A multi-ton dragon spreads its wings and exhales fire. A bearded wizard waves his hands, arcane lightning in his eyes. A bloodthirsty barbarian raises his battle axe. Welcome to the world of Magic: The Gathering—Battlegrounds. Infogrames’ upcoming Xbox title is a fast-paced, combat-heavy adventure that tosses warriors, wizards, and monsters into the same arena and forces them to duke it out. Gamers can choose from more than a dozen distinctive characters, compete with more than 90 aggressive spells and physical attacks, and visit some of the strangest and most dangerous places in the Magic: The Gatheringuniverse.
Magic: The Gathering—Battlegrounds is based on the trading card game (TCG) of the same name that was first published in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. The cards represent magical spells, creatures, and items from a fully realized game world, and players use at least 60 of these cards in one-on-one contests known as duels. Each new update to the larger card pool adds another layer of detail to that game world. By combining different cards from different sets, players have access to nearly unlimited strategies.
Both the TCG and the Xbox title take place in what Magic: the Gathering fans know as the Multiverse. The Multiverse is an endlessly complicated cluster of distinctly different dimensions called “planes.” A plane can be as large as a galaxy or as small as a single room, and among them, you will find an infinite variety of living creatures. The Multiverse is also saturated with a mystical energy known as mana that is as common on some planes as gravity. Sentient beings can manipulate mana to control or even change the world around them: In other words, mana makes magic.
Mana can be used to attack your opponent directly, say, with a huge fireball or a withering plague. It can also be used indirectly, crafted into realistic facsimiles of living monsters that will obey their master’s bidding. Or, it can be used to create enchantments that can change battle conditions and give their user an edge in combat. There are five distinct colors or “flavors” of mana, each with its own characteristic strengths and weaknesses and each with its own allies and enemies among the other colors. Mana is essential to the world of Magic: the Gathering, and learning to control and manage this precious resource is the only sure way to survive.
Some planes in the Multiverse only have a few beings that are expert mana-users, while others have entire schools of apprentice wizards with competing philosophies about how their powerful training should be used. Only one being in a billion ever attains the highest degree of magical power, that of a planeswalker. Planeswalkers can travel across the Multiverse, from one plane to another, simply by thinking about it. They have no true physical bodies, but rather are beings of pure consciousness who can manipulate vast quantities of mana.
In the TCG, human players represent the godlike planeswalkers, beings so awesome they cannot be captured on a card. No sign of planeswalkers on the Xbox yet, but players can compete as one of the tough, but mortal characters, acquiring more power with each victory. There are literally thousands of unique and powerful beings in the Multiverse, but Magic: The Gathering—Battlegrounds focuses on a handful of the most popular and the mightiest. Knowledge of the TCG universe is not required to enjoy the game, but fans familiar with the TCG will recognize some of their favorite warrior angels, wizards, and barbarians … not to mention a certain spooky, wild-eyed, goggle-wearing oddball, who creates monsters from her mind.
One of Magic: the Gathering’s biggest strengths has always been its depth. There is virtually no limit to the strategies players can pursue, no end to the bizarre and frightening menagerie of monsters, and no shortage of stories to tell. So long as there is mana in the Multiverse and wizards fighting to be the best, the adventure will continue.
