Reviewed: February 28, 2004
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Atari
Developer
Secret Level
Released: November 18, 2003
Genre: Strategy
Players: 2
ESRB: Teen
8
7
7
8
7.8
System Requirements:
Recommended System:
Atari, Wizards of the Coast, and Secret Level join forces to convert the popular Magic: The Gathering card game into a viable action-strategy combat title. While we’ve already seen plenty of computerized versions of the actual card game this is the first time the series breaks from those bonds and tries to be something a little different.
Magic: The Gathering – Battlegrounds takes the essence of the card game and creates a tactical combat game that uses a lot of the familiar aspects such as spells, mana, and life points. Those of you who are experience with the card game might actually find yourself at a slight disadvantage since so much of the original game has been lost in favor of creating a more action oriented title. You might have to deprogram yourself.
I approached this game as a total novice to the Magic series. I’ve never been remotely interested in the card games and when the computerized versions started to surface I passed those titles onto other reviewers who would appreciate them more. With the promise of some action and strategy elements I decided to give Battlegrounds a try and was pleasantly surprised.
Battlegrounds manages to blend real-time action and strategy in a fast-paced title that blurs the lines between chess and the melee combat that you might find in a game like Final Fantasy. The game is heavily geared toward spellcasting and magical combat but you are allowed to engage in physical attacks, both against the opposing duelist and any of the creatures he might summon.
The concept is simple. You prepare your spellbook then face off against the enemy in an arena-like area. The arena is divided in half and while you can cross the “line” to engage in physical combat or swipe some mana, you are unable to cast spells, or use your shield and you will also take damage every two seconds you are in enemy territory.
Each duelist has a fixed amount of life points and a mana bar. As you pick up mana shards you are able to cast spells. Your mana will also slowly replenish over time and you can even mash a button to speed up the process to a limited extent. When you have enough mana you can then cast spells of various types and increasing power.
The most popular spells are ones that summon creatures to assist you in battle. Each creature has their own life points and attack power and you can summon up to five monsters at a time. Summoning multiple creatures and creating your own mini-army is one of the key elements in winning these duels. It’s also important to summon your creatures as close to the “line” as possible so they don’t have too far to travel when they respawn.
It’s also important to summon the proper type of creatures. A good example is flying creatures, which are generally imperviously to attacks from the ground. Of course the enemy will also be summoning their own creatures so you need to make sure to have adequate defenses as well as a few extra creatures to go on the offense. Mixing land and air creatures is another key to success.
Traditional RTS gamers might find it odd that your summoned creatures will move in and attack only once then vanish. If they are still alive after that attack they will respawn from their original summoning point and repeat the attack. It takes some getting used to, but after a few tutorial battles it all becomes second nature.
Other magic includes sorcery spells that can cause direct damage to the duelist or their summoned creatures. There is also enchantment magic that you can use to enhance the abilities of your current army. It’s up to you to pick a good selection of all spell types then use them wisely during combat.
While you won’t want to cross the “line” to engage in prolonged combat there will be times when you need to smack down some incoming enemies. You can do this with a good timed attack and you can even throw up a magical shield to block their attacks. Using the shield costs valuable mana so perfect timing is crucial.
There is a high level of strategy involved in Battlegrounds, not only in creating the perfect spellbook, but also in casting the perfect sequence of spells to layer your attacks for optimum effect. There will be times when you are forced to beat down the incoming forces by hand while you conserve your mana for that one big spell. The fact that you have total freedom to mix and match your spells makes this game highly challenging and totally different each time you play.
Magic: The Gathering has always been about competitive gaming and Battlegrounds features an excellent two-player mode. Before you head off to seek out opposing duelists online you will want to complete the solo campaign which is designed to not only teach you the ropes but develop a competitive spellbook and master the art of magical combat. Even when you think you are master of your domain there will be somebody waiting for you with a wildly aggressive spellbook that will send you scrambling to the edit screen to reconfigure your spells.
Visually, Battlegrounds is a very good looking game but not as impressive as I would have hoped considering the limited scope of the gameplay. After all, we’re playing on a fairly static screen that only zooms in and out based on what’s required to keep everything in view. You are limited to five summoned creatures so that means only ten monsters on the battlefield at anytime plus the two duelists.
The camera just never seemed to get close enough to let me appreciate the creature designs or animation. This made it hard to distinguish some of the creature types. The interface works very well allowing you to quickly navigate the onscreen menus to pick and cast spells. Spells will glow when you have enough mana to cast them.
Given the magical nature of the game I was expecting plenty of dazzling special effects and for the most part Battlegrounds delivered. It’s certainly not as spectacular as it could have been but there are loads of particle effects, swirling lights, fire, glowing monsters, and all sorts of other supernatural effects.
Once the battles get going the screen becomes a swirling mass of color, which can often get confusing. I was impressed that with everything going on the framerate never dropped, but then again, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for fast camera movement. Battlegrounds on the PC does offer higher resolutions than the Xbox so you can get sharper graphics but they really aren't "better".
Battlegrounds offers up a Dolby Digital mix if you have a sound card that supports it but truth be told I just never heard anything that great coming from my speakers. There is some nice music in the opening, typical fantasy stuff, and the voice work is merely adequate, usually simple taunts from the duelists.
Sound effects are as varied as the visual effects that accompany each spell, but with so much going on at any given time the sound becomes a blur much like the visuals. It’s sensory overload.
The solo campaign covers six chapters made up of numerous battles per chapter. It will take you 15-20 hours to make your way through the 60 missions in the solo campaign then you can test your spellcasting powers with real opponents online. This is where the game becomes as long-term as you want to make it.
There are more than 70 spells and six variations (colors) of magic and as you master each one a new duelist will become available in that color. You can also download new spells online and customized your spellbook beyond what’s provided with the main game.
I have to give credit to Secret Level for making an RTS game that I actually enjoyed. Sure, it may be a dumbed down version of the card game, but by focusing on action and strategy the game becomes much more accessible to casual gamers and those who aren’t already hardcore fans of the card game.
Magic: The Gathering – Battlegrounds is a fairly original concept in gaming, but the fact is that the PC has a lot more online games so gamers are going to be a bit more discerning when it comes to picking one. I just have a hunch this game is going to be more widely received on the Xbox than the PC. It’s easy to learn and difficult to master, but the experience you have from beginning to end will be challenging and rewarding. I highly recommend Battlegrounds to anyone who enjoys thinking on their feet and fast-paced strategic combat.