• Real-time strategic warfare based on the Magic the Gathering trading card game

• Over 200 creatures and spells

• Varying levels of action and strategy difficulties

• All of the cards from the original game are represented

• For 1 or 2 player

First of all, let me say that the original card game is a thousand times better than this version of it. The feel is simply.... different, and the game's unique spirit is very much lost due to that very fact. The game was plagued by problems as it was on PC, and the Playstation version is even worse. It is hard to see what exactly you've summoned, such is the horrendously small size of the onscreen objects. The absence of a mouse and a small number of usable buttons turn the game into a session of maddening joystick-toggling and button-mashing. But these are just the faults of the engine. Here's what's wrong with the game's idea: the game is not turn-based, like it should be, but real time, so all the fun of timed strategy is lost in favor of getting as many things out as fast as you can. It is hard to imagine a game which contains such a statement as "all cards untap at the beginning of the turn" turned to real time. What you get is basically a Warcraft clone, and not a wonderful one at that.

If you're a fan of frantic pseudo-strategy, buy this game. Otherwise go elsewhere.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:


This was horrifying.  Nov 07, 2003 By K. Weld "Kaltros, Bandit King and General Nuisance"
Let's forget that I'm a card-flipping Magic player and just look at this as a video game for a minute.
Bad graphics: The icons on the screen weren't only small, they were clumsy. Seriously, I've seen better graphics on the old Atari 2600 and that wasn't the most impressive piece of equipment ever.
Blasted little help from the manual. Not much manual there, truth be told. Instruction booklets are there to instruct, yes? Well, apparently we were both wrong. At least, that seems to be how these folks felt about it. The booklet I got was 6 pages or so and about as helpful as a case of ebola.

Now, let's factor in the fact that I'm a card-chuckin' Magic player.
WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING? For that matter, what was Wizards thinking when they licensed this? "Real time"? Magic is strategy and thought (yes, and luck), decision making and anticipation of your opponent. Kinda like chess with way more possible moves. Not exactly a heart-pounding thing, is it? And this isn't even "Shivan Hellkite vs. Lord of the Pit" stuff, either. It's a battle-strategy game... with little running green dots... that make your character twitch like a Karate Champ background character.
Disappointing, unimpressive and ineffectual. Bad game! Bad, bad game! No biscuit for you.

10 of 11 found the following review helpful:


What a pile of total and utter PANTS!  Jan 10, 2004 By Kali "bengaligirl"
Okay firstly let me assure you that I am a MAGIC fan. I have zillions of cards (not joking here chaps!) love the online version and even have and also love the PC versions of MAGIC the Gathering, Duels of the Plainswalkers and Spells of the Ancients.

So as you can obviously see I am a real fan.

Of course I expected the Playstation game MAGIC to be as good as all of the above.

It wasn't!

In fact it is the biggest pile of PANTS I have come across in all my born days and let me tell you I have read, seen, watched, even participated in the little known experience of PANTSVILLE, but nothing comes anywhere as near to total PANTS than this game!

Okay so what is wrong with it?

The graphics are rubbish and unimaginative, I could do better and I failed Technical Drawing at School! The instruction manual stinks big time; it gives you next to no help with the complicated commands so you have to try and work out what you are doing blindly. Now in some Playstation games the above is quite easy. Not in this game let me assure you, you have more chance of negotiating a mind field blindfold on a pogo stick than getting this game to work without some sort of written instructions.

Even if you manage to work out how to play the game, you quickly find yourself bored with the one dimensional imagery and the awful creatures, spells and enchantments that are nothing like the PC version. I'm aware that on Playstation game I can't expect PC quality, but you can expect a whole lot better than what this game offers.

All in all a bitter disappointment, no wonder it sank like the Titanic, in fact, I'm surprised it even got launched in the first place.

The only reason it gets two stars is that I am such a MAGIC fan I can't bring myself to give it one star, call me sentimental but I just can't.

If you have any sense, don't even BORROW this game from a friend, instead of other more fun ways to play the game.

As another critic said in his review, this is about as much fun "as a case of Ebola", Amen to that sentiment my friend!

21 of 30 found the following review helpful:


Excellent!  Dec 05, 2001 By Carol D. Beavers
This game is more fun to the people that know how to play the actual card game BUT it is also fun for people who don't know about the game. It has lots of creatures and spells for all magic people. This game rocks!

9 of 13 found the following review helpful:


Worst game in the history of all games  Jul 31, 2002
Who ever thought it was a good idea to make Magic: The Gathering a real time game with a selection of 25 cards and bad graphics, and cumbersome battles system really didn't think.

This is the absolute worst game to ever touch my playstation.

See all 14 customer reviews on Amazon.com