapphires are restricted to one per deck in Vintage), and then used two Tinkers to drop two Darksteel Colossuses on me (Tinkers are also restricted in Vintage). Needless to say I died on the next turn. Is it a bug, or a feature?

    There are some nice things to say too; the interface is smooth and fluid; the computer keeps track of all the counters (this is especially handy - counters are one of the most annoying aspects of card-based tabletop Magic) and permanent effects; the graphics are razor sharp on my system (Core i7 2600K, Geforce GTX 570, 2560x1600, 16x CSAA). For someone who's never played Magic before, and for the reasonable cost of $10, I can see how DotP could be fun. But for anyone who's actually played and enjoyed card-based table-top Magic, I'd stay away - you'll quickly become annoyed at all the limitations in this crippled electronic version of the game.    … Expand
  27. ten100
    Sep 22, 2011
    1
    Anyone who gives this game a positive review no doubt only played it for couple of hour. The game is easy to pick up; graphic is good, presentation is excellent; however, that's it. initially, as you play the game, you might go "WOW", then you'll go "WTF" and disappointment sets in. The game has no depth: there's no story; you'll compete the "story-line" mode within couple of hours. AfterAnyone who gives this game a positive review no doubt only played it for couple of hour. The game is easy to pick up; graphic is good, presentation is excellent; however, that's it. initially, as you play the game, you might go "WOW", then you'll go "WTF" and disappointment sets in. The game has no depth: there's no story; you'll compete the "story-line" mode within couple of hours. After that, you can pretty much uninstall it. There's no deck customization to enjoy, and I can only imagine playing other MTG fanatics with 10 per-constructed decks.
    The "Archenemy" mode has potential; however, one can't help but feel frustrated when you get hammered by godly cards effects. To make the experience even more gut-wrenching, you'll taking on a supremely superior opponent with a deck you have no attachment with and probably detest by the time you get around to this "challenge" mode. Listen, if MTG 2012 allows fully customization, I would feel eager and excited to test my creativity, strategy, and intelligence against superior opponent.
    I think Wizard is almost there, but until they allow fully customization or put more effort into the storyline, Duels of the Plan-walkers series is garbage. Just rent the garbage if you really want to smell it, but I would strongly suggest staying as far away from it as possible.    … Expand
  28. MrCofeisDed
    Jun 21, 2011
    2
    As a member of the so-called 'Y generation' and a veritable authority on nerd culture, I have had quite a few experiences playing the wonder that is Magic the Gathering. Be warned: if you enjoy MtG in all its splendor then under no circumstances should you play this game! There are several reasons for this which I shall now list. Firstly and foremost, there is no true deck customization.As a member of the so-called 'Y generation' and a veritable authority on nerd culture, I have had quite a few experiences playing the wonder that is Magic the Gathering. Be warned: if you enjoy MtG in all its splendor then under no circumstances should you play this game! There are several reasons for this which I shall now list. Firstly and foremost, there is no true deck customization. Instead, what you get are a number of un-lockable cards which you may add to your deck. Deck customization, as anyone who has played MtG knows, is one of the most appealing aspects of the game. I can only assume that this feature was not included in order that this failed excuse of a game would not interfere with Wizard's profits from Magic online. Secondly, it seems that the difficulty is raised as the campaign professes by stacking the AI's deck and nerfing your own. Quite unsportsmanly. Third; you do not get the final boss' deck when you defeat him. And what a sweet deck it is. I suppose that was purportedly for balance purposes. Lame. Fifth; the AI occasionally makes stupid mistakes. Last, but certainly not least, the multiplayer interface when playing either 'two-headed giant' or 'archnemesis' is as poorly designed as it gets. Is it really too much to ask that every player's hand appears in the middle of the screen? I'm not a programmer, but surely that shouldn't be too difficult to do, or think of. In sum, Wizards should be embarrassed to have their company name on this product and the only reason I'm giving it a 2 is because it's only 10 bucks and it was a trip down nostalgia lane, however brief the trip may have been before I wanted to gouge my eyes out.… Expand
  29. Jedimindtrick
    Jun 17, 2011
    5
    D12 promises to be the previous Duels of the Planeswalkers, and more. It isn't. The graphics and especially the interface has recieved a much needed overhaul, and the Archenemy game mode is there to replace the old and buggy Two-headed Giant mode. This works well, and is aestethically pleasing. The sound and music is even more unimposing as in the original DotP, but seeing as it's a cardD12 promises to be the previous Duels of the Planeswalkers, and more. It isn't. The graphics and especially the interface has recieved a much needed overhaul, and the Archenemy game mode is there to replace the old and buggy Two-headed Giant mode. This works well, and is aestethically pleasing. The sound and music is even more unimposing as in the original DotP, but seeing as it's a card game that shouldn't weigh much - all fine and dandy.

