Sweden is a country of victorious socialism, expensive beer and rampant Internetization. It is not surprising that interactive entertainment feels there like mold in a warm and cheese basement. Dice, Paradox Interactive, Minecraft – these names and names are heard by all gamers. And they will not make a hearing, but caress. Gently like a children’s palm.
But to build a beautiful building, a reliable foundation is needed. And with him the Swedish gaming industry is also in perfect order. The country’s largest universities regularly release talented developers and support young teams. There is even a special prize for the best student projects – Swedish Game Awards.
In 2008, the first prize and title of best game of the year was received by the work of the studio Arrowhead, representing the Technological University of Luleo, – Magicka. Two-dimensional arcade with a typical graphics of a la “not be born beautiful for independent projects, but at least just be born” impressed the jury of the competition with an unusual magic system-the spells did not require standard mana, but were formed “on the run” from the combinations of elements.
Prize 35 thousand. Swedish
crowns (about five thousand dollars) probably did not go to festive banquets. But a commercial project (even very modest) of them – just right to pay for electricity bills. Therefore, the developers dreamed not about the prize, but about interest. Colleagues, public and, most importantly, publishers. At least some.
“Any” did not peck. But the game impressed Paradox. And this was a true guarantee of something decent. For paradoxes with geniuses do not spill water at all (which I rightly noticed Pushkin). And specifically the Swedish – albeit not so specific, but they know their business on a hard four with a plus and they practically do not emit garbage.
Diversity – the soul of pleasure
The most important thing in good arcade? If you believe the obvious captain, this is a drive. And if you check it yourself? Perhaps the diversity is still. Techniques, monsters, locations … plot bends, in the end – if only the spinal cord did not lead from a monotonous action. In this sense Magicka Just wonderful.
At the first glance, the gameplay resembles Diablo. Which is hardly surprising, since the nearly legend, in fact, is an arcade. However, slightly deepening into the gameplay, you begin to understand that no, not she. Diablo is still in many ways the development of the character, and in Magicka This is practically absent.
Yes, and the construction of levels is typically arcade-stripping locations with periodic ambushes, when the developers shamelessly lock you on a small pike and poison either an endless bots grain until you kill a mini-boss, or with several strong monsters capable of calling a gamer in two or three strokes. And for sweet – a battle with the boss and the transition to a new level.
And where is the diversity? Be dead, present in the best. If only because many ambushes and every battle with the boss require an individual approach and the obligatory participation of the brain. But the main thing is because you will never get bored with magical experiments. For the main “chip” of the game, for which it was once allocated and caressed, of course, did not go anywhere, but only grew up and strongly.
Elementary, Watson
Total in Magicka Eight basic magic elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Cold, Electricity, Life, Arcana and for some reason the shield. The latter is not quite an element in its elementary concept, but rather, an integral part of the spell, turning the latter into an arcuate barrier that prevents movement. In its pure form – a small fence from the power field. In combination with other elements – all kinds of something, up to frank perversions. But preserving the original form (arc) and purpose (barrier).
Already from this description you can approximately imagine how the magic system of the game works. For example, fire. The basic version is a flamethrower shooting a wide tongue of flame, but very close. Add the Earth to it – and we get fireball. And replace the Earth with the Arcana – and the Fiery Ray will come out. If you cross the lasso with a combination of fire and earth, then Faerbol will acquire an additional type of damage and begin to kill even more painfully.
Or life. Initially, she is a ray healing the goal. We will mix it on the ground – and this is no longer a ray, but a ball. Add water – and the ball will not only cure, but also wet, making more vulnerable to electricity. Yes, some elements are not friends with each other and are not combined (cold and fire, water and electricity), and some also arrange a wizard of the pod. For example, an attempt to conjure a zipper in raw (from water) will cause only a painful electric shock. Therefore, you must first dry out with fire, and only then indulge in electricity.
