Arrowhead Game Studios-- the Swedish team behind the indie-hit Magicka-- infused their title with all manner of jokes, references and parodies, reaching from the legend of King Arthur to the Legend of Zelda. Today, the team announced that the best (and most ridiculous) joke yet is on the way: a Magicka expansion that trades the familiar forests and plains of a traditional fantasy game for the dense jungles of... Vietnam.
Yes, that’s the theme behind Magicka: Vietnam, a 100 % real downloadable expansion coming soon to all the digital platforms Magicka has thusfar been available on. The rainbow-cloaked wizards seem to have given up terrorizing the monsters and townsfolk of Fantasy Sweden-America and have somehow turned their magical guns (and regular, proper machine guns too!) on the Vietnam War. Charlie won’t know what hit them... especially if Charlie is being attacked with meteor showers, death rays, napalm strikes and helicopters.
A sign with the phrase "Apropos Of Nothing" must hang above the Arrowhead offices.
Paradox and Arrowhead haven’t revealed too much more beyond the trailer and a release date of “soon.” However, the Vietnam expansion is currently being shown at the Game Developers Conference, so expect more details on potential changes and additions to the expansion getting out before too long. In the meantime, try and wrap your mind around the pitch-perfect-and-also-still-messed-up debut trailer for Magickafield: Vietnam.
Take this opportunity to ask yourselves how a wizard might react to be unceremoniously dropped into one of the most politically charged, controversial conflicts in modern history. How do you suppose a wizard would assess this particular situation?