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I remember when I was a kid, a game called ‘Trumps’. You could buy packs of these cards to play against your friends and all it was based on was the stats displayed on them against the stats of the opposition. It was fun. Well, forward on a few years and a new card game came out – Magic: The Gathering. Taking the concept of Trumps to a new level incorporating spells, magical creatures and enchantments, turning this game into one of the most popular table-top gaming systems ever created. Move on a few more years and now Atari have brought this great game to the XBox in a visually stunning 3D game environment with real-time strategic fighting, sorcery and enchantment.
There are five colours or schools in Magic – Black, Blue, Green, Red and White. Each of these denotes a specific proficiency at certain types of activities, such as attacking, defending and healing. As you progress through the game, you get the chance to use each of the schools, starting with Red in the ‘Quest’. As with most games, there is a general story mode which also acts as a tutorial and setting targets along the way for which you much complete before moving onto the next stage. Simple enough whilst gradually becoming harder and harder the further you get. The single player Quest Mode is comprised of six chapters, each featuring up to 15 quests.
Other modes available are ‘Arcade Dual’, ‘Vs Dual’ and ‘Practice Dual’. All these modes consist of You versus either the A.I. or another player. You have five characters to choose from when you first play, with twelve lockable characters to unlock.
The final mode available is Xbox LIVE, a must for any game today.
Graphics:
The animation of the wizards, creatures and monsters are outstanding. Also, there are 16 epic arenas which are all based on the Magic: The Gathering universe. The fluid movement of the camera zooming in and out of the battle is easy on the eye and does not confuse the player at all.
Sound:
The background music is very atmospheric and sets the tone of the game just right. The only other sounds that can be heard in the game are the characters voices and the usual clashes of weapons and spells being conjured.
Longevity:
Being based on a trading card and being true to the style of the game, there isn’t a great variation of play and thus it could become very repetitive. There is one saving grace to the game and that is it being Live enabled. This could be where the game excels and will make the game last a bit longer. Also via Live, there will be regular downloads such as spells, wizards and other assorted extras.
Round Up:
If you are a fan of Magic: The Gathering or any of the other trading card games than you will enjoy this faithful conversion to the XBox, otherwise you might find this game a bit too repetitive.
Pros:
- First of it’s kind to be converted to the Xbox.
- LIVE enabled
Cons:
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