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The
Art of Magic |
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Magic and Mayhem was a huge success for
Virgin and the army of fans it captured will not be in any way disappointed with the
sequel, THE ART OF MAGIC. It’s set just before the events of the original and
surrounds the exploits and education into the magical arts of Aurax, a youth who has had
his share of bad luck. Right at the start of the game he sees his father killed by an evil
wizard and soon after his sister get herself kidnapped. This leaves it up to Aurax to put
right the wrongs of the world, dispose of all the foul beings he comes across and rescue
his sister from the clutches of evil. Not the most original plot ever dreamt up but there again, few
are. It’s the gameplay that matters most and how that plotline is interpreted on
screen that counts and in those respects THE ART OF MAGIC does not let the side
down. Graphically it is much improved from its predecessor and play is smooth and refined.
The characters are well created and the scenarios are realistic and believable; which in
turn draws the player into this world of strange beasts, mythical monsters and dark magic
and immerses them in its intrigue and mystery. As the name implies the gameplay is mainly about the use of magic
and learning the art of performing it most effectively. Aurax, even early in the game,
possesses several spells but altogether there are around 50 that he must learn and master.
These come in the shape of amulets, which form the basis of each spell but alone they are
pretty useless. However, when combined with a variety of minerals, herbs and artefacts
they can create powerful magic. Other magical items do come into play, such as cloaks of
invisibility, but often these can only be used once and care is needed so as not to use
them unnecessarily. This, of course, affects the strategic elements of the game and
thought should be given to each individual encounter. The same can be said about when and
where to summon your minions and here again there are several to choose from. Skeletons,
Minotaurs, demons and Dryads (plus many others) all can be summoned to do your bidding but
selecting the right one for the task can prove decisive. Do you summon several weaker
minions or just a few powerful ones? The decision is yours…! All of this spell casting and conjuring obviously takes its toll
on your strength, or mana, and these levels have to be constantly monitored and
maintained. Mana, however, can be found in concentrated form at certain places of power
represented by stone alters but to be able to tap into it you must first have control of
the area. The more places of power you control the faster your mana regenerates and the
more spells you can cast. THE ART OF MAGIC is a game that will grab you right from
the start. Packed with puzzles and strange creatures you’ll find plenty of surprises
within the 30 levels of gameplay and with campaign, skirmish and multiplayer modes to
choose from there’s plenty of magical combat to keep you entertained for weeks. Price: £29.99 on PC CD ROM. |
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