Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers

39%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,512 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • grinding
Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers Game Cover
The yearly update to Stainless Game's digital version of Magic: The Gathering offers some crucial updates that are held back by a continued conservatism.
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In Magic 2015, players are given the ability to create custom decks. As games are won and experience is earned, new cards of the player's choice are added to their collection. Players are also given the ability to open virtual booster packs to give more options when deck building, and the game gives assistance in creating decks.

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  • Tablet
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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

39%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,512 reviews
gameplay113 positive mentions
grinding294 negative mentions
  • The ability to build custom decks is a significant improvement over previous versions.
  • The game provides a good introduction to Magic: The Gathering for new players.
  • The graphics and card art are visually appealing.
  • The user interface is clunky and slow, making navigation frustrating.
  • Many popular game modes, such as Two-Headed Giant and Planechase, have been removed.
  • The card pool is limited, making it difficult to create diverse and powerful decks.
  • gameplay484 mentions

    The gameplay of Magic 2015 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a slower pace compared to previous installments, which detracts from the overall experience. While the card mechanics are generally smooth and the deck-building features are appreciated, numerous bugs and a clunky user interface hinder enjoyment. Additionally, the presence of pay-to-win elements and a limited card pool have frustrated both new and veteran players, leading to a perception that the game lacks depth and variety.

    • “Magic 2014 was a great game; they helped you understand the game's mechanics and had decks for each color combination.”
    • “The gameplay is that of the magic card game, so if you like the game, you'll enjoy this game.”
    • “Overall, I really enjoy this game; I feel it's the best one they have done so far with the multiple fully customizable decks, the amount of cards they have put in, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the DLCs are. Gameplay feels more involving in the constant thought of perfecting a deck, feels more like real-life MTG.”
    • “Sloppy gameplay, multiple bugs, piss-poor menus.”
    • “Gameplay is very slow, very boring, very uninspiring compared to 2014.”
    • “The gameplay has become even slower and more laborious, if you can play magic without a retard AI prompting you with what to do constantly you won't want to play this.”
  • story336 mentions

    The story mode in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking in depth and engagement compared to previous titles in the series. While some appreciate the attempt to weave a narrative into the gameplay, they note that the storyline is often thin and feels disconnected from the overall experience, with many missions feeling repetitive and overly reliant on luck. Overall, the single-player content offers some interesting elements, but many players feel it could benefit from more substantial storytelling and better integration with the gameplay mechanics.

    • “The underlying story of Garruk and his obsession with being a hunter is nicely realized, and while the transitions from plane to plane are a touch weird, it's all good and nothing that detracts from the overall story experience.”
    • “The campaign continues last year's awesomeness, and this time the plot actually feels more relevant to the greater MTG storyline, with some sweet cutscenes as gravy.”
    • “I love this game for two reasons: deck building and a campaign that actually tells a story.”
    • “The story mode feels like it comes down to luck more than skill.”
    • “The story is laughably short, maybe 5 hours total if you aren't just restarting over and over trying to win a duel.”
    • “The campaign is pretty much meaningless, since there's nothing to unlock besides boosters.”
  • grinding296 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the lack of effective card filtering options and the slow pace of gameplay. While some players appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes from unlocking cards through grinding, others criticize the heavy reliance on microtransactions and the feeling of being forced to grind for hours to build a competitive deck. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, especially for those who prefer a more casual or streamlined gaming experience.

    • “It's actually not that tedious or boring.”
    • “It's an insanely greedy, unnecessary step, only to bring in more money because the grinding is painstakingly boring.”
    • “The single player campaign is incredibly sluggish and tedious.”
    • “Grinding to get free card packs is boring and frustrating.”
  • monetization266 mentions

    The monetization strategy in "Magic 2015" has drawn significant criticism for its heavy reliance on microtransactions, which many players feel transforms the game into a cash grab. While some content can be unlocked through gameplay, a substantial portion of cards is locked behind paywalls, leading to a "pay-to-win" perception, especially in competitive modes. Additionally, frequent advertisements and the overall design appear to prioritize profit over player experience, leaving many fans disappointed.

