Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers

Seemingly everything Magic players would want in a virtual adaptation of the now classic card game.

For $10, “Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers” is a lot of bang for the buck.

As it stands, Duels of the Planeswalkers is a really enjoyable game. It allows newcomers to learn the ropes while letting experts get straight into dueling. Should it receive extensive support in the future – buying decks online, booster packs, online trading of cards – it could be massive. We sincerely hope it will be expanded down the line, because after a few days straight playing, we’d like to see some variation or the ability to construct dueling decks from scratch. But for your Microsoft Points, it’s something that comes highly recommended.

Duels of the Planeswalkers isn’t a perfect interpretation of sitting down and playing a few rounds with friends at the kitchen table, but it’s remarkably good all the same.

Duels of the Planeswalkers (which bears the same title as the 11-year old expansion to MicroProse’s adaptation of M:TG) is a neat, albeit simplified, adaptation of the classic game.

The game’s depth is matched by a generous breadth of modes and options.

A campaign of surprisingly smart A.I. opponents. [Sept 2009, p.87]

An entertaining brand of card battle game, with plenty of depth, complexity, and unpredictability to keep you drawing from your library again and again.

One of the better card games on XBLA. For those new to the world of Magic, I would suggest checking out the demo first, just to see if you're into this sort of game.

For those who don’t care about the game’s look, but simply want to play with a remote friend or not have to bother with the rules/dealing minutia, Duels of the Planeswalkers will probably be a great buy.

So, here’s the deal: if you want a recreation of the Magic experience without having to fuss with booster packs or shuffling, or if you need a refresher on the M10 rules, Duels of the Planeswalkers should be a game to consider.

Magic: Duels of Planeswalkers is a perfect replica of the classic card game formula. The only drawbacks are the limited amount of available cards and the fact that you can't create a set of those from scratches, with just the options to combine a few bonus cards with the basic sets provided to the player. Multiplayer and Co op modes will last for many hours, balancing the limited amount of available cards.

Although there are some niggles for both newcomers and pros, Magic: The Gathering is a great card game that translates well into a fun video game.