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Making a game in the style of RPG and adventure is not an easy task in the world of independent developers. The digital market is saturated with very similar games of this genre and creating something innovative is a challenge. Mages of Mystralia It may not be an unforgettable game, but it manages to stand out in its visual style and its simple but robust gameplay.
A Borealys Games provided Techlifers with a digital copy to Nintendo Switch of Mages of Mystralia for testing and, after a few weeks of intense and fun gameplay, we present you with a complete analysis of this indie game that manages to entertain the player in just the right amount.
No mages in Mystralia
The game starts with a short cutscene telling a little of the story of Mystralia, a fictional kingdom where wizards were respected and the power of magic helped in the development of society. However, everything turns upside down when a mad king uses magic to terrorize its population.
Mystralia's situation becomes so complicated that the leaders see no other solution than to dethrone the Mad King and establish a regime that bans magic throughout the realm. This is how magicians went into anonymity and anyone who demonstrated magical powers was considered an outcast from society.
The game's story properly begins when Zia, a young peasant girl, discovers her magical powers and, in a sad accident, destroys her home with her family inside with the power of mighty flames. Scared and alone, Zia flees her village and is rescued by an experienced mage, who becomes her mentor, teaching her to control her powers.
Starting the plot in a cliché way, unfortunately Mages of Mystralia doesn't change its narrative much as the player progresses through the game. If you've played any franchise games Zelda or some adventure RPG, you will feel very comfortable with Mages of Mystralia.
After the introductory part, the game comes down to you exploring the kingdom of Mystralia solving mysteries, facing stronger and stronger enemies and getting different powers to defeat the different monsters that are corrupting the world's energy.
Even introducing some characters and side quests, as you progress through the game, the plot becomes more and more an unnecessary supporting element, since your main motivation to move on is not knowing what Zia's fate will be, but unlocking the various spells and powers that this mysterious land offers.
Mages of Mystralia is heavily inspired by games like Zelda and Fable, both in its narrative, visuals and in combat mechanics. The graphics are very simple, but they still have their charm. The game mixes beautiful cartoon-style animation during cutscenes with cell-shaded graphics during gameplay.
The player has basic attacks, spells they can upgrade, and items to wield in their inventory. In other words, Mages of Mystralia offers everything that a player with experience in RPG and adventure games is already used to.
Unlimited Powers!
The highlight of Mages of Mystralia is its spell system. Right at the start of the adventure, your basic spells are quite limited. However, right at the end of your confrontation with the first boss of the adventure, you acquire your first rune.
Each rune is capable of modifying the effect of one of your spells, and the combinations you can make are virtually limitless! One of them, "Move", when inserted into spells News e Creo give you the ability to cast them from a distance. already in the spell Ego, creates a perfect dash effect to dodge enemy attacks.
As each basic spell of Zia has a limit of runes to be assigned, the player needs to think carefully before assembling his arsenal of spells and figuring out the best combination to use during each battle.
For example, at a given moment you can add Immedi spells to the Actus spell, which will result in a powerful combo of blows: first the enemy is hit with a fireball and then a strong electric shock!
At the end of your adventure, you will be amazed at how Zia has evolved, as her spells will be well developed and different from when you first used them. In addition, the game encourages you to search for new runes and spell combinations to face more powerful enemies and cross obstacles that your basic spells can't handle.
The player will find the most important spell modifiers while playing through the game's main campaign. However, the interesting thing is to use your wit to solve various puzzles that exist in the world of Mystralia to obtain the additional modifiers.
An ineffective spell
Unfortunately, not even the spell system and the game's visual appeal can prevent Mages of Mystralia from becoming a repetitive and uninteresting game after a few hours of gameplay. At various times, the world created in the game seems empty and devoid of life.
The enemies you encounter along the way aren't very varied, both in their design and in their attacks. When you find the same globin or skeleton for the umpteenth time, you have to wonder if the game is advancing or if all its locations are the same.
This feeling causes some anguish, since when looking at the map and the different parts of the world that the developers have created, you can see a great effort to create something beautiful and interesting. However, even with so many varied scenarios, Mages of Mystralia ends up falling into repetition and monotony quickly.
In addition, during our tests with the game we had some crashes and crashes, which caused the game to end abruptly. There were few occurrences, but these technical problems detract from the experience, since the game's save system requires the player to activate flashlights he finds along the way to save his progress. Having to replay entire areas of the adventure is no fun.
Despite these flaws, along with the spell system, certainly one of the most outstanding features of the game is the beautiful soundtrack that packs every moment of the adventure. Add to that the decision not to give voices to the characters during the dialogues and you have a perfect RPG environment to immerse the player in the right measure in this fantasy world.
the power of magic
Even with a few hiccups along the way and a relatively short campaign (can be completed in about 10 hours), Mages of Mystralia is a unique adventure RPG worth trying.
Creating different spells and solving puzzles with your new spells are the features that manage to make the game interesting and hold the player's attention. If you have one Nintendo Switch, consider it a great option to add to your library and spend time in the best way.
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