Magic: The Gathering Arena Reviews
Magic: The Gathering – Bloomburrow is a fantastic set for new players and those who dip in and out of Arena, or are looking for an easy entry point. The tribal nature means you can build decks with the safety rails on, and the relatively simple mechanics introduced in the set make for a relatively shallow learning curve. Plus, did we mention the cards are adorable? All of this means that there hasn't been a better time to start learning Magic in the past few years.
If someone told me that Murders at Karlov Manor was their favorite or least favorite set, I would understand why. I'm strangely medium on the set. The artwork and the setting are top notch. There's a lot of smart design decisions inside and I absolutely enjoyed my time with it. It's just… the more MKM I experienced, the less I liked face-down creatures. If the only thing you read is this summary, I implore you to try MKM as you might find the opposite. The core idea of unknown information within Magic: The Gathering has always been a unique offering. Wizards of the Coast are experts at crafting their games and Murders at Karlov Manor is not bad. It's just not my thing.
Magic: The Gathering Arena fulfills the old dream of playing wherever you want, with decks designed by yourself, anytime and anywhere. With some gameplay and stability issues, it is far from perfect, but it does its job well in bringing all the richness and complexity of big screens to small screens. It is a very valid option to enjoy Magic, especially considering that it is a free application and has full integration with its desktop version.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
MTG Arena is not yet perfect and it's probably why it is not essential to every player. It remains a very valuable help and will evolve anyway to become an essential card game developping its esport side. If you have not played it yet, do not hesitate to download it for knowledge, and if you are practicing Magic, you will play it one day or another.
Review in French | Read full review
The core draft environment of Thunder Junction is fantastic. I love westerns and this set represents a weird west I am happy to explore. The new mechanics and themes are well designed and offer a ton of fun draft archetypes to play. Thunder Junction does have three separate extra card pools that are added into the draft set. The extra cards are very powerful and can lead the gameplay to the meaner side of MtG. If you're not prepared for this it could quickly sour your experience. While these extra cards did put a bit of a damper on my experience, the overall set is enough fun that I was ok with the occasional negative game. If you're looking for some weird west in your MtG, mosey on over to Thunder Junction and give it a try.
If you're considering learning Magic: The Gathering, I recommend the Starter Kit 2023. While it feels like some corners have been cut, the overall product does a serviceable job of teaching new players the game. I'd like the included rules to be more tailored to the Starter Kit, but the games inside are a good showcase of what Magic can be. There is fun to be had within this kit. As for the claim, "The best way to learn to play." I don't think it quite lives up to that. The best way to learn to play Magic is still with a friend who knows the game, but the Starter Kit is still a decent way to get started too.
Slick and generous, Magic: The Gathering Arena is finally the adaptation the CCG originator deserves.
Playing MTG in the palm of your hand, flicking between cards with your fingers, that's the best way to play the digital version of this card game.
Magic: The Gathering Arena is an excellent entry point into the twenty-six-year-old franchise for new players and lovable for veteran players as well. While it's generally a very fun experience, it's not without technical issues.
Quotation Forthcoming
Review in Italian | Read full review
Duskmourn: House of Horror is a fun solid Magic: The Gathering set. I love the 1980s horror-inspired setting…mostly. There are bits of theme that seem out of place for Magic: The Gathering. With that said the core set design is a great example of what makes Magic fun. Duskmourn focuses on back-and-forth gameplay, enabling longer games through its design choices. The new mechanics are good iterations of established designs. The horror setting of Duskmourn makes it feel weird to say the actual set design feels conventional, but that design is still a lot of fun. If you're looking for more spooks in your Magic: The Gathering, Duskmourn is a good choice.
Whether you're a fan of Fallout or Magic: The Gathering I think there is something for you to love with these four decks. For the experienced players, there are new mechanics that are powerful and interesting. For Fallout fans there's some of the most amazing Fallout artwork I've ever seen. I truly appreciate the care Wizards takes with their Universes Beyond products and I hope this continues. Despite the decks having a few design hiccups, they are fun to play and I personally love them as a pod being played together. Overall, I absolutely recommend these decks for any fan of Fallout or Magic: The Gathering.
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is a complex set with a lot of keywords and abilities on cards making it complex. Despite this, Lost Caverns of Ixalan is a lot of fun to play in Limited. Lost Caverns of Ixalan rewards players through rich drafting and deep gameplay. The artwork for this set is as always stunning. In addition to that, the Commander decks offer good value and gameplay, and I hope that this trend continues for the Commander decks. I can recommend Lost Caverns of Ixalan to anyone looking to dive into some Magic: The Gathering games.
Wilds of Eldraine is a fantastic set, both for veterans and new players. The main set is fun to draft while being friendly to new players. The mechanics offer gameplay that keeps the set dynamic and lively. Matches of Wilds of Eldraine were always moving forward without becoming a slow stalemate. The "enchanting tales" offer bonus value to players while also supporting the flavor and mechanics of the main set. In contrast, the commander decks offer decent value to players looking for an entry point into commander, but aren't anything special from previous commander offerings.
You can't beat the feeling of playing Magic with cardboard in your hands. Still, Arena presents a slick realisation in digital form, and one that should suit both old hands and newcomers.Will Freeman
Magic Arena is a stellar addition to the Magic: The Gathering family. It’s here to stay and the competitive landscape will likely be better for it overall as time goes on.
The Foundations Starter Collection is a good starting point for anyone new or returning to Magic: The Gathering. This is a unique box where you know (excluding the three Play Boosters) exactly what you're getting. Inside is good value for anyone looking to expand their collection especially if you intend to play Standard anytime soon. While I would have liked to see more full sets of cards included I do understand that this is the -> Starter <- Collection. If you're interested in expanding your Magic horizons, new and old, I can recommend the Starter Collection.
Magic the Gathering is the grandfather of a lot of deckbuilding games, but its introduction to the digital marketplace feels fresh, exciting and well worth the (free) price tag
MTG Arena is the best possible transposition of the historic card game. It's free (initially, at least) and it's wonderful, there's no reason to not try it. With its unique style, complicated and rewarding, it will charm any TCG lover.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Magic: The Gathering Arena is an absolutely brilliant recreation of Magic only held back by Wizards of the Coast's monetization strategy and some unfinished business. With more of an open mind toward new modes of play (plus ways to keep your old cards relevant) and a better client, this could be the definitive way to play the best card game in the world for the foreseeable future.