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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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!
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  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. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. LevelsAndGear
    Sep 19, 2011
    6
    Magic: The Gathering â
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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