Magic: The Gathering - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Magic: The Gathering

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In keeping with the role-playing theme, heroes start with 10 life points, instead of the 20 players get in the standard card game. Over the course of play, characters can earn extra life points by traveling to cities and other exotic locations in hopes of winning battles, gaining experience, and maintainng symbiotic relationships. There are other resources worth pursuing, such as money, food, mana stones, and world magics (which are used on the map instead of the duel), but they only serve to help build a more powerful deck. Unlike standard RPGs wherein characters strive to gain experience and hit or magic points, the main goal in Shandalar is to gain cards. More and better cards make you more powerful--powerful enough to battle the five guild masters who control the five colors of magic.
Mr. Quibble
The merging of MTG and Shandalar is very well thought-out. The graphics aren't stellar, but if nothing else, Shandalar is a good framework for keeping the player interested in repeatedly dueling the computer.
I do have some quibbles with the interface. For example, when teaming up with a nonbanding creature, you must select the creature with the banding attribute last. If you select it first, you won't be given the opportunity to combine forces, but you must still carry out the attack. You must also specifically tell the computer to stop at the upkeep phases in order to use fast effects. And since there is no undo feature Magic: The Gathering (unlike a generous friend in the card game), unexpected losses will occur if you aren't careful. Pop up help doesn't work, but on the plus side, cards turn yellow when they can be legally played--a nice reminder for those upkeep costs I always forget to tap.
These minor annoyances are nothing that a good patch won't fix. A more serious concern is the total lack of multiplayer options. I always belittle a game for neglecting networking, but never in the history of gaming has a title screamed for multiplayer as loudly as MTG. After all, this is a simulation of a multiplayer game, and human competition is what makes the card game so compelling. The computer is a worthy opponent and plays a solid game at the higher difficulty levels, but it can't tremble in awe at my deck-building ability. It doesn't learn my weaknesses and use them against me in the next duel, and most importantly, it doesn't drink too much as the night goes on and eventually allow me to win.
I realize that MTG PC won't take the place of the card game. When two people are in the same room, they won't pull out their laptops and dial up, but it sure would be nice to duel somebody on the opposite coast once in a while. MTG without human interaction is like Fat Albert on summer vacation--no class. Fortunately, rumor has it that MicroProse is contemplating releasing a multiplayer patch. Here's hoping it comes sooner rather than later.

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Magic: The Gathering

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