Magic: the Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014
In 1993, an American-based company named Wizards of the Coast acquired what is considered the world’s premier licensed trading card game, which was originally developed by a studious individual known as Richard Garfield. Now, with millions of individual cards in circulation and a highly distinguishable brand that bellows across the tabletop gaming world, Magic: the Gathering (MtG) has evolved into a highly successful franchise that includes in its catalogue an assortment of comic books, novels, and other merchandise. Magic 2014 is a structured trading card game based on the physical card game of the same name, and is highly enjoyed by myself and many others. Just like this variance of the game, it is quick and painless to learn, as everyone I have taught has picked up at least the basics during the course of one game.
Here are some things that I enjoyed about this specific year’s instance of the video game series:
Story - You take the role of a Planeswalker: a spellcaster that utilizes various forms of magic to defect countless enemies; this is also the premise of the player vs. player aspect in Magic: the Gathering. Throughout this story’s arch, you follow and ally yourself with Chandra Nalaar, a pyromancer seeking revenge against an enemy of great power. Chandra is one of the featured Planeswalkers within the MtG universe, her story told through multiple comic strips and novels since her original appearance in the 2000’s. Magic 2014 sequences the player against multiple opponents in turn-based card game action as the story progresses through said battles and cutscenes that are, in my opinion, pretty awesome.
Draft Mode - Similar to real-life booster drafts for the trading card game, Magic 2014is the first of the Duels of the Planeswalkers series to feature Draft Mode, in which a player receives a given number of booster packs in order to create an in-game Magic: the Gathering deck, which is then utilized to defeat multiple enemies in succession. Though only two different decks are allowed through this game mode without having to dish out some extra spending cash for downloadable content (DLC), the player can earn additional booster packs that expand the total pool of cards they can use to modify their deck; this further enhances customization and overall play. There are also hints displayed on screen during deck construction that aide newer players when first creating and later editing a ‘library.’
Connectability to the Card Game - Though it has very clunk player interfaces and you cannot tap your own mana, Magic 2014 is exactly what you’d expect it to be: a video game adaptation of the MtG trading card game. The similarities boil down to game mechanics, the utilization of cards that were in circulation, noteworthy Planeswalkers and other characters from the base game and novels, and even the ability to purchase foil deck conversions at an additional price as a cosmetic change. Magic 2014 is, simply, the same Magic: the Gathering trading card game that millions have enjoyed for years converted to a digital format.
TL:DR - Magic 2014 is a great entrant into the Duels of the Planeswalkers series that can either be utilized as a teaching tool for card game players interested in learning the MtG trading card game or as a standalone title with varying styles of play and degrees of challenge. I would like to give a very special thanks to ‘the guys’ for enjoying the physical variance of this card game with me for many years. Also, a big thank you to my fantastic fiancé for being addicted to purchasing booster packs for me so that I could own more cards in an unbearable stack than I ever thought I could. Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted August 15, 2015. Last edited May 1, 2018
Here are some things that I enjoyed about this specific year’s instance of the video game series:
Story - You take the role of a Planeswalker: a spellcaster that utilizes various forms of magic to defect countless enemies; this is also the premise of the player vs. player aspect in Magic: the Gathering. Throughout this story’s arch, you follow and ally yourself with Chandra Nalaar, a pyromancer seeking revenge against an enemy of great power. Chandra is one of the featured Planeswalkers within the MtG universe, her story told through multiple comic strips and novels since her original appearance in the 2000’s. Magic 2014 sequences the player against multiple opponents in turn-based card game action as the story progresses through said battles and cutscenes that are, in my opinion, pretty awesome.
Draft Mode - Similar to real-life booster drafts for the trading card game, Magic 2014is the first of the Duels of the Planeswalkers series to feature Draft Mode, in which a player receives a given number of booster packs in order to create an in-game Magic: the Gathering deck, which is then utilized to defeat multiple enemies in succession. Though only two different decks are allowed through this game mode without having to dish out some extra spending cash for downloadable content (DLC), the player can earn additional booster packs that expand the total pool of cards they can use to modify their deck; this further enhances customization and overall play. There are also hints displayed on screen during deck construction that aide newer players when first creating and later editing a ‘library.’
Connectability to the Card Game - Though it has very clunk player interfaces and you cannot tap your own mana, Magic 2014 is exactly what you’d expect it to be: a video game adaptation of the MtG trading card game. The similarities boil down to game mechanics, the utilization of cards that were in circulation, noteworthy Planeswalkers and other characters from the base game and novels, and even the ability to purchase foil deck conversions at an additional price as a cosmetic change. Magic 2014 is, simply, the same Magic: the Gathering trading card game that millions have enjoyed for years converted to a digital format.
TL:DR - Magic 2014 is a great entrant into the Duels of the Planeswalkers series that can either be utilized as a teaching tool for card game players interested in learning the MtG trading card game or as a standalone title with varying styles of play and degrees of challenge. I would like to give a very special thanks to ‘the guys’ for enjoying the physical variance of this card game with me for many years. Also, a big thank you to my fantastic fiancé for being addicted to purchasing booster packs for me so that I could own more cards in an unbearable stack than I ever thought I could. Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted August 15, 2015. Last edited May 1, 2018
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