One Word Review - Trick
Each trick in Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers is a tactical puzzle torn between offense and defense. When the player first starts Magic the Gathering: DofP the decks that are available set up fights in a very predictable RPG way; water and fire, black and white magic, etc. But, continuing down the path of the campaign opens more powerful cards and multiples of helpful spells. Magic knows the trick to keep players, in this case, glued to the screen.
The trick to this game is learning that any deck can beat any other deck. If the player plays with skill and understands that each deck has strengths and weaknesses the player shouldn't have too much trouble with any other deck. It comes down to the way the cards fall usually. I really like that each deck starts with a set number of card and, like booster packs, when you win battles you unlock new cards. This game is a "collectible card game" so the key is to keep the player interested in getting more cards. Like a smart drug dealer, the developer Stainless Games gives you this first hit free but keeps you shuffling back to get more booster packs. And, I really have to give it to Stainless because they have the foresight to give the players online access to the booster packs without having to pay for them. I think that this is one of the most interesting gimmicks that has been used by game companies to entice people to buy DLC. And these boosters help a lot with online battles.
I have had a good time playing online with other people. Collectible card games have the right mix of activeness and inactiveness to keep the player interested, no matter what the player may be doing. Playing against human players is different than playing against the computer, but that isn't to say that the computer in Magic the Gathering: DotP is bad. I thought the AI in this game was really one of the biggest draws of the game.
Stainless knew the way to fool its audience into getting sucked into a game that for all intents and purposes is much more confining than the original face-to-face game. I was hooked quickly, and I haven't played Magic since high school. But, I think that because the decks are restricted the game is much more evenhanded. Every body who has played Magic against somebody who is really into Magic has experienced those games where the other player has a ridiculously overpowered, perfectly crafted deck. Because of situations like this people don't end up having a good time with the game. But, in Magic the Gathering: DotP with a little grinding you can have a deck that will rival any other players deck. I think the trick this game got right was that it understood that, online, players want a well crafted, balanced experience.
