For the most part, dungeons and quests revolve around clearing out waves of monsters or solving puzzle rooms to progress, in between fetching items for townsfolk. But aside from dropping in stronger foes, the game doesn't do much to offer more challenges outside of the main quest. ![]() Backtracking is a fairly large part of Mages of Mystralia-understandably, since new spells and runes can open fresh paths in past areas. Unfortunately, the complexities of spellcrafting also highlight the boilerplate nature of exploration and questing. There's a sense that the game is constantly scratching the surface of something great-but ultimately leaves it unexplored in favor of the mundane. Powering through several mobs of trolls with your own personal spell concoctions is incredibly satisfying, and it’s easily one of Mages of Mystralia's true strengths. There’s an impressive amount of customization and versatility to your spell options, particularly in how you can alter trajectory, homing accuracy, and secondary buffs-which is a testament to just how deep the system is. While many of the runes are clearly designed just for puzzle solving, you can actually take the spellcrafting surprisingly far. As you modify and alter various elemental properties, you'll end up creating spells such as a tri-lightning-bolt attack that leaves ice puddles in its wake, resulting in double damage from two different elements. But over the course of your travels, you'll acquire special runes that act as modifiers for your basic spells. When you start out, you'll have access to basic fireball, lightning, and wind spells. ![]() As a mage, Zia is able to bend the elements to her whims, resulting in some exciting showmanship of her craft. Befitting the game’s old-school charm, Mages has a colorful, whimsical atmosphere, and the presentation definitely shows a lot of care and creativity. With that said, the journey itself is definitely more satisfying than the destination. But while Mages of Mystralia keeps its worldbuilding steady, it isn’t able to keep up with the pacing of it all throughout, resulting in an ending that leaves far too much on the table and with little payoff. Written by Ed Greenwood, creator of Dungeons & Dragons’ Forgotten Realms campaign, the author's pedigree is evident in the world's tantalizing lore depicting the strife of living a mage’s life, and the persecution they face for their gifts. The plot in Mages of Mystralia is largely in the forefront. She's tasked with preventing the war between a massive army of trolls and the Kingdom of Mystralia from tearing apart the land-and all who reside within it-but as she learns more of her destiny as a mage, Zia discovers that something far more sinister might be sowing the seeds of conflict for their own ends.Īs expected in a high-fantasy adventure, you'll explore an interconnected land full of monsters and dungeons while collecting resources and new items for your quest to stop the oncoming threat. After accidentally using her powers and leaving her village in turmoil, she exiles herself and travels to a sanctuary for mages to learn the spellcrafting arts. In the land of Mystralia, our central protagonist Zia discovers that she possesses the talents to become a mage, long believed to come only from the rarest of bloodlines. Of course, whether it manages to succeed in reaching the same heights as games that have stood the test of time is another matter entirely, and this new adventure might have needed some extra time training before starting its grand journey. ![]() In the case of Mages of Mystralia, a modest but energetic adventure, it wears its influences on its sleeve, all while charting its own path in its uniquely whimsical, vibrant world. ![]() When it comes to the magic and charm of newly minted old-school adventure games, few are able to successfully convey the same style and wonder that the classics of the genre once evoked.
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