Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Vandal
    Jul 26, 2012
    80
    The more complex and complete approach to the card game ever made in consoles or PC. It is fun both for newcomers and seasoned players, and has enough content to keep us engaged for many hours.
  2. XGN
    Jul 11, 2012
    80
    Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 offers a really good entry for players who are new with Magic the Gathering. Even though new players will enjoy this title, the more experienced players will also get a lot of fun out of Magic 2013. Overall It's a very addictive game and offers enough fresh content for the experienced Magic player.
  3. TheSixthAxis
    Jul 5, 2012
    80
    Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is exactly what fans of the series will have come to expect: a clean-cut refinement with very few barriers to entry.
  5. Game Informer
    Jun 28, 2012
    70
    Despite all of these complaints, the core game is strong. Everything works as expected, the cards are translated perfectly, and the AI can play at the level of an average human. Beginners – who are the target audience here, to be fair – should have a fine time. I'd recommend playing either of the previous two games before this one, though.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 20
  3. Negative: 3 out of 20
  1. SR_Monkeyking
    Jun 23, 2012
    9
    Magic 2013 is a major improvement over it's predecessors. I have played the previous 2 versions on PS3 and enjoyed 10's of 100's of hours onMagic 2013 is a major improvement over it's predecessors. I have played the previous 2 versions on PS3 and enjoyed 10's of 100's of hours on each, but have fought with card resolution bugs, and slow load times. In this version, they have fixed the slow load times, dressed up the UI and some of the spell effects, improved the AI handling of some cards, and added new features.. The game, and each duel, now load with relative speed and ease. Planechase is a fun game if you have an hour or so to play with, and a huge improvement over Archenemy, which I was not a big fan of in the 2012 version. Planechase is far more interesting and entertaining, providing constant adjustments in your game strategy.

    The other multiplayer versions are still there and fun to play - 2, 3, 4 player or Two Headed Giant. The new decks are fun and entertaining, and the new ability to tap your own lands is a GREAT feature long overdue. The decks still allow customization just as ver.2012 did, but some people still complain about the lack of deck building, which I believe is unnecessary and outside the scope of this game. The game functionality and success depends upon a limited number of cards that can be tested against one another. I have about 15 hours of playtime thus far, so I have a ways to go before I unlock all the cards and play all the decks. So far I haven't noticed any card resolution bugs but we'll see as we go further into the game.

    The new Player Status screen is a welcome addition to the game. I like the features, the ability to unlock new personas and features in addition to cards and decks. Great idea. I do think they could add better trophies and achievements to the game however. The previous version was really lacking, and although the new 2013 version has better trophy/achievements, they are still lacking some original ideas that can extend the life of the game. Trophies for things such as 'Bring your opponent to -50, -75, -100 Life', Finish the game with 100 Life or more, defeat your enemy with instants and sorcery attacks only, 'Death by 1000 cuts' = Kill your opponent with 1/1 creatures only. I think there is plenty or room for creative ideas here.

    This game is Magic through and through. If you enjoy being able to play Magic, but don't have a lot of time, or don't have anyone to play with, this is the perfect way to go. The game is only $10 on the PS Store which is a real steal! They could charge $5 to $10 more for the base game and I would happily pay it.    … Full Review »
  2. dassinated
    Dec 5, 2012
    4
    While there have been UI improvements that other reviewers have noted, overall I'm disappointed the latest iteration of this game. Decks lackWhile there have been UI improvements that other reviewers have noted, overall I'm disappointed the latest iteration of this game. Decks lack the flavor of the 2012 edition, and the card unlocks are incredibly tedious. Unlike in the last game where once a card was unlocked you'd have access to copies to statewidstrategize with, in 2013 you have to unlock each and every card individually. This makes sense for the powerful rares but not for the many common and uncommon level cards stuffing these decks. Incredibly frustrating to have to grind to unlock full decks, so that one can be competitive in online matches. Instead of grinding, I've just stopped playing.… Full Review »
  3. X-Abrupto
    Sep 18, 2012
    7
    This is probably the best Magic: The Gathering game I've played. I think I played most of them. I'd dare to say it is the best card fightingThis is probably the best Magic: The Gathering game I've played. I think I played most of them. I'd dare to say it is the best card fighting video game, even though it does have flaws. I truly don't understand why they do not allow building your own deck. Maybe they are afraid more experienced players would destroy newcomers. This could be easily avoided if you would create two branches of online play, one with basic decks and the other one with custom decks. As of now, you can only remove or add cards to your deck, and you are forced to chose from a single deck. If you compare the quality of the game and its price ( currently $9.99 ), then it is a very, very good game. The drawings, images and animations are good. The music is much better than the previous versions. The game is a little faster, especially if you compare with the first Duels of the Planeswalkers, which is good. The AI is quite good, but does not make plans for future turns unlike most players, so it will sometimes waste cards to prevent you from doing something early, and you will end up beating it in a long term since it will often run out of useful cards. The sound effects are sometimes irritating. They can be loud and very edgy. I can't believe they do not allow custom soundtracks. Online play is very fun, although sometimes you will encounter players that have very little mercy. Free For All is usually unfair. Sometimes players will secretly team up to take you down first. The ladder system is very weird. They should have a basic ladder of win/loss ratio and a skills ratio ( if you play vs very good people, you get a higher ratio ). To be honest I have yet to understand how their ladder works. If you don't have a mic, you are doomed, because you will pretty much never hear other people. If you have a mic, however, be careful not to talk too much about your cards, as other people might notice and could have what it takes to take it out of your hand. The lack of customization delivers a solid blow to my final score to a game that could've easily had a 8.5 out of 10.… Full Review »
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