Some basic elements are combined in components, and then they become parts of spells. So, the rain challenge will require a couple. And steam requires boiling water. In the game, no one, of course, will not be forced to look for a container, fill it with ash-two and poke a boiler there-just mix water and fire. And then use – either in experiments, or in spells found from found books found.
Witchcraft witchcraft
But the connection of elements is far from all magical combinations. Separate piquancy give them options for creating magic. Total to pour – five. Standard – the right mouse key (alas, it is impossible) – Fireball is throwing, indicates the direction of the ray or install the barrier. The use of the spell on itself – the middle key of the mouse – will apply that it is characteristic, the spell on itself. Heal. Or taples with a shield. Or dried with fire … or fucking with an electric shock – you must be more accurate.
The attack on the square (on the gaming slang – AOE) – Shift + PKM – will set the ardor, heat or pair to all nearby radius. If you add a little earth to the dust-jara-pair, he will also get off his feet. Your character will not suffer. Shift + the middle key will fit the spell to the near -battle weapons, the next attack of which will acquire a magical effect. Finally, the gap is designed to use spells from the witching book – rain, blizzard, a wave of fire, a thunder with lightning … All of them are characterized by complex effects or enviable force than useful.
By the way, the presence of near -fight weapons does not mean that in Magicka There is a cult of equipment. The cult is just absent. How actually there is no equipment itself. The inventory is simply not provided for. Therefore, all the good that the wizard carries with him is Tesac (Dubina-Toport-Copier) and the staff. And no more than one thing. If there is something new, then the old will have to be thrown away. Or abandon the find – depending on personal preferences. Staffs have additional properties. For example, aura, magical attack, bonus to life or protection. The flour of choice is sometimes creepy. But you get used to them quickly.
Humor to help
The piquancy of magical experiments greatly weakens the taste of other gameplay parts, but does not interrupt it completely. I suspect, developers thought for a long time how to arrange their elementary combinatorics. To emphasize it profitably and not spend too much. In the end we stopped at parody. Parodia on the story of the salvation of peace and cool heroes.
Plot humor c Magicka does not go off the way, but quite sweet. Counter peasant woman with a characteristic exclamation mark over her head asks the Glaverroy to clean the basement of rats and promises a certain amount with gold. At that moment, goblins attack her. The hero comes to the rescue, destroys the aggressors – and hears that thanks, of course, but I won’t give money, because you have nowhere to add it … and how to get rid of this damned sign now?
Or a brave wizard for ten minutes running around the throne room in circles, dodging the nurses of evil sorcerers who captured the king. And when, finally, the last enemy falls, follows the pathos script scene – His Majesty shakes off the chains, gets up, spreads well -done shoulders, grabs the collapsed boss and throws it to Fig. Solemn music, delighted subjects … And the hero receives the achievement of “saved by the king”. It seems to be nothing outstanding, but for some reason smiles.
Finally, multiplayer. He also draws up, but at the same time is a separate song. It is in Cooperative Magicka He begins to burn seriously. New magic techniques are added, because the allies spells are superimposed on each other, sometimes causing epic eruptions of energy. The chaotic mishmash of players and monsters is only intensified by the presence of friendly fire – you can easily kill someone and it is not necessary to heal anyone. Fingers frantically run around the keyboard, confused in combinations. Someone swears, someone is not very … but still fun.
You can’t strangle this song, you won’t kill!
Unfortunately, the scourge of low -budget computer projects – bugs and lags – in Magicka feels especially comfortable. The developers began to desperately exhaust them from the very first hours after the release, the publishers even had to apologize for the problems delivered to users. But harmful bugs-wagons still gnaw the game and gaming brains. What, one wonders, tesers did? And whether they were at all?
Paradox Nevertheless, it calculates the profit. No machinations of a stupid code that did not want to optimize on their own, could turn away the grateful audience. The computer user alone can not win bugs, but other components Magicka – exclusively for him and with enemies of the Yuzersky family, they categorically refuse to be friends. Extraordinary game reapes well -deserved success. So she needs.
Pros: elementary magic;good humor;incendiary “Cooperative”.
Cons: Bugs and lags.