There's something undeniably odd about Ixalan set. Other sets have had a strong identity around creature-type themes, like Innistrad with Zombies, Humans, Werewolves, and Vampires. Other sets have taken Magic: The Gathering to new places in terms of setting and tropes. There was an anticipation that built up to the set, as Ixalan represented something of an experiment in a world themed around adventure and discovery. Did it live up to that anticipation? Yes and no. The theme of the set was generally very popular, along with the story of Jace and Vraska, but the mechanics and cards of the set failed to make much of an impact.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/mtg-looking-back-at-ixalan/
