Card battle games are more popular than ever, and have even begun to infiltrate the MMO and social gaming realms. But there's one game that started the whole card battle craze way back in the early 1990's, and that game is Magic the Gathering.
While other games have come along to briefly eclipse MtG in popularity over the years (Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon), MtG has endured with remarkable vigor and remains as relevant today as it was upon release.
The newest version of Magic to hit the App Store is Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, the 3rd Planeswalkers release on the App Store. Gamevil has no intention of letting Planeswalkers steal all the card battle limelight in 2013, or any other year for that matter (namely 2012), and have counterattacked with Duels of Fate. Can it possibly bring the Magic house of cards tumbling down? Or is it a pale imitator to the legend? Let's find out.
Graphics
The graphics of these games largely come down to their card designs, and each bears a different style. MtG's cards tend to have a more detailed and realistic look, while DoF bears a more anime style approach, and a slightly plainer overall look.
As such, personal preference will certainly play a role in dictating which graphical look shines through in the eyes of the beholder. For my money, the cards in MtG are a lot more interesting to look at, both in their overall design, and specifically their art direction and detail.
Gameplay
MtG's gameplay has been refined endlessly over the years, leading to a game that plays flawlessly, with great depth. There are hundreds of cards to build your deck from, and the app comes with a single-player campaign as well, for when constantly crushing your friends in multiplayer grows tiring (if it ever does).
DoF takes a slightly different approach, with a rock/paper/scissors style system that incorporates some strategy into the battles beyond just the base stats of a card. You have also single use spell cards like you do in MtG. The system is a little simplistic though, and aside from rock/paper/scissors strategy, there's not a whole lot of deeper depth or strategy.
Accessibility
Card games are not the most accessible of games by and large, and take some experimentation to get a handle on. Magic does a great job of helping new players with all sorts of in-game documentation and keywords that can be clicked on cards leading to descriptions of effects.
DoF is a little easier to get an initial handle on, but the game also lacks any form of tutorial to help players build their understanding of the game. You can play a few A.I matches initially to help you along, but are then thrust into multiplayer against other live duellers. DoF matches generally play out quicker than those in MtG, which makes it more suitable at times for quick bursts of play.
The Verdict
Each game is enjoyable to play in its own right, and is varied enough that each could succeed and find its own audience in the crowded App market.
Duels of Fate should appeal to players just taking their first steps into the card battle arena, and looking for something simple to grasp, with just enough strategy to keep things interesting.
MtG is a deeper and more polished experience on the whole though, and should be the card game of choice for anyone undaunted by its slightly more complex and rewarding gameplay.