    The problem is that the things that really weighed down the original DotP have not been improved upon. There is still a vast difference in tier between many of the decks, to the point where the player with the cheaper deck needs to be intimate with his opponent's deck in order to stand a chance. In addition to that annoyance, many decks in D12 lack depth. They simply do not carry enough intelligence, versatility or utility to balance each other out.

    To meet the fans (who demanded full deck building) half way, D12 has the function of removing cards from the deck and replacing them with other, hopefully better cards. In what I can only suppose is to be incentive to keep playing, this means that most of the decks have filler cards and/or too many expensive cards in them, supposedly meant to be replaced. The fact that this doesn't feel like a clear upgrade from DotP says alot.
    Even with everything in a deck unlocked - called the sideboard - the decks have few and obvious combos and even "bombs"; heavy hitting spells that can make or break a duel. This means that the battles are exceedingly long, even if you don't play multicolored decks.

    Lastly, the size of the game is what completely put me off. There are as few or fewer opponents in the original DotP, puzzles - fewer still that aren't actually poorly cloaked tutorials - as well as decks. To not have DotP bugfixed because Stainless were in such a bleeding hurry to release a game that's slightly prettier, but smaller and arguably dumber perhaps until they churn out expansions for this version as well is disappointing.

    All in all D12 is mediocre. The only way I'm going to get my money's worth with this game is with mods, unless the expansion packs happen to be huge.    … Expand
  30. dplehwalder
    Aug 3, 2011
    1
    Such a disappointment. First off they say you can customizes decks, that a lie! What you can do is slightly modify the pre-build decks. You CANNOT build custom decks in this game. Even the cards you unlock are only usable in the deck they belong too. The most important part of MTG is the deck building, and you wont find that in this game.
  31. Ekras
    Sep 11, 2011
    2
    After reading all the critical aclaim this game got, and trying the Demo I went in expecting something a lot more than what I got. The DLC (which came with the edition I purchased) simply unlocks the stuff that you can already get in-game, or unlocks additional artwork. The game itself limits you to pre-created decks and you can't even move cards from one deck to another (which it looksAfter reading all the critical aclaim this game got, and trying the Demo I went in expecting something a lot more than what I got. The DLC (which came with the edition I purchased) simply unlocks the stuff that you can already get in-game, or unlocks additional artwork. The game itself limits you to pre-created decks and you can't even move cards from one deck to another (which it looks like you can in the Demo, but is actually just removing and/or re-adding cards to the same deck). There are no new cards to earn in multiplayer, you can't ante for cards and can't trade for cards with other players. As a long-ago magic fan, I was incredibly disapointed and feel ripped off considering what the Demo showed you could do that you couldn't. I'm only giving the game a 2, because it was fun for the first 15 minutes.… Expand
  32. AndreaGriffin
    Dec 3, 2011
    3
    As a long time player of Magic: The Gathering (I have been playing since the Revised edition), I have had a lot of experience with the game itself. I hoped that it would have been given a nice translation into software - unfortunately, this was not the case.

    Those unfamiliar with M:tG will find that the introductory materials, reminders, and hints sprinkled throughout the game will teach    As a long time player of Magic: The Gathering (I have been playing since the Revised edition), I have had a lot of experience with the game itself. I hoped that it would have been given a nice translation into software - unfortunately, this was not the case.

    Those unfamiliar with M:tG will find that the introductory materials, reminders, and hints sprinkled throughout the game will teach the basics in easy-to-learn steps. It shouldn't overwhelm the average player.

    Visually, the game is nice though occasionally excessive with the cards flying around.

    You are provided with different decks of cards as you progress through the game, each with a theme, and you can unlock additional cards for each deck. The decks all play very differently and have a unique character.

    Aside from matches, there are also challenges which require creativity and a deep knowledge of the rules to complete. Not only are they intereting but they can teach a player new ways of thinking about a specific card or mechanic.

    This is, however, the end of the good news. The rest is pretty terrible. Where to start?

    The user interface is a disaster. This software should be used as an example of how NOT to design a UI. Example issues:

    * The main menu is a horizontal scrolling list; you can only advance one option at a time. Quitting the game, for example, takes 7 clicks (5 to get to the option, 1 to select it, 1 more to confirm).

