What makes this like Magic, specifically? That it's a CCG?

It's just one of those silly, harmless marketing things that can start someone off on the wrong foot. Magic is a CCG, sure, but it's a specific CCG, with a specific ruleset and idioms. Leaving the characteristic appearance aside, the game of Magic itself is both very accessible and of fascinating complexity, and for skilled players has at least several times the strategic depth of a more pedestrian game such as, say, chess.

Of course, it happens to also be a collectible card game.