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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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!
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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

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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