Magic the Gathering is one of the longest running card games in existence, with so many cards and so many sets, that you would need an entire warehouse to store them all. For the past few years, gamers have been able to play a video game version of the card game known as Duels of the Planeswalkers. This year marks the third anniversary of the series as we get to play duels of the planeswalkers 2014. Does it feel like the real card game or does it play out like a cheap knock off? Let’s tap our land for mana and find out.

It is a good thing to say that this newest instalment to the series fixes a series of problems that I know were apparent with the previous games. First is the menu, it is much simpler to navigate than the previous iterations which were too in depth and bugged out a lot of the time, stopping you from selecting what modes you want to play or what options you want to change. Secondly was the artistic approach to the game. It was always nice to see the game utilise the art work from the cards, because it is beautiful. But in 2014, I believe they had the artistic layout spot on. Thirdly was that they now introduced a fully voiced, step by step tutorial for new players. This is fantastic and I was waiting for a tutorialto be properly implemented. This means that people that have never played the previous games or even the card game, can join in on the fun and try it out.

Cards Do Have Their Own Animations Whilst Attacking And Some Even Come To Life

The gameplay has been improved in 2014, with some new additions as well. Every new game comes with a new game mode that players can enjoy to immerse them into the card game further. In this case we have the addition of the long awaited ‘Draft Mode’ that allows you to pull packs and create your very own deck from scratch. This mode is a great addition, allowing players to fully customise and create a complete deck of their choosing or even let the game create the best deck for them simply using the ‘Auto-Create’ option. The only down side to this mode is that it is incredibly short as once you have beaten all of your opponents in the campaign that’s it. No extra missions and no deck unlock for the main campaign. You can take the deck online to face your friends sealed decks and while it’s a great addition it feels very basic.

The campaign is now bigger than ever with a much better storyline added in as well. Instead of just going against planeswalkers in order to own their decks, you are in fact on a mission to find all these artefacts scattered across the plains to help Chandra. Instead of facing planeswalker decks back to back, there is now a series of challenges players have it complete first. These challenges pit the player in a situation where they have to overcome a deck with a particular system to it. The goal is to pin point the weakness of the deck and defeat it.

Deck Construction Has Been Drastically Improved

Speaking of the planeswalker decks, there have been new additions and improvements. Ranging now from your Mono Red burn decks to your White, Red & Green Slither swarm decks, there are literally loads of options to play with. Every time you play with these decks and win, you unlock more cards for them which you can switch out in order to build the deck to your preferred liking. This mode is really nice as it will keep you enthralled for hours. On the bad side, new players might find this too much of a challenge. The learning curve can be harsh as your opponent seems to top deck everything they need whilst you can sometimes be stuck with a land hand. But that is more a matter of ‘luck of the draw’ rather than lack of skill.

Online you can battle random people, your friends or just fight alongside your friends as you play everything from a simple 1v1, to a teamed up confrontation on Two Headed Giant, to going all out in a four way brawl. You can use the decks you have unlocked in the single player campaign, as well as the cards you have unlocked along the way, or you can choose to go into sealed games with your custom sealed deck instead. Plenty of various modes and challenges to both casual and serious players of the game that want to show how dominant they are.

Hopefully Sealed Gameplay Becomes A Staple For The Series

Overall the game has improved yet again with this new instalment. The layout and menu navigation is much better as well as the speed of battles and the animations of damage being dealt. The sealed deck play is a great addition but hopefully this is worked on for the next game to make it more developed and refined. The decks that are available cater to different play styles and truly open up the chance to experiment. This is a must have title for fans of Magic the Gathering and a worthwhile purchase for anyone that is interested in getting into the card game.

What do you think of Magic the Gathering 2014? Do you think it is a true testament to the real life card game or do you believe that there aren’t enough cards in the deck to keep you interested? Let us know what you think in the comments below and fill us in with your best and worst experiences of the game on the VGU Forums.