    * Enchantments and Equipment attached to a card are nigh impossible to select and view individually.

    * Buttons are sometimes unresponsive - especially in multiplayer - which means you will miss windows of opportunity because of the short timers.

    * ArchEnemy games place character portraits badly, covering up crucial areas of the playing field. You will not be able to see, much less select, certain grave yards for example.

    * The playing field is "viewed" at a large distance - meaning that the cards themselves end up being very, very small. The player will waste a large amount of time zooming in and out between cards to see what each is.

    * When being asked to make a decision with a dialog window, you are unable to view the current game state. This can make it very difficult to make good decisions.

    * The Deck Customization screen is a disaster. You can only see a few cards from the deck at once, making it impossible to see the deck at a glance or easily find a specific card to remove or add.

    This is just scratching the surface. To whomever designed this atrocity: Shame on you. You should feel bad.

    Speaking of deck customization, it is very limited. You can NOT create your own deck from scratch. While this does enforce the flavor of the stock decks, it really cuts down on what makes MtG fun and personal. You can only add and remove cards from the pre-made decks.

    As far as decks go, some are far more powerful than others. They are simply not balanced very well. Additionally, they are designed to produce extremely quick ending games. Many games are over by turn five or six. While this may be a turn-on for hardcore tournament types, it is a terrible experience for the casual player.

    Because the decks are so very munchkin in their builds, winning and losing has far less to do with your deck customization skills or strategy and a lot more to do with simple luck. Any game that depends so much on luck ends up being very frustrating.

    The game uses timers. Lots of timers. And if you don't complete an action within a timer's period (1.5 seconds), then you're out of luck. This becomes absolutely infuriating when the UI itself is unresponsive and, especially, during multiplayer games. A player with a not-so-good connection will find that he may not see the timers at all, or have such a small window that he simply won't have a chance to pause the action.

    Some of the text is confusing. For example, a window may appear asking you to select a certain number of targets for a spell's effect. This window will have a Continue button. Clicking Continue does not mean, "Continue to select your targets." It means, "I am done selecting targets."

    Forget about tapping your own land. This is done for you. Expect to be in situations where you will want to cast card X, then card Y, but be unable to cast card Y because the auto-selection of land screwed you.

    Multiplayer is very strange. Aside from the aforementioned timer issues, players will sometimes find themselves playing cards they never selected, unable to participate in combats, and even having a complete desync with the host to the point where the host and client will see two separate games.

    A two-headed giant game with 2 players and 2 AI opponents will use approximately 15Kb/s in bandwidth. This is a very, very large amount for a game that needs to send little more than send events and card IDs around.

    Summary: If you enjoy an exercise in frustration and rage, or are a die-hard MtG fan, by all means buy this game. Otherwise, run - don't walk - as far as you can.    … Expand
  33. DantheMan
    Jan 4, 2012
    3
    As someone who has never played Magic: The Gathering in any form before I found this game a major disappointment. I wasn't expecting much but I was expecting more than this dull and boring game. While the single player campaign pretends to have some lore/story it is randomly throws it at you and I could never make any sense of it. It is basically one card game after another whose soleAs someone who has never played Magic: The Gathering in any form before I found this game a major disappointment. I wasn't expecting much but I was expecting more than this dull and boring game. While the single player campaign pretends to have some lore/story it is randomly throws it at you and I could never make any sense of it. It is basically one card game after another whose sole purpose is to unlock more card and/or decks. While it's true that every deck plays differently they most certainly do not play evenly. Some decks you will find are impossible to win with while other decks you can just steamroll opponent after opponent. Neither solution offers anything more than fleeting entertainment value. The card play itself is highly random; there's nothing like drawing six landscape cards in a row or no landscapes and six creature cards. Despite all the decks and cards the game is simply a glorified coin flip. Additionally, the game control options are minimal. You can't turn off the annoying sounds. You can't speed up the game automatically but have to continuously click the continue button. The multilayer mode does offer some enhanced value but I didn't find it so compelling as to make up for the obvious deficiencies of this game. I bought this game after playing the somewhat similar Runespell:Overture and despite that game being an small indie title it was more fun than Magic. Magic isn't a total waste; it is one step above solitaire or mahjong. So now I am something new to put me to sleep at night.… Expand
  34. twentyfumble
    Feb 14, 2012
    3
    This game is a joke, get the old Magic: the gathering from Microprose that was released some 15 years ago, it's way better than this game in every aspect. I am not sure how can you manage to do a Magic game wrong, but they did.
  35. Bizzenya
    Jan 25, 2012
    5
    This game is horrible. The game mechanics are hard to utilize (especially in multiplayer and the incredibly short timer that often prevents players from responding due to horrible de-syncing), it is glitchy and is especially laggy in multiplayer and the interface suffers greatly from being a shoddy 360 port. In spite of all this, there is fun to be had in the game. Unlocking new cards forThis game is horrible. The game mechanics are hard to utilize (especially in multiplayer and the incredibly short timer that often prevents players from responding due to horrible de-syncing), it is glitchy and is especially laggy in multiplayer and the interface suffers greatly from being a shoddy 360 port. In spite of all this, there is fun to be had in the game. Unlocking new cards for the decks is surprisingly fun and playing with friends is fairly enjoyable when it isn't frustrating you into cursing up a storm, which it does with shocking regularity. The decks are pretty balanced, save one in particular which is so much better than all the other decks that it is laughable.

