Magic Duels is enjoyable because it is a Magic: The Gathering game and I feel like the developers took advantage of this and skipped on the rest. The lack of production value is visible, but not justified, leaving enough room for improvement as the currently the missing features are a huge disappointment. As a free to play title, time will tell if Magic Duels will be just a milking the cow title or is going to evolve in a much better game. But I’m afraid its future is shaky and that’s a shame, because it could be a great online card game that could challenge the leadership position of Hearthstone, yet that can’t be achieved without effort and if I’m to look at Stainless Games track record the optimism that I should have, fades away.
So far, Magic Duels is more a commercial to the paper Magic and Magic: The Gathering Online than a game of its own. I think it’s time for Wizards of the Coast to decide if they really want to join the present time and have real video games or they just want to tease their fans with (cheap) annual releases that feel more like a cash grab and don’t match the high expectations from a gigantic publisher and an amazing trading card game.


Pros:
+ The artistic style and game mechanics complexity of Magic: The Gathering
+ Free to play
+ Decent business model for a genre that can’t avoid being pay to win
+ Ranked matches
+ Five different singleplayer campaigns
+ Good tutorials

Cons:
- Lacks production value
- Lots of technical issues
- Lots of bugs
- No trading system
- Needs more features
- The concede option doesn’t decide the match
- No cross-platform play

Read the full review at:
http://thegameslashers.blogspot.ro/2015/08/magic-duels-review.html

Magic Duels is the dream we had for most of old player of duels of the planeswalkers.

They stopped release a game every year, and they keep adding new content to this one so that we have more cards, more strategy a bigger story.

Latest patch forces you to play vs other players and endure the "maybe if I just take the maximum timer at everything they will quit and I will win" strategy. Was fun for a while as a casual game when you felt like playing a CCG, now its just crap taking 45 minutes per game because people refuse to admit defeat, utterly ruined.

*Fair warning: DirectX 11 is required to run this game. If you have an older card that does not support DX 11, the game will crash or will not run.

Definitely recommended for fans of card games or those looking to learn or get into Magic, or just play it casually for fun. There are some definitely frustrating qualities at times, but remembering it is free to play and has some inherent differences from the regular Magic format help to make it worthwhile.

+Multiple solo campaigns - 5 for Origins and 1 for each set thereafter, all free
+Lots of information in the tutorials and available as you play to learn
+Fully customizable decks - a huge improvement from past MTG games
+Generous free to play style, no alt account/login needed, earn 2-3 packs a day even casually
+Boosters only award cards you actually need to complete your playsets
+Variety of game modes including Story, Solo vs. AI, PvP, and 2-Headed Giant; all award coins for boosters
+Future MTG sets continue to be added as they are released

+/- Limits are placed on your playset by rarity: you can own 1 of each mythic, 2 of each rare, 3 of each uncommon, and 4 of each common. This means you can't play and won't see many of the decks common in actual Magic meta, but will see different strategies/tactics available that wouldn't be otherwise.

-Developers are not active on Steam community; they are (a little) more active on Reddit / other social media.
-There are generally no hotfixes; if something is bugged/broken, it will stay that way until the next set (~3 months)
-In-depth tutorial and first chapter are required prior to use of other modes; not geared toward vets
-Sets include only a selection of cards from each set, not the entire set (for that you want paper or MTGO)

As I have persuaded at least two people to play this game because I do find enjoyment in the concept, that is why I am giving it a thumbs-up. However, better execution by Stanless to address bugged cards rather than removing them, or changing the intrinisc flow of play makes me unhappy.

Do I like this game? Yes.

Do I dislike this game. Yes. But really more in the way it's managed by Stainless than the game itself.

I wish there were a way to say this game gives me mixed feelings in it's bianary system. I enjoy the game immensely, but even for a product that has been out for close to a year, it's still a bit buggy, and sometimes, the actions of the company are downright infuriating. for encouraging people to make decks and then taking away cards you had in mind for those decks makes me not want to put money into this game. It's fine as a free to play, but keep in mind that the company behind this game can swap cards at any time, for any reason at all, no matter if you paid for them or not, or even stupidly paid to have them 'foiled.'

As I have persuaded at least two people to play this game because I do find enjoyment in the concept, that is why I am giving it a thumbs-up. However, better execution by Stanless to address bugged cards rather than removing them, or changing the intrinisc flow of play makes me unhappy.

I think the game is a good alternative to the paper product though. I mean, I'm not lugging around boxes or cases of cards. Or wondering after a year, why did I spend so much on pieces of paper? It's also a good way to teach people how to play.

While it is fun and entertainin, it could be better.

Having played Magic for around 18 years now. Including all of the pc games. This just handles so much worse then everything else ive seen.
I'm not talking about the game here, MTG has been around since forever and it's great for what it is. It's just the UI, the forced Tutorial, the slow animations. Just a few examples of what got my blood boiling here.

