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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. LevelsAndGear
    Sep 19, 2011
    6
    Magic: The Gathering â
  10. 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
  11. 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

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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