    The inability to truly customize your decks (even with the limited card set in the game) is disappointing. There are mods that add this feature, but you can't use them online with your friends and largely kills the fun of using them. Long story short: The game is deeply flawed, but it can be pretty fun. I don't think the developers deserve to be rewarded for putting out such a mediocre product, but you may feel otherwise.    … Expand
  36. gamemaker13
    Jun 26, 2011
    3
    I was extremely disappointed by the quality of this game. I have played two other MTG games in the past and both of them were much better than Duels of the Planeswalker 2012. The Menu is horrible, the UI is problematic especially during game play and the graphics are not very appealing. This is not a good representation of MTG.
  37. ichibancho
    Jun 27, 2011
    1
    The game seems fine at first, while it is new. After a little experience however it is clear that the UI is clunky, hard to use, and sometimes completely bugged. The shuffle algorithm is sub par, and the enemy AI isn't very good. In fact, i think the game attempts to compensate for poor AI by giving it perfect topdecks (it always draws the cards it needs). Furthermore, with more thanThe game seems fine at first, while it is new. After a little experience however it is clear that the UI is clunky, hard to use, and sometimes completely bugged. The shuffle algorithm is sub par, and the enemy AI isn't very good. In fact, i think the game attempts to compensate for poor AI by giving it perfect topdecks (it always draws the cards it needs). Furthermore, with more than say...10ish creatures on the board the game noticeably slows down, and sometimes freezes. But, if you have a powerful enough system to prevent this slowing, you still won't be able to do anything because the screen will become to0 crowded to manipulate what you want to anyways.… Expand
  38. tetris556
    Oct 20, 2011
    1
    This game is absolutely nothing like the card game. First of all, there is no deck building. You unlock starter decks and slowly unlock better cards for those. The enemies in the campaign apparently get even the locked cards, so unless you only use one deck throughout the game you will consistently lose. One of my biggest peevs however, was that grand story you see in the opening scene, isThis game is absolutely nothing like the card game. First of all, there is no deck building. You unlock starter decks and slowly unlock better cards for those. The enemies in the campaign apparently get even the locked cards, so unless you only use one deck throughout the game you will consistently lose. One of my biggest peevs however, was that grand story you see in the opening scene, is not the plot of the campaign. There is no plot to the campaign. All it is is a series of unconnected battles. They could've done alot better with this game without that much effort, but this is just lazy.… Expand
  39. LevelsAndGear
    Sep 19, 2011
    6
    Magic: The Gathering â
  40. always-changry
    Sep 3, 2011
    3
    Do not waste your money on this game. There is no real deck customization like it claims. All you do is add or remove cards, no real changes to deck. Can't even build a deck, I hate using pre-made decks. It would be fine if some decks were not overpowered, especially when they're wielded by the computer, while others are just weak and poor. Relies too heavily on the luck of the draw, whichDo not waste your money on this game. There is no real deck customization like it claims. All you do is add or remove cards, no real changes to deck. Can't even build a deck, I hate using pre-made decks. It would be fine if some decks were not overpowered, especially when they're wielded by the computer, while others are just weak and poor. Relies too heavily on the luck of the draw, which rarely comes in general. Some of the combination decks work well with the computer, but you rarely have the same luck.

