42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, a great way to play this epic game online., February 10, 2003
This review is from: Magic The Gathering Online (CD-ROM)
I've had a passing fascination with Magic: The Gathering for quite some time. When I first tried the game several years ago, I knew it was my type of game. Sadly though, not a single person I knew played Magic. My attempts to teach others failed horribly, resulting in little to no challenge whatsoever. Finally I gave up and learned to live with the pain of seeing Magic in card shops, books, TV, and everywhere else.
I made attempts at finding other ways to play. I tried most of the previous Magic: The Gathering games only to be disappointed. I even tried Apprentice, only to find it a very poor substitute for the real thing.
Well, finally all my Magic: The Gathering troubles are behind me. With M:TG Online, playing a round of M:TG takes less than a minute to get started. The card art is faithfully reproduced and looks relatively good considering the limited screen space. The feel of the game is exactly like the real thing, in my opinion, better.
Why's it better? Well, from my attempts at playing the card game with newbies, I can tell you that it's highly annoying explaining the rules and why your genius finishing combo isn't cheating. For that matter, even the highly skilled players can still be unclear about certain card combos and their effects from time to time. M:TG Online will never let you make an impossible move, and you never have to wonder if you are in fact making a correct move. Everything is clear and precise, with no annoying popup messages or other time wasting dialogs. If something can't be done, it simply won't be possible to do. And don't think that this will give players an edge by making them able to effectively try everything until something works, it simply won't work that way. Anyone who has to rely on a strategy like that would be stomped in 3 seconds flat by a skilled player.
Some people will unquestionably whine about buying digital cards for full price, but I believe Wizards has made the right choice. If the game simply shipped with all cards for a flat $..., the game would simply lose its lifelike realism. It would become just like Apprentice, where everyone uses only the best cards and all of the lower cards are never even looked at much less played with. When I play, I want to play a round of Magic: The Gathering, not a dream deck building simulation. This is the only way that is actually possible. The people that seem to think M:TG is only lasting as long as you keep spending money on boosters are simply incorrect. At just under $... a deck, you could buy a good 4 or 5 theme decks and still be under the cost of one PC game. As any player knows, each and every card pretty much changes how the game is played. Each deck plays different, and feels different. 4 theme decks would not only give you plenty to keep you playing without getting bored for a very long time, it would also give you plenty of cards to build a custom deck or two with. You don't need to spend a fortune for boosters to build and collect if you don't want to. Your cards and decks never expire.
You deck builders out there will love this one. All of your cards are stored in a central collection you own, a master album. Decks are built only when needed, using cards from your collection. So in other words, you never really need more than 4 of any non-land cards, since your decks are seamlessly disbanded and rebuilt before and after every match. No deciding where to put your best cards, no hording tons of a great card, and plenty of tradable cards! If that's not enough to quell any gripes about the price of the cards, nothing is.
So, with so much right... what's there to complain about? Well, there are a few small gripes. Although the interface is sleek and quick, the avatars aren't. They're slow loading, and quite ugly. The skeleton for example has all the quality of a early 90's dungeon crawler sprite. It's a small gripe, sure... but it's annoying. The play area backgrounds are the same way... somewhat pixilated and just nothing that would make you say wow. These graphics problems thankfully don't get in the way, but they don't compliment the game's incredible art either. In a game known for it's jaw dropping card art, you'd think they would put a little more effort into the avatars and backdrops. They could have at least made it customizable so others could step in where they left off. The sounds are also about as plain and dull as humanly possible, but again not so much so it would force you to turn them off. That's pretty much the worst thing I have to say about M:TG Online.
Well, it should be clear by now I love M:TG Online. It's simply must have for anyone who's always wanted to play M:TG but couldn't do so using the cards. The game is equally rewarding for current players of the card game, if you can get over the fact that you can't use your current cards most likely sitting in shoeboxes and albums.
My advice: Download the software, try the demo decks. If you like that, buy one theme deck and see if it feels right. Stick with just one, buy a handful, or go full on M:TG collector. It's up to you.
- Rirath_com
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Do Get Some Cards To Start With!, July 9, 2002
This review is from: Magic The Gathering Online (CD-ROM)
This game is fantastic. Especially if you have no one local to play with. It just like the paper card game, allowing you to buy, sell, and trade cards. The card selcetion is what is currently allowed in standard format play, so you won't get to play with a lot of good older cards, but the selection and diversity I have seen online is great. These cards won't wear out or bend!
Several reviewers have stated you don't get any cards with this set. It's not true, you get a certificate good in the online store for one starter deck, which contains 75 cards. After that you have to buy, trade or beg for cards, just like in real life. Or if you want, you can play with that one deck forever and never spend another cent.
The implementation of Magic rules is great, and you don't have to worry about anyone trying to cheat you, or missinterpret the rules. The game looks and plays beautiful. You can join or form clans, that will eventually get to participate in clan only events. Join leagues, play multiplayer games like Three Headed Giant or Emperor. There are online tourneys to enter, with rankings and prizes (but these do cost money, just like real life). But, the best thing about Magic Online, is now I can find an opponent anytime I want to play a game.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quite Possibly The Most Expensive Game You Will Ever Buy, July 31, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Magic The Gathering Online (CD-ROM)
Only people with an access to a credit card and a willingness to use it should buy this game. You probably also should be familiar with the game or be willing to spend.
The biggest advantage is that you can play this game anytime you want and there are no longer rules questions since the interface won't let you play a card illegally. ... Unfortunately, you have to pay tax on everything you buy online . With all the good accountants in the world, I don't know how Hasbro could have let this happen.
However, I hear that if you win the tournament, you do get a prize, so it is a bit like gambling.
If you don't want to pay money each time you play, you can go to the casual play area. They even have a setup for multi-player games like emperor and 4 way.
They also have forums for trading cards online.
An excellent interface for playing Magic. You can now play 24x7. With the software, you get a credit for creating an account. After that, you have to buy online card packs.
You can also play some pre-made mono-colored decks in the practice area without buying cards.
To play cheaply in the casual area, you can buy a theme deck that includes a playable deck with land... and add or remove cards.
Great game, but can become very expensive.
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