LostMagic Review (PC)

I’m torn between two schools of thought: that I’m either under the influence of an old-school tabloid-like RPG, or that I’m constantly comparing just about every asset that the so-called LostMagic harbors to alternate modern-day iterations. I feel like I’m in my adolescent years again, though perhaps with an unshakable sense of Stockholm syndrome; I despise the premise, but bit by bit, I can’t help but come to enjoy the ins and outs of its world and the story, as shambolic as it often seems, that it continues to shovel down my throat with a medieval torture device. To say that I’m beyond the point of no return at this moment in time is an understatement. And yet, I’m pressing on, despite my love-hate relationship with this oddball tale.

LostMagic takes a stab at being as “old school” as you might imagine. With a homage to turn-based RPGs of old, the game features stylized 2D graphics, plunder-filled dungeons, mythical creatures, and PvP battles with separate corridors that are equally brimming with in-game purchases (more on that in a moment) and other forms of nostalgia fodder. There’s a story, albeit a short-sighted and directionless one, that primarily focuses on various classes and combatants who share the common goal of wanting to absorb the remaining magical energy from Earth. There’s a little more to it than that, but that’s about the brunt of it. The question is, do all of these ingredients equate to a solid tribute to its forefathers? Honestly, I’m on the fence with it, and I feel that the only way to knuckle in on a concrete answer is to delve a little deeper into its roots.

Flashback Galore

The story isn’t what drives LostMagic; it’s far-fetched and unintentionally humorous, and not to mention filled with a lot of holes. There are samurai’s, swamp gangs, towers of immeasurable size, and—if you can believe it—a section dedicated entirely to Area 51. If that doesn’t sound like a melting pot of randomness to you, then boy — get ready for a rude wake up call. To say that there’s a ridiculous amount going on all at once wouldn’t be an accurate description of the story. It’s a little messy, and it doesn’t help that there are also various irrelevant factions that prowl the lands, trademarked characters, and unfortunately, several pay-to-win schemes littered throughout its world. It’s a bit of a hot mess, in that regard, though it does keep to its intention of producing enough content to prevent boredom. That’s a plus.

The game itself features a surprisingly large variety of tasks to complete, including turn-based battles, co-op dungeons, PvP arena fights, secretive puzzles, faction conquests, and even a bunch of Easter eggs, to boot. All of these things are more or less encased within a magical fantasy realm that’s teeming with sharp and vibrant, if not a little shoddy, visual effects, and a soundtrack that’s highly reminiscent of Flash classics from the golden age of browser gaming. To that end, it’s hard to give it a cold shoulder; it finds a good balance between being faithful to the spirit of old-school RPGs, and finding fresh ways to add its own identity into the mix. Sure, it’s all rather hectic — but at least it keeps you second-guessing.

A Melting Pot of Everything

LostMagic is a lot like an ice cream with one too many scoops; it adds one scoop into its cone, and then immediately adds another, all whilst forgetting which flavor it slapped on before, and which flavor it will add next. And I’ll admit, if you’re not paying attention to the flavor, or if you simply lack the palate to taste numerous concoctions at once, a lot of these things can be a little difficult to digest. For me, I found that the easiest practice was to just roll with the punches, so to speak. Did I always know what was going on? Not at all, no. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the occasional piece of dialogue or highly unorthodox battle sequence. There was a lot of that, and it honestly felt easier to take it on the chin and deal with the blows in tandem.

At the heart of this journey idles a relatively solid RPG, and one that has a good amount of dialogue, quests, and characters. And honestly, that just so happens to dampen my next point, which correlates to the in-game transactions. Although LostMagic isn’t a pay-to-win game, it does feature an in-game currency and therefore, specialized items and stat-boosting perks. Granted, these items were never made to feel extraordinary or even the least bit mandatory, but the fact that there was even an option to indulge in fast track techniques was slightly disappointing. It almost felt as if it hasn’t earned my vote yet, yet it continued to echo loose promises that it would be better for me if I had spent a little extra on the experience.

Undercooked

I’m willing to give LostMagic the benefit of the doubt and let a few subtle faults slide, given that it’s still only just breaking out of its Early Access phase. Having said that, there is a concerning amount of technical errors stitched into the current version of the game, which of course dulls the overall gameplay experience. Aside from the occasional mechanical bug, LostMagic also suffers from a worrying lack of consistency with its visual and audio effects, with several of its battles often failing to deliver so much as a single beat. Sadly, the game also has a natural tendency to crash without any prior warning — and that’s an annoyance I’d soon rather not have to deal with.

Suffice it to say, LostMagic isn’t without its flaws, and it doesn’t feel quite ready for public consumption in its current form. It has some decent bones to it, I’ll give it that, but it could still do with another few weeks in the oven before it takes its place atop its makeshift stove. A shame, but a bitter truth nonetheless.

Verdict

LostMagic bathes in its satirical attempt to rekindle old-school role-playing and illogical camaraderie, but ultimately falls short in its execution with one too many technical faults, unlicensed materials, and tediously dull combat mechanics. It’s a comical tale, I’ll give it that much, but the fact that even its finer details frequently suffer beneath a cloak of predictable conditions and monotonous grinding montages makes it significantly less appealing the longer you subject yourself to it. It has its gimmicks, for sure, and if you’re able to withstand the uncertainty of its existence, then you might come to find several worthwhile reasons to stick with the journey to the bitter end. But again, the negatives far outweigh the positives in most instances, and the scales are all too noticeable even at the best of times.

Given that LostMagic is still traipsing through its Early Access phase, I’m willing to lend its creators my undivided attention, if only until the game receives the post-launch tender love and care it needs. And to be clear — it needs a bit of fine-tuning before it can reach its final form. Aside from several technical flaws, there is also that elephant in the room that needs addressing—the fact that LostMagic doesn’t really know what it is, besides perhaps a jumbled elixir comprised of one too many components. It’s a role-playing game at heart — but there’s a lot to wrap your head around, and therefore the process of learning it can be awfully tedious.

LostMagic has the potential to be something much, much greater, but with the aforementioned issues in tow, I just can’t recommend it in its current state. Give it a month, maybe, and then come back to me for a revised conclusion. Fingers crossed that there’ll be a silver lining in due course.