    Whenever playing the computer, majority of the time, their starting hands tend to be stacked and extremely successful at drawing cards needed at the right moment. Such as the computer playing a spell that summoned six 1/1 elves and having three elven creatures that +1/1 for every elf on the board, thus the computer had three 16/16 creatures at the ready. Then you often either draw too many creatures with little land, or the other way around. Seriously, one game, I played only two creatures, which were both destroyed by spells, and al the computer needed to defeat me was whittle down my life points with two 1/1 creatures and a 2/2 creature. And I've had several games similar to this.

    The lack of choosing which land to tap is ridiculous and hinders gameplay. Whenever you're using decks with two colors, when casting a spell or playing a creature, the game loves to auto-pick land that is needed for your second play. Instead of picking 3 mountains so I can play a black a spell, it decides to tap my swamps. It can really hinder gameplay and ruin "strategy" required to play this game.

    It looks better than previous iterations, but that's the only good part about this game. Such a disappointment and will probably never purchase another game.    … Expand
  41. joxgeraldo
    Aug 4, 2011
    0
    Este jogo parece ter sido feito as pressas. Em primeiro lugar a questão jogabilidade no modo single player que é extremamente insossa. No anterior, por exemplo, você passava horas jogando para destravar todos as cartas e baralhos. Era um desafio. Neste novo jogo não, em uma hora você já venceu tudo! OutroEste jogo parece ter sido feito as pressas. Em primeiro lugar a questão jogabilidade no modo single player que é extremamente insossa. No anterior, por exemplo, você passava horas jogando para destravar todos as cartas e baralhos. Era um desafio. Neste novo jogo não, em uma hora você já venceu tudo! Outro ponto que ficou a desejar são as decks desporporcionais e, logo, pouco competitivas. O baralho da Chandra, por exemplo, é péssimo, enquanto outros como o do Jace é excelente, sem contar o número limitado de cartas desta versão, algumas retiradas do jogo antecessor. Não que isso seja ruim, mas, veja bem, ficou muito repetitivo. Mas agora o que mais me decepcionou foi o multiplayer. Nada funciona por lá (versão para PC), as manetes não são reconhecidas, enfim, um caos.
    Nem valeu a pena a espera. Estou decepcionado..    … Expand
  42. Parvarteshwar
    Aug 30, 2011
    3
    Okay, if you are a fan of Magic: The Gathering card game but all your friends have moved away or refuse to leave their houses then this is a good game. It takes everything from the card version and packs it into an easy to understand interface and the online version it lets you play against a huge pool of good players from all over the world that you wont find hanging around your localOkay, if you are a fan of Magic: The Gathering card game but all your friends have moved away or refuse to leave their houses then this is a good game. It takes everything from the card version and packs it into an easy to understand interface and the online version it lets you play against a huge pool of good players from all over the world that you wont find hanging around your local Games Workshop. It is true to the card version in terms of rules and also has some pretty decent graphics which makes it seem almost real. However, the card version is all about people who don't have the best social skills getting together with other people who have never had a girl-friend and finding the human race isn't all that mysterious. And all the while enjoying some good old-fashioned fantasy game time that doesn't involve the arguing over the rules and the expense that you have with D&D or Warhammer 40k. Its about making friends and having a good time. You lose all of that with the video game and while the gameplay is there it just feels hollow. I suppose if you want to win the MTG World Cup and you need to practice with someone other than your friends then this game is for you but if you want a fantasy experience that doesn't involve socializing I would look elsewhere...… Expand
  43. bobreviews
    Sep 2, 2011
    0
    WoTC refuse to release the game everyone wants. They should, because Cardforge and Magarena are going to force their hands. Duels 2012 is the **** cutdown version of M:TG that might amuse you for a few minutes if you can get past the clunky interface and slow pacing. The free games I mentioned earlier provide a faster experience with more cards and actual deck building. You know, what theWoTC refuse to release the game everyone wants. They should, because Cardforge and Magarena are going to force their hands. Duels 2012 is the **** cutdown version of M:TG that might amuse you for a few minutes if you can get past the clunky interface and slow pacing. The free games I mentioned earlier provide a faster experience with more cards and actual deck building. You know, what the game is *about*.

