There’s a reason Magic has remained so popular since its inception in 1993: It’s one of the deepest collectible card games ever, with tens of thousands of unique cards that can be combined into a near-infinite number of decks. Its only problem is its high barrier of entry. Fortunately, this follow-up to 2009’s Duels of the Planeswalkers is amazingly friendly to new recruits.

With a fantastic tutorial that’s one of the best ways to learn the game, plus a campaign mode (featuring all-new decks) that ramps up in difficulty through its 13 matches, newbies will slide easily into the game. Veterans will love the Challenge modes, where you figure out how to kill your opponent in one turn without dying yourself, as well as the brand-new Archenemy mode, which pits three players against one super-powered opponent and is probably the coolest addition. Though you can’t build your own decks from scratch, the deck editor is hugely improved, allowing you to remove any number of cards from your deck, rather than just the cards you unlocked (as in the previous Duels).

For new and old players alike, this sequel is a superb adaptation of the classic CCG.

On Xbox Live Arcade

+ Great tutorial for new players, while the Archenemy and Challenge modes will keep old-school folks busy for a while.

+ Vastly improved deck editor.

- You still can’t build your own custom decks.

? Where can we download some booster packs?

8.5