-Continue turns into the skip attack button, im sure thats not going to cause problems for people
-Sometimes spacebar activates the top button, sometimes the bottom one, sometimes nothing. Shortcuts, anyone?
-Having to sit there watching the clock go through every phase, every attack damage done, every slow animation and whatever stupid tutorial tip the game throws my way just to sit up, move my mouse, click one button, and then watch nothing again for a waaaay tooo long of a time. And how dare you trying to make a play while we show the 10th creature doing 1 damage.
-With such a slow system you are sure you are making the play you want right? Well cards get played with a single click and at least for me didnt light up (select) proper so be careful.

If you want Magic, stay with MTGO, if you want a single player campaign there have been plenty of Magic Games who did a better job. Hell even Shandalar was better which was released almost 20 years ago.

If you want an example for a modern card game, look at Heartsthone, the game is fun to just handle. The cards have a real feel to them, it's fun to slam them on the board, i can finish my turn before the first animation finishes even though the animations are so much quicker then these are. This being Magic it's harder but please, at least a single phase could be smooth.

Stay away, i was surprised when i saw this because i didnt see a need that this would satisfiy and im right, it's just someone trying to turn a licence into a f2p cash cow. With the least amount of effort possible.

Shame on anyone involved in this. Shame.

Edit: even alt+f4 felt like the rest of the game

Since the devs bother me after every game with a 'give feedback' popup, here it is...
Been playing this game from the release with all the bugs there were and still are, hoping they'd fix it, hoping with every patch. But no... they fix one bug and introduce 3 more instead.
Other points:
+It's MTG
+I can run it on my ♥♥♥♥♥♥ laptop
-bugs
-did I mention bugs?
-horrible soundeffects since last patch for every card you play
-poor online matchmaking
-not all cards of the expansions are included
-rarity restrictions of cards
-bugs
-cheaters don't get banned

I've made the mistake of purchasing coins with real money once in the beginning to support the game.. never again.

I enjoy the expansions and the mechanics, but please please fix 2HG!!! Can't play with my friends vs other players!!! Also please fix some cards and insert an in-game chat. Thank you.

As the first free-to-play entry in the popular Duels of the Planeswalkers series, Magic Duels: Origins had its work cut out for it. Joining a collection of formerly superb digital card games known for their expansive content and ease of play was one thing, but following the new standard set by Hearthstone was quite another.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft - covered by our own Kit Evans in a review that you should totally read - was released two years prior and its runaway success clearly had Wizards of the Coast seeing dollar signs through their haze of envy. Although the company flirted with microtransactions prior to this, Magic Duels: Origins can be seen as the perfected form of their new free-to-play business model.

However, the initial reaction to Magic Duels was decidedly mixed with even the most positive reviews admitting that the game needed support in order to reach its full potential. Has it reached that potential in the space of a year? It will be pretty clear-cut to anyone who bothered reading the h1, but for the sake of review let's save that answer until the end.

Now, it has to be said that first impressions of Magic Duels are fairly positive. The standard Origins card pool is attractive and well balanced and you can presently delve into an additional four sets of real-life cards all the way up to the recent Eldritch Moon expansion.

Players begin with a basic starter deck and use coins to purchase booster packs containing more powerful cards. You earn coins by beating the various solo campaigns, completing tutorials and quests, or by duelling other players online. You'll be opening your first booster pack in no time and you'll funnel those new cards directly into the custom deck of your choice. The deck manager UI has been overhauled and it really couldn't be easier to sort through your collection or create competitive archetypes using the deck wizard.

Elsewhere in-game you'll find a similarly high level of presentation. Buttons feel responsive, colours are rich, and seeing the number of cards in an opponent's hand is easier than ever. The option for sorting your own hand of cards seems to be missing, which is remarkably amateurish and annoying, but overall the game's presentation is as welcoming as it is functional.

The first few campaign missions are dreadfully boring, but the later offerings fare much better. Whilst the stories are mere summaries of Magic's extensive lore, the battles themselves sport plenty of cool fixed decks and lots of interesting scenarios to conquer. The campaigns for Innistrad and Zendikar are particularly strong in this regard and feature the best story missions in Duels history. The "deck-out" contest between you and an evil Sphinx is a standout moment, as is the Gatewatch's showdown with the world-devouring Eldrazi, and many more besides.

After these short campaigns and easy-money tasks are complete, you'll need to find something else to occupy your time and this is ultimately where Magic Duels' success will be judged.

If you choose not to pay real money then there will be a long grind of versus battles between you and that coveted world of deckbuilding goodness. The basic payouts for solo battles are understandably stingy, but without the better cards already in your arsenal, the lucrative online multiplayer mode will be an arena that's much harder to succeed in.

Coins come thick and fast from winning multiplayer duels, but it presents a big 'if' when you consider human players will do anything they can in order to succeed online. Aside from the mere competitive aspect, I myself prefer the more easygoing solo battles anyway. I prefer competing against opponents who don't take upwards of five minutes to take their turns, who don't ragequit, or hurl abusive messages at you after a battle has ended.