    What WoTC are trying to avoid is to eat into their Magic Online and card selling racketeering. So they provide you with horribly expensive, or horribly limited experiences. Avoid it, and don't reward them.    … Expand
  44. Vanity
    Jun 17, 2011
    5
    DotP 2012 was meant to be an improvement over it's predecessor; the ability to customize your decks, a new campaign, new cards and new multiplayer modes for online play. While these features are indeed all present I wouldn't so much call 2012 a step forward from DotP so much as a step to the side. You do have the ability to customize your deck, to a degree. You can remove any card youDotP 2012 was meant to be an improvement over it's predecessor; the ability to customize your decks, a new campaign, new cards and new multiplayer modes for online play. While these features are indeed all present I wouldn't so much call 2012 a step forward from DotP so much as a step to the side. You do have the ability to customize your deck, to a degree. You can remove any card you want (provided you don't drop below the 60 card limit) and drop in a different card from your sideboard, however that's as far as customization goes. There's no way to build your own deck from scratch, you can only use what is offered up and while this is a better system than the original's it feels more a compromise than a feature.

    The new campaign modes, I will admit are much better than the original DotP's. With more modes and depth than the constant slog against the same opponents using the same cards that was the original's single player campaign. Still, this isn't what's meant to make up the core of the game and while nice at times when you just want to play a quick game, it's not what you paid your $10 for.

    The game's decks; this is the part where the game falls short. While there are 10 different decks available for use in the game you'll find yourself favoring maybe 2-3 of them and shunning the rest. The problem is that they all feel and play relatively the same. In the end every game just boils down to "play creature, kill opponent's creature, attack with your creature," and the decks with creative and different ways to accomplish this goal are just more enjoyable to play. Some decks in the game are also just too weak to enjoy, they feel halfhearted with no idea what type of deck they're trying to be and you don't feel you're in control of your choices. I don't know about other people but the decks, customization and choices were always what made Magic fun for me.

    The game's multiplayer modes are by far it's most redeeming feature but when you think about it, that's the purpose of the game. There are 3 modes to choose from; Standard free-for-all, in which you can pit 2-4 players against each other, two-headed giant where two teams of two players sharing life totals go head to head and finally Archenemy, 3 players against a super powered AI. These modes are all fun, though the lack of deck variety and in some cases power as well as the lack of customization for matches and inability to play Archenemy against a super powered human opponent do degrade from it somewhat. Several bugs with multiplayer, such as the inability to use text chat, buggy match joining that causes you to have to restart and the leaderboard flat out crashing the game are problems but will hopefully be fixed and aren't major detriments to the experience.

    In the end, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 isn't a bad Magic: The Gathering game but it feels more like an attempt to make as few improvements to the original as possible and still get you to pay for it. Coming from the original DotP, with all it's deck variance and then being limited down to just a handful of really useable decks is a huge let down. People might say "Well, just wait for DLC," or "It's more balanced than the original" and they're probably right. But in the end this is supposed to be an update to the original and that should mean updating the fun and variety of the game. Beyond a few multiplayer modes that just doesn't happen, leaving it feeling more like a reason to get you to buy the new DLC that will come along than a new game or sequel.    … Expand
  45. MightyDrunken
    Nov 19, 2011
    0
    I was an avid Magic player in the past and Steam tempted me to buy the game, I was pretty excited as pleasing me with Magic is easy. This game failed that easy task something that the MicroProse easily achieved in 1997 with the PC game Magic: The Gathering.

    So how did the game fail to achieve this? The game UI is created to look nice as you scroll through the options. Yet as a UI it fails    I was an avid Magic player in the past and Steam tempted me to buy the game, I was pretty excited as pleasing me with Magic is easy. This game failed that easy task something that the MicroProse easily achieved in 1997 with the PC game Magic: The Gathering.

    So how did the game fail to achieve this?
    The game UI is created to look nice as you scroll through the options. Yet as a UI it fails to provide usability, a click and point interface would have worked much better and not had the ability to overheat my graphics card. How do programmers do it? Take the most basic of games and turn it into a resource hog?
    In game the UI is equally as flawed trying to impress with looks where they should have concentrated on usability. The one thing they did get right is each card's abilities are fully described. They have tried to keep the game flowing but the way they did this is my biggest annoyance. Each phase lasts a few seconds, longer if a card or ability is activated. This means most of the time you are sitting there waiting as nothing happens. When you want to activate an ability you have to remember to pause the game at the right moment otherwise you miss it. For some reason regeneration has to be done before battle and therefore before if you know if it is even blocked. Why? The real card game flows infinitely better.

    I could go on about how there is little deck customisation, or that the main campaign consists of you battling the same foes over and over again to unlock cards. But I won't, as I have wasted enough time on this disappointing game. One thing to add is if you go on the steam forums there are large threads about the bugs which have never been addressed. Another program ported to the PC with no support.    … Expand
  46. andrys8
    Jan 14, 2012
    4
    I played M:TG throughout most of college but eventually stopped due to how expensive it was, plus changes in the gaming environment. I picked this game up from steam when it was on sale and I'm pretty disappointed.

