Action-adventure fantasy games can go either one of two ways: The route of a fun, engaging and compelling title or the road of esoteric systems, convoluted plotting, and off-putting levels of pacing. Luckily for gamers, Magicka 2 seems to hit a nice middle area where both hardcore RPG fanatics and casuals can find a home.
How to Download Magicka 2
You can download Magicka 2 from Steam for your Windows PC or from the PlayStation Store to play on PS4. Click on the Download button and make your choice.
The Game Review
Taking over the reins from Arrowhead Game Studios, Pieces Interactive hews closely to the systems established in the first game while iterating on that formula in its own unique ways. Whether or not all of those attempts will come off as successful to gamers who are familiar with the original game is a question that they will have to answer, but we’re confident in describing Magicka 2 as a pretty awesome game all on its own.
The sequel maintains a lot of the original’s gameplay style and layout. You’ve got action-adventure exploration from a 3D isometric perspective as well as solo or co-op with up to four other people. Unlike many RPGs and games in this genre, Magicka does not limit the player with an MP or mana system. Instead, the player has access to a raft of powerful spells right from the beginning of the game and these can be cast as often as the player is capable.
The idea is that the player is only limited by his skill in executing these combinations and, more often than not, this works out in practice. Another trend that Magicka bucks is the class-based system of other games. You find a more fluid structure here that ostensibly is more action-focused.
Plot-wise, you’ve got a richly detailed world with much to love and explore. Best of all is that nothing feels overwhelming or odd. That is, the game doesn’t expect you to have played the first title which, for an RPG, is a refreshing approach. Nonetheless, there are some rewards for people who are fans of the first game’s lore and plot as is to be expected. Again, you get the sense that the emphasis here is on the action and less on the narrative which ties in with Magicka’s overall kinetic feel.
Where the game struggles to convince you of its merits is in the solo mode. Here, more often than not, you’ll find yourself frustrated with the game and this can hamper your enjoyment. This becomes markedly less of an issue in co-op which, by any estimation, is the reason for the season when it comes to this game. A fun, quick, and, most of all, accessible co-op experience, Magicka 2 continues the first game’s tradition of relying heavily on this mode to pad out the issues that exist with the single-player game.
Because of this uneven experience, it’s tough to unreservedly recommend Magicka 2. We can, however, place it among some of the most fun co-op games in this genre that we’ve played in recent memory and as such deserves a place in your library if you and your friends are into that type of game.
