Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds

"No it's not the oh so popular card game which is a good thing!!"

Coming into the game some might expect a game that allows you to play the Magic the Gathering card game virtually with friends or over XBL but that isn't the case. Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds is a fast-paced strategy type game that allows players to battle with some familiar character/monsters from the popular card game. Personally I am happy it's not just a virtual card game because those types of games never work out and I can't see why people would want to play it virtually when you can just play it with your friends. How are the other aspects of the game you ask? Well you'll find out now.

Graphics: Nothing special here except for some alright special effects. I'm no graphic whore so I liked the graphics, they fit the game nicely. The character models are pretty good but they won't make you say "OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT!!" 7/10

Sound: For the most part the game sounds pretty good while you are actually in battle. It won't blow your mind but it gets the job done. The downside to all of this is the voice acting. The voice actors are terrible but luckily this doesn't affect the game that much since it's not very story driven. 7/10

Story: There's not much to say here except that it's pretty bad. The story mode is pretty much just a big Training Mode that can get very annoying at times. You play different Chapters and each chapter you use one of the 5 different card/monster classes which are Plain, Forest, Swamp, Mountain, and Water. The good thing here is that the story mode really teaches you how to use each one of these classes effectively. I'm not even sure what the story is about but it does help out even if it's not very enjoyable. 6/10

Game play: This is where the game shines. The battles consist of 2 "duelists" or whatever you want to call them facing off until one is knocked out. In these battles you can summon monsters to protect you or help defeat your opponent. You do this by collecting mana shards that appear on the field. You can take your opponents but you get hurt when you cross the opponents line. The stronger the monster the more it costs to summon. You can also use magic attacks to either power up your monster(s) or even do direct damage to your opponent or opponents monster. The battles are fast and furious and can last forever or sometimes last a matter of seconds depending if your opponent is good enough. XBL really sweetens the package as well. If your up for some simple but very fun and fast game play then this game is for you. 9/10

Buy or Rent: Buy, the game is only $15 new now and it's well worth the purchase. It may be hard to find a game on line but just playing with your buddies is worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/04