    The UI is a bit of a pain. Controls are not consistent, and the UI pesters you to prompt it to continue at weird times. Example: enemy summons a creature and I can click    I played M:TG throughout most of college but eventually stopped due to how expensive it was, plus changes in the gaming environment. I picked this game up from steam when it was on sale and I'm pretty disappointed.

    The UI is a bit of a pain. Controls are not consistent, and the UI pesters you to prompt it to continue at weird times. Example: enemy summons a creature and I can click "continue" or press the space-bar to continue. But if I am in my main phase and have actions I can still make, I must click on "continue" to proceed -- the space-bar does nothing here. The same with combat damage -- every time it shows combat damage being done, you have to click continue.

    I am irritated at their "timer" system too. The game seems designed around mouse usage, but you have moments to react to things that are occurring. You can always pause the timer, but that requires mousing over and clicking on the button, or pressing the space-bar. It's like if playing solitaire or minesweeper required keeping a hand on the keyboard... just in case!

    You're extremely limited in what you can do with decks, but I expected this. What I didn't expect is for a chunk of land to be taken up for a single spell of that color in the entire deck. Or not being able to dictate how many lands you have of what color -- the game doesn't trust you to do that and insists on performing that balancing itself. I removed the single white spell after I unlocked more cards, but it wouldn't even let me remove the spell and replace it with a 4th copy of a card, when 3 were already in the deck.

    The game also automatically determines how you spend your mana too. I was pretty frustrated in one game where I had 3 islands and 2 swamps, and needed 3 colorless to cast an artifact. The game decided to use 2 of my islands and 1 swamp... which made it so that I didn't have the 2 blue in my enemy's turn to counter his spell. At that point I just conceded the match (AI opponent) and exited the game.

    I really wanted to like this game, but it's just a frustrating experience all around. If you've never played M:TG you might find some enjoyment in it, but I'd recommend that experienced players just leave it alone.    … Expand
  47. Yxanthymir
    Apr 6, 2012
    4
    DOTP 2011 is a bad game. And I say that just to summarize what this game really is. If you believe me, you can skip the rest of this review and forget about this game now. If you don't believe me, continue to read and you will eventually see why I say that. The reasons for this game to be so bad are very clear, so let me explain them in detail. (First) The campaign is very shallow andDOTP 2011 is a bad game. And I say that just to summarize what this game really is. If you believe me, you can skip the rest of this review and forget about this game now. If you don't believe me, continue to read and you will eventually see why I say that. The reasons for this game to be so bad are very clear, so let me explain them in detail. (First) The campaign is very shallow and almost non-existent. It exists just for you to play over and over against the same opponents to unlock your decks. You feel like there is no real reward or history whatsoever in the game besides just unlocking your deck. (Second) There is very few options to customize your decks and to speak truly most of the unlocked cards are almost unplayable. So the customization mencioned at the game features is just a legend. (Third) The game has so many bugs that sometimes you want to break your computer. That is very true. Just read the game forum and you will see a very long list of bugs. (Forth) Unstable internet connection and bad matching for internet. You cannot play at least 20 percent of your games because of internet connection issues. Past games are visible like new games and the interface to start a new game is very annoying. (Fifth) Unbalanced gameplay. Some decks are much better than others that almost anyone just play with them, making your intenet games dull and repetitive. (Sixth) The game is just a demonstration for other game called Magic The Gathering Online (MTGO). A game that can suck a large amount of your money in no time.… Expand
  48. Ramsey
    Aug 13, 2012
    3
    I have played every PC game in the M:tG franchise and I'm not sure if this is the worst, or the second worse game in it. Having set decks is nice for new players but as someone who's played a lot of these games before I want the ability to easily make my own decks. The controls could have been done a lot better and the user interface is abominable. They have to make it easier to know whatI have played every PC game in the M:tG franchise and I'm not sure if this is the worst, or the second worse game in it. Having set decks is nice for new players but as someone who's played a lot of these games before I want the ability to easily make my own decks. The controls could have been done a lot better and the user interface is abominable. They have to make it easier to know what spells are being cast and to time your spells. How they succeeded doing in 97 but fail almost 15 years later is beyond me. The multiplayer was the worst part of the game. Oh we tried to like it, but at the end we found the game controls did not allow us to know what the opponent was casting without a ridiculous amount of trouble, let alone counter it.… Expand
  49. orctown-troll
    Jun 18, 2014
    9
    A lot of the people who play 'real' Magic with cards were disappointed with this game. Fair enough. The game lacks several key dimensions of the card game, especially building your own decks. Others complain about the DLC. Also fair. It is far easier to pay to win than actually grind the card unlocks. So yes, the DLC is bad. However this is still a good magic game, and it is an excellentA lot of the people who play 'real' Magic with cards were disappointed with this game. Fair enough. The game lacks several key dimensions of the card game, especially building your own decks. Others complain about the DLC. Also fair. It is far easier to pay to win than actually grind the card unlocks. So yes, the DLC is bad. However this is still a good magic game, and it is an excellent product as an introduction to the game for beginners or the curious. If you are a veteran magic player you may wish to avoid it. But if you are an outsider who wants to see how this famous game functions this is a good place to start. And of course the way around the high price of DLC is PATIENCE. Wait for the inevitable Steam sale.