    • “I had read previous complaints about microtransactions, but now it seems that the booster packs (formerly premium packs) are now acquired by winning multiplayer matches, although you still have the option to buy them under the DLC content.”
    • “The optional in-game purchases can add some upgrades to the free-to-play card pool, but the vast majority of game content can be unlocked by completing the campaign.”
    • “I have casually finished and unlocked all the cards in the last two weeks with only spending $10. The only in-game purchases you have to get to unlock all the cards are the DLC and the Alara collection, but you can easily unlock all the card collection in the campaign and a couple of matches with the explore the chosen world feature.”
    • “They're making money on ads and yet still have the nerve to ask for more money to make the game a little easier.”
    • “Magic 2015 is built around a single purpose: frustrating the player to the point of buying more booster packs through microtransactions.”
    • “I would say that Magic 2015 is pay to win since actually unlocking the game's full content will cost more than the base price of the game in the form of microtransactions.”
  • graphics242 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the artwork and aesthetic appeal, while others criticize the performance issues and lack of dynamic effects during gameplay. Many users note that the interface can be clunky and slow, detracting from the overall experience, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, while the visuals are considered decent or even beautiful by some, they often come at the cost of performance and usability.

    • “Stunning graphics, with great visuals and easy to view card art.”
    • “The graphics are improved and the campaign method to get more cards and start with a single deck makes the game far more interesting to be played.”
    • “The colours and graphics are crisp and nice looking, I think it's the best looking Magic game by far.”
    • “My computer can run most recently released games on the highest graphics settings, but I'm suffering performance issues just navigating through this 2014 card game's menus.”
    • “The graphic interface looks like it's been done by tablet programmers; it really is that awful.”
    • “The list of cons starts with the lackluster background visuals, slow iOS-style interface, and insane difficulty spike which left a sour taste in my mouth.”
  • stability117 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and glitches affecting both single-player and multiplayer experiences. Users frequently encounter issues such as freezing menus, unresponsive controls, and game crashes, leading to frustration and a lack of confidence in the game's reliability. While some players note that it runs smoothly at times, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by significant stability problems that detract from the enjoyment.

    • “There is absolutely no excuse for how buggy this game is.”
    • “The game is full of bugs and glitches.”
    • “Game crashes and freezes constantly.”
  • music74 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking the emotional depth of previous installments, particularly Magic 2014. While some appreciate the soundtrack as pleasant and fitting for gameplay, others describe it as bland and forgettable, often leading them to lower the volume. Overall, the consensus suggests a desire for more variety and a stronger musical identity to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “As usual, an epic soundtrack perfectly captures the feeling of magical adventure and tough action.”
    • “The graphics and art are beautiful as always, and I love the chosen soundtrack for menus and battles.”
    • “The music is unintrusive and quite great.”
    • “Music is bland and has no feeling.”
    • “The game doesn't have anything for music; it's the same song all the time, it's annoying.”
    • “And these magic video games (save the music, animations, and sound effects) have fallen off a cliff since Magic 2013.”
  • optimization48 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, particularly with slow and unresponsive menus, even on high-end machines. Many players have noted that the user interface is poorly designed for PC use, lacking usability and responsiveness, which detracts from the overall experience. While some improvements have been made compared to previous versions, the consensus remains that the game is still poorly optimized, leading to frustration among players.

