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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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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