    9/10 as a great demo for magic.

    Orctowngrot.    … Expand
  50. suneater
    Aug 22, 2013
    6
    DotP 2012 is a huge step up from the previous failure "Duel of the Planeswalkers" (2009) which was a terrible direct port from XBL. While much has been fixed from 2009's release, with improved graphics, UI, and controls, DotP 2012 still struggles to properly emulate the actual Magic: The Gathering card game. The devs are so bent on keeping the players from editing their own decks that theyDotP 2012 is a huge step up from the previous failure "Duel of the Planeswalkers" (2009) which was a terrible direct port from XBL. While much has been fixed from 2009's release, with improved graphics, UI, and controls, DotP 2012 still struggles to properly emulate the actual Magic: The Gathering card game. The devs are so bent on keeping the players from editing their own decks that they purposefully include simplistic and poorly designed decks. Many decks are binary with boring win conditions and are missing their color's most basic traits, with unlocks only adding bigger numbers and not wider options. However, compared to DotP 2013 and 2014, I think overall this has the best decks. Besides the boring deck design, the real problem with the decks is the unlock system: although you only have to unlock 20 cards total and multiple can be unlocked at once, they lock you out of all the best cards. As you get deeper into the campaign, you are basically forced to continue using one deck, backtrack (or play MP) to "grind" to unlock more, or pay to unlock a deck. This problem is most visible in the Revenge campaign, where your opponents have every card unlocked in every duel.

    So what makes DotP 2012 worth picking up? It has the best game modes out of the three numbered releases; Archenemy is great fun because of the wildly powerful effects of the Archenemy's deck, even just with (or against!) AI. With all the expansion decks, 2012 also has the most decks available at 19 total. My favorite are Dark Heavens (B/W angels & tokens) and Ancient Depths (G/U mana ramp & eldrazi). Despite the multiplayer bugs and lag issues, I think this is the best DotP game available and is the best intro to MTG for new players.    … Expand
  51. WandererTheLost
    Feb 8, 2013
    2
    This game feels like a ploy to get your money. Any attempt at actually making game with magics true customization or feel is just terribly done. They give you some skeleton decks and throw you out to get more preconstucted ones. There is no system for playing to earn more random cards BUT WAIT! If you want to spend money on a game you already bought you can buy yourself more cards (whichThis game feels like a ploy to get your money. Any attempt at actually making game with magics true customization or feel is just terribly done. They give you some skeleton decks and throw you out to get more preconstucted ones. There is no system for playing to earn more random cards BUT WAIT! If you want to spend money on a game you already bought you can buy yourself more cards (which if I wanted to do that I would buy the cards IRL). Furthermore they couldn't be bothered to make the system right as you can sacrifice creatures with hex and a myriad of other problems that they have no intention of solving as they don't care. This game is a waste of your time and money if you like Magic or if you have never played. Do not buy it.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best PC Game of 2011
87
#87 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. PC Gamer
    Aug 11, 2011
    70
    For a paltry 10 bucks though, there's plenty here to enjoy, and the new cards and decks make it a worthy upgrade for those who own last year's Duels of the Planeswalkers. [Oct 2011, p.81]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Aug 8, 2011
    60
    Great card game, and dangerously addictive, but fails to realise the potential of both the Magic system and platform. [Sept 2011, p.70]
  3. PALGN
    Aug 7, 2011
    70
    A faithful adaptation of Magic: The Gathering that offers something for players old and new, hindered only by design and presentation inconsistencies. Good value for money.
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