You can't blame human nature on the game of course, but when it makes online multiplayer such a focal point of the overall experience, it needs to be held accountable for the limitations that such a decision presents.

It wouldn't be a problem if the single player element behind Magic Duels wasn't so disappointingly thin. AI opponents no longer come with set personalities or cards as each one is now nothing more than a generic avatar with a generic deck to match. There's barely any flavour here at all. Every AI deck is bloated with Eldrazis or werewolves or whatever other random spells, all jammed in with precious little consideration given to strategy or theme. I've played several games where a CPU duelist failed to play even a single card before being defeated. It may be a quick win for the player, but it's not fun.

The return of two-headed giant (a 2v2 team mode that was axed in Magic 2015) should be more fun, but then you can't earn coins when playing this mode with friends which seems really stupid when a simple daily cap could easily have offset any coin-grinding abuse. It's nice to have team games back, but it's an inclusion that deserves zero praise anyway considering it never should have been removed in the first place. Don't expect to find any challenges or funky game modes like Archenemy or Planechase either as they clearly don't fit into this new free-to-play framework.

Compared to the abysmal launch of Magic 2015 a couple of years back, the free-to-play approach in Magic Duels is not the worst I've ever seen, but the restrictions are still glaringly evident.

Magic Duels is fairly generous with what content it does give away for free, though it's still a business model that benefits Wizards of the Coast a lot more than its does you and it's a sticking point that ultimately decides this game's fate.

If you're willing to spend money on Magic Duels then you will enjoy it more. Deckbuilding will be more exiting, online dueling will be easier to keep up with, and you'll get to sample a wider variety of gameplay mechanics when it comes to the cards themselves.

The only problem is that buying an entire expansion is going to cost a lot of money. The basic Origins set is valued over 10,000 coins (the equivalent of £40+) and since you can only purchase coins in bundles you'll always be paying more than you need to.

For those earning coins the old fashioned way, each booster is a mere six card pack meaning you'll experience many disappointing draws free from the card colour or creature type that you're looking for. It's easy to feel dispirited with this when a booster can take you multiple wins in order to afford.

The cost of purchasing a full playset costs way more than a typical AAA video game which is a galling prospect when you think of the series' amazing value in the past. This approach is doubtlessly more lucrative for Wizards, but deck keys were a good middle ground before; this just feels exploitative by comparison.

They said that Magic Duels needed the proper support, but I'm not sure it really got it past all of those extra cards. There's no leaderboard, no lobbies, no chat system, and there are still plenty of bugs and dreaded "unknown error" crashes still waiting to be ironed out too.

All of this results in a game that's tough to recommend in spite of it being a year older and wiser. Magic Duels may be a good fit for casual players who enjoy online multiplayer at the expense of depth, but those who have sampled the delights of Duels 2012-2014 will find this offering to be altogether shallow and inferior.

Read the full review at my blog »

Garbage
Very Bad Game
Bad Game
Mediocre Game
Nice Game
Good Game
Great Game
Awesome Game

Quality	8/10	Decent quality
Performance	7/10	Good but sometimes long connection times in multiplayer, seems to have some problems with certain hardware (no problems for me though)
Utility	8/10	Small number of cards are buggy (those don't break the game but effect doesn't match the description), needs internet connection
Controls	9/10	Actually good, full pad support; but phases end automatically under certain conditions, though you could activate abilities EDIT: Fixed with today's patch!
Gameplay	9/10	A great fantasy card game with high replay-value
Challenge	9/10	Complex card game system, big number of active players for pvp; also first MtG on steam with a pvp ranking system
Content	9/10	Many cards to collect and a constantly updated card pool (4 new Editions in round about one year, so far), story mode could be better
Diversity	9/10	Story Mode (Beginners), AI Duels (Farming), PVP Duels (Ranked), thousands of possible decks thanks to the big card pool
Immersion	7/10	Addictive card collection and deck creation mechanics, beautiful card art, story mode fails to deliver an individual experience
Design	5/10	Very pretty cards, but kinda boring game interface
Visuals	6/10	Beautiful card art, few animations, simple graphics and menus
Sound	4/10	Too monotone music, just one song each for menu and duel (though it's at least updated with every new edition), SFX OK
Texts	8/10	Well written and translated tutorials & card effects; but story part could have included some dialogue at least
Mapping	3/10	Good overview but the table only changes once per season, no animation or customization; no levels/world just the card table
Interface	3/10	Pretty boring designed, simple menus (no animations); simplified control over turn phases compared to original MtG rules

Tested with:
1920x1080; Windows 10 Home, 64-Bit
AMD FX-8350, 8 x 4.03 GHz
AMD Radeon HD7900 (3GB GDDR5)
16GB DDR3 RAM; Samsung SSD
Settings: High/Ultra

If you liked this review check out my archive and see how other games scored!