    • “Game is far better optimized than previous versions, especially 2014.”
    • “-runs smoothly without any glitches/crashes (compared to Magic 2014 this is so much better)”
    • “-match UI performance improvement: the playfield UI responds much better.”
    • “My computer can run most recently released games on the highest graphics settings, but I'm suffering performance issues just navigating through this 2014 card game's menus.”
    • “Painfully slow menus, even slower when using cross-fire setup, awful performance, no usability whatsoever on the menus (where is the retry option for online play? change deck between matches), no 2 head giants (one of the best modes in the game), slow grinding to get new cards, and incomplete options for deck building. Best cards on a freemium model which is a big issue since the game is paid.”
    • “After browsing reviews and various websites, there seems to be a consensus that the game has poor optimization, the UI is poor, and the deckbuilding is practically imprisoned in the helvault that Avacyn for whatever reason doesn't want you getting into because the starter decks are terrible and the AI decks actually have synergy.”
  • replayability46 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag, with many users noting a lack of significant replay value, particularly in single-player modes and campaign duels. While some appreciate the potential for experimentation and the challenge of achievements, others criticize the absence of unlockable cards and the removal of popular features from previous iterations. Overall, the game offers limited replayability compared to earlier titles in the series, with some players finding enjoyment despite these shortcomings.

    • “Magic: The Gathering is a habit-forming, easy to play, quick to learn trading card game that is essentially inexhaustible in its replayability.”
    • “This adds a ton of replayability and experimentation over previous versions!”
    • “The achievements, personas, and titles offer a reasonable challenge to obtain, bringing a lot of replay value.”
    • “Zero replay value - that's the whole point in a CCG, rebuild or modify and go at it again.”
    • “As a note, there's no replay value for facing these campaign duelists (which is kinda dumb, as some of them have interesting decks).”
    • “Replayability is close to zero since you no longer unlock cards.”
  • humor40 mentions

    The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky mechanics and player experiences, such as the clunky menus and the absurdity of players netdecking the same strategies. Many find the game's script and situations, like struggling with suboptimal decks, to be amusing, while others highlight the irony of microtransactions in a game that mirrors real-life card game dynamics. Overall, while the humor may not reach the heights of previous titles, it still provides a lighthearted backdrop to the gameplay.

    • “The most hilarious part was I had all the premium boosters unlocked after beating so many people. I made premium booster decks that were horrible, bought the packs to fund the game after I had unlocked all the normal cards, and wanted more just for the sake of completionism, funding the game I was enjoying despite all the hate, like I did with the previous games.”
    • “It's pretty funny to watch my housemate struggle through with a green-black deck, as you are forced to play with your initial choice until others are made available.”
    • “I just beat the campaign; it was not impossible, challenging yet funny, and the way we get cards is fine. The pool is not too big but decent, with a few cool deck possibilities. The HUD sucks, but you get used to it and stop hating it after a bit. Enjoy this game!”
  • emotional11 mentions

    Players express a mix of nostalgia and disappointment regarding the emotional impact of the game, feeling that it falls short of the high standards set by previous titles in the franchise. While some moments in the campaign evoke strong feelings, particularly through the story of Garuk, the overall experience is marred by a sense of loss and frustration over the game's perceived flaws and lack of creativity. Despite these issues, there are still moments of accomplishment that resonate emotionally with players.

    • “It's heartbreaking at times.”
    • “Story is about stopping Garruk; it's an extremely emotional and compelling story.”
    • “I just beat the campaign and it was my deck building decisions that made me feel like I had actually accomplished something.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's strong atmosphere, noting the importance of music, graphics, and arena details in enhancing the overall experience. Many feel that previous versions offered a richer atmospheric experience, elevating it beyond a mere trading card game. Overall, the current iteration is praised for its fantastic atmosphere and engaging gameplay.

    • “As silly as it sounds, I miss the focus on great music, atmospheric graphics, and even the detail given to the arena.”
    • “I felt the previous versions of the game (2013, 2014, etc.) had enough other atmospheric features that elevated the experience beyond a simple 'trading card game'.”
    • “This game has a great atmosphere, fantastic gameplay, and it's Magic: The Gathering, so just buy it and see.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

Buy Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers

Play time

39hMedian play time
92hAverage play time
8-153hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 57 analyzed playthroughs

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