Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds

 Xbox
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Nov 18, 2003
  • Also On: PC
Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds Image
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

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  • Summary: Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds brings the Magic world to life, as a real-time game that combines fighting and strategy. As one of 17 powerful warriors competing in epic one-on-one battles, use your strength and sorcery to survive. You can acquire over 70 different spells throughoutMagic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds brings the Magic world to life, as a real-time game that combines fighting and strategy. As one of 17 powerful warriors competing in epic one-on-one battles, use your strength and sorcery to survive. You can acquire over 70 different spells throughout your journey, which provide a variety of fighting combinations. With single-player quests, downloadable content, 16 epic arenas, and intense multiplayer action via Xbox Live, experience the world of Magic like never before.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. XboxAddict
    100
    I find it hard to believe that any Magic The Gathering fan won't like this game. I've caught myself playing the game hours on end.
  2. GameSpy
    85
    I love Battlegrounds for the same reason I love arcade-style sports games; it exploits the aspects of its source material that make for great design, and throws the rest out.
  3. TeamXbox
    82
    Using both real-time action and strategy elements, developer Secret Level has pulled off a wildly challenging, but addictive game.
  4. Worth Playing
    75
    The mediocre graphics bring the quality of the game down somewhat, and, while the need for frantic strategies will probably keep you playing, the lack of any sort of selection of different game modes may reduce Battlegrounds to being a rental, at best.
  5. Gamer's Pulse
    70
    It is not the Magic that I grew up with, and purists may find the changes to be a bit too extreme.
  6. Game Informer
    65
    Magic fans will likely scoff in disgust, but if you're in the market for a game that plays like a fighter but has a little more depth, you may want to give this a whirl. [Dec 2003, p.173]
  7. Gamestyle
    40
    Two steps removed from the CCG it seeks to emulate, and is unlikely to appeal to anyone but Magic aficionados - and even then it has so cruelly crushed the freedom and essence of the licence that players of 'chess with cards' cannot help but shun it.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Russ
    Nov 25, 2003
    10
    The demo is great. The full version must be even better!
  2. JonC.
    Nov 8, 2003
    10
    A very original game. A real time full 3D fast paced strategy based on the Magic: the Gathering card game.
  4. [Anonymous]
    Nov 4, 2003
    10
    Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god.
  5. MagicP.
    Nov 25, 2003
    10
    Best game to come out in a long time. I played for about 36 hours this weekend. WOW
  6. Substryk
    Nov 29, 2003
    9
    Awesome! The creaters have managed to capture the card game and translate it to a competitive action packed arcade game for the masses. Excellent.
  7. RayM.
    Nov 15, 2003
    7
    Played the demo....it is just as it sounds: live action MTG. You gather mana crystals to cast spells. The demo only had red and green, but IPlayed the demo....it is just as it sounds: live action MTG. You gather mana crystals to cast spells. The demo only had red and green, but I was impressed with the number of spells available. You cast creatures to run over and either challenge other creatures or attack your opponent. What is nice is that when you are going through your spell book, it has a 'rising level' indicator ON the spell itself to show you how close you are to being able to cast that spell. I didn't see much about being able to combine the different schools of magic as the demo only had red and green with a tutorial. If you like MTG, try it and then come back to it. My initial reaction wasn't favorable, but once I played again, much of the strategy of MTG is there, all in real time. I think 2 player mode is where it will really shine and if it is Xbox live (which I am unsure if it has that)… Expand
  8. Engee
    Dec 11, 2003
    5
    Half you guys are full of it. some of you haven't even played the full game and you're raving about this! and Magic P - if youHalf you guys are full of it. some of you haven't even played the full game and you're raving about this! and Magic P - if you played for 36 hours in a weekend, it means you slept 6 hours a day and played all day apart from that. In other words, You're Full of Crap. In regards to the game - 14 spells per colour seems pretty few to me. I wonder how good online extensions would be? and how much they'd cost....(!)… Expand

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Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best Xbox Game of 2003
91
#91 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
23
#23 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003