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Co-op wizardly action extravaganza Magicka comes out today, making this the perfect time for the following public service announcement. You will suck at Magicka. More »
Everything you need to know about the Magicka experience! Have a sit-down with the CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios on the ins and outs of this unique action-RPG game!
A ray of hope has been cast on the chances of lighthearted action RPG Magicka arriving on consoles. The game has been rated by the ESRB for both Xbox 360 and PS3 (the PC version should launch this month). Now, before co-op dungeon crawler fans get too excited, know that the ESRB is a fickle mistress and not always the prognosticator we believe it to be.
It's no secret that Paradox is looking to get Magicka on "all consoles". When reached for comment about the ESRB rating, Paradox producer Shams Jorjani told Joystiq the the company is "covering [its] bases." He added that the game was built using XNA so it will run on Xbox 360. He concluded, "We are doing everything we can to get this game where it belongs: In front of your couch."
It's worth noting that Paradox originally intended to release its class-based shooter, Lead & Gold, in a more multiplatform manner. It was eventually released for PC and PSN, and the XBLA version never came to light. Here's hoping Paradox has ironed out the multiplatform kinks this time around.
Magicka, the lighthearted dungeon crawler from Arrowhead Game Studios and Paradox Interactive, has reached the end of its delay saga. Part Two of the cute gold master delay video has been released, confirming that the title will arrive as a $10 PC download beginning in January 2011. The game employs an elemental magic system that allows up to four players to combine spells and kill beasties, while poking fun at the fantasy game genre in general.
When asked about the planned Xbox Live Arcade version of Magicka, Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester said, "We're doing our best to get Magicka released on all consoles, but we cannot confirm anything yet."
Few games have announced their own delays as cheerfully as Arrowhead Game Studios' Magicka. The latest trailer for the game -- the first we've seen in many moons -- tells a cute tale about why it's been pushed to "Q1 2011," alongside a handful of gameplay clips. See for yourself below the fold.
Services like Xbox Live Arcade have done a good job of reviving classic genres and reinventing them for modern audiences. Unfortunately, one genre that's been sorely under-represented is the top-down dungeon crawler. Arrowhead Game Studios' Magicka is looking to fill that void, mixing in classic Diablo gameplay with elements of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.
The premise should be familiar to anyone that's played a fantasy adventure game before. An evil old wizard is trying to destroy the world and only you (and three other players) can stop him. The tired setting isn't a handicap for Magicka, though, as it allows Arrowhead to satire some of the genre's conventions and most iconic moments. (For example, a hidden area will have you grabbing a "Master Sword" from a stone pedestal, with Zelda-esque music playing in the background.)
What is unique is its gameplay, which focuses on casting element-based magic using the right analog stick. Various elements are assigned to eight directions on the stick, and hitting the analog in a certain direction queues up a spell. The placement of the various elements (and the iconography used to represent them) isn't particularly clear, making Magicka not the most intuitive game to play. However, these elements can be combined and stacked to create interesting spells -- and the addition of co-op multiplayer makes casting magic even more dynamic.
