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Magicka
PC (Steam)
Save the World, Kill Your Friends
4/5 stars
Magicka is an excellent example of how an indie studio can create something original and fun and should be one of the examples and up-and-coming game studio should pay attention to. Arrowhead, at the time comprised of nothing but university students, managed to create this gem. An inspiration for anyone out there.
Presentation: The top-down shooter (using magic - mostly) is presented in a bright, colorful way. Even when enemies explode into gibbets of blood, it's just so cheerful you can't help but smile. This world is partially a Scandinavian-based world but presents you with so many different fantasy elements thrown in (with Monty Python's Holy Grail and Tolkien's Middle Earth being just two examples) that the whole thing is a very real, but yet a parody at the same time. The colorful world extends to characters, enemies, the environment and especially the spells. This is a very vibrant world.
But the game truly shines in the audio department. From the catchy music to the assorted enemy jabbering, the game does a great job of setting the scene. The language used is a mix between Swedish, English, random slang and probably Pig Latin - the closest comparison would be the everyone's favorite Muppet, The Swedish Chef. Then you have Vlad, not the character(s) you play but the leader - and totally not a vampire you guys, for reals. His voice, with is classic Dracula vibe, is just the best - even when he's all but giving you up for dead or trying to lead you to it. Each level is worth it just to see what various characters and enemies wills and what fantasy reference they are going to skewer next.
That isn't to say the game isn't without issues. It has some major bugs - especially in the multiplayer department. People would drop out for seemingly no reason. We had one person get a corrupt file that essentially erased our progress and nearly broke Steam chat. The serves are iffy at the best of times so sessions could go perfectly or they could end in frustration. So while the multiplayer element is certainly one of the strongest points of the game, it is easily also one of the most infuriating aspects as well.
Story: The game opens on a big wizarding party - you know, for saving the world. But it gets interrupted when the world needs saving once again, and don't you know, you're the lucky candidate. Turns out Vlad is privy to some information - a rogue wizard has attempted to raise a frighting beast in an attempt to make the world his own. But before you can get to thank, there are various goblins and other such creatures that need to be taken care of first. The story isn't deep, it's kind of wacky and even involves time travelling - but it works well enough.
You also get a handful of DLCs - one focuses on the Cthulhu mythos, another on Dungeons and Dragons and one even places your wizarding powers to Vietnam (complete with a hard-rock soundtrack echoing Apocalypse Now). these are short (for the most part) but each adds a nice, separate element to the mix and are still fun (well, mostly - more on that later).
Gameplay: I would say I have a rather robust knowledge of games, but I have to say Magicka kind of stands on its own. Your wizard has several elements they can combine - for attack, healing and defense - and these elements can be turned into beams, shields, mines, applied to your weapon and cast on yourself, allies and enemies. At first, it is all very complicated and you will die, a lot (from friendly fire or your own stupidity) but you will get the hang of it. You have unlimited casting - no mana pools or MP here - but adding more elements to your spell will slow you down. Aside from your general elements, you can also come across spellbooks that give you access to powerful attacks and beneficial boosts (like haste) but be careful - these powerful spells also have a tendency to wipe out your entire group if not used properly (which, with our group, was often the case).
Aside from magic, you also have access to two weapons - a main hand and a staff. Certain DLC characters come equipped with unique ones - but you can also find various weapons and staffs as you play. These can do everything from healing to teleporting to freezing enemies (very handy) but you can lose them, when you die (which you will, a lot) your weapons fall for anyone to pick up. But if you fall off a ledge or drown or get launched off the screen - say goodbye to your equipment. Friendly fire is pretty much a given - so hopefully you choose a default character you like. I mostly played as the samurai wizard - he was quick, had a pretty powerful sword and a useless staff. Health could have been better, but I was overall happy with my choice.
The main game and DLCs present you with a variety of enemies - some small and annoying, others huge and lumbering and plenty of boss battles. Most of these are fairly typical and more often than not you and your companions are a bigger threat than any of the monsters on screen. Yet at certain times that game can get frustratingly difficult - the DLCs in particular provided some of the most challenging battles. Heck, one we only managed to take down after a glitch and another we eventually gave up on altogether. Overall, the game feels fairly balances, but just know that not ever aspect of the game is fun all the time.
Replayability: While there is only one story mode (and the DLCs) I still think this game has excellent replayability based on the sheer amount of different setups you can have for your characters (especially if you purchase the DLC costumes). Want to be a tank that is slow but deals massive damage? Great! How about a speedy assassin? Got that too! Maybe a gun-toting maniac who throws bombs? Sure, why not! Add a few more people, and it's a recipe for success (and hilarious friendly-fire deaths).
Overall: Grab a friend (or three), take a few hours out of your day and have a lot of fun. This is a great game to jump in and hump out at any time and pretty much guarantee you will have a good time.
Presentation: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability: 5/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
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