Argusdubbs

2013 is a definite improvement over the 2012 version. The decks seem more themed and certainly the synergy between the cards within each deck is greatly improved which I believe makes them more enjoyable to play. The added card options (40 unlockables this year compared to 20 in 2012) really gives you a chance to build your deck a couple different ways. Finally, the balance between decks is much better as well. In 2012 there were certain decks that were very difficult to win with consistently but in 2013 the margin between decks has been narrowed. There are still some drawbacks- land distributions is still not manually adjustable which can be frustrating when you have so many other ways to fine tune your decks. Additionally the 'card shuffling' is a bit sub-par, leading many times to either not having enough land or having too much in any given hand; however these are not game breaking defects. Finally, the multiplayer connectivity, while improved from 2012, is still lacking in that there are many times when you find yourself unable to connect to your opponents. However, the mid-game crashes that plagued 2012 seem to have been cleaned up and I have only encountered one or two game crashes in over 250 online matches. Finally, I wish to note that many people mark this game down for not allowing full deck building options and I don't think that is fair. This game does not advertise that feature nor would it make sense for it to do so. Magic the Gathering: Online provides that service and charges large sums of money in return. On the other hand, for the $9.99 charge that this game incurs you get 10 decks each in excess of 100 cards, the price to replicate on Magic Online or with physical magic cards would be well over $1000. The game does well what it sets out to do - provide gateway into the world of Magic the Gathering, allowing the player to experience a number of different deck types, colors and themes without the prohibitive cost that acquiring those cards in Magic Online or paper magic would entail. Finally it gives what many magic players really need - an active online community to go head to head against.

I don't hand out 10's very frequently but this game I feel is deserving in every way. The story was compelling, the graphics were good for their time and the replay value was high due to the Chaos Frame and branching decisions impacting who could be recruited. While this all adds to the game's appeal, there were two main factors that forced me to pick a 10 for this game: 1. The game play is outstanding, from the RPG leveling and growth of your units, the customizable nature of the squads and the battles themselves all form a game that you enjoy all aspects of. You never feel like you're rushing through to get to the good stuff because it's all so good. 2. It is unique. Never before nor since have I found a game quite like Ogre Battle 64 - it's super Nintendo predecessor did not capture my attention in the same way nor has another game come out to replace it. This is a game that I still to this day dust off my N64 just to play once more through the story. Only a handful of games can same the same. If you've never played Ogre Battle 64 you owe it to yourself to give it a try!