Underplayed Gems

Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage (1997)

Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage cover
Developer
Wizards of the Coast
Publisher
Acclaim Entertainment
Platforms
PlayStation
Genres
Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Rating
2.5 of 5, 5 player ratings
Where to get it
Website

How it feels

A rough and unpolished real-time strategy experience where cheap AI and a clunky interface make commanding magical armies feel more frustrating than empowering.

jankyunbalancedfrustratingdatedclunkyfantasy warfarecompetitiveunfair

About

Magic: The Gathering: BattleMage is a real time strategy game published in January 1997 by Acclaim for both PCs and PlayStation. It was also in development for the Sega Saturn, but this version was cancelled in mid-1997. In addition to the real time strategy game, BattleMage has a head-to-head mode. It is set on the continent of Corondor, where a planeswalker named Ravidel forces the most powerful mages to fight each other, so that he can eventually destroy them and conquer the land. The game had a poor critical reception due to its unfair AI, unfriendly interface, and unbalanced gameplay.[citation needed] Spectrum Holobyte filed a lawsuit after Acclaim published the PC version in January 1997, claiming Acclaim had violated an agreement the two companies made in November 1996 which established a release schedule for the game, with the two companies publishing it for different platforms. In October of 2018, the game's rights were acquired by Canadian production company Liquid Media Group along with other titles originally owned by Acclaim Entertainment.

Trailer

Screenshots

Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage screenshot 1Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage screenshot 2

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