Magic Legends (March 23, 2021 – October 31, 2021)
Genre: Action-RPG | Developer: Cryptic Studios | Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? Magic Legends originally aimed to be an MMORPG, but the developers decided to change course before release. They wanted to mix hack-and-slash gameplay with the well-known card game to create an interesting co-op game for up to 3 players.
- You could choose from 5 different classes and follow an epic story.
- You moved like in Diablo with mouse clicks and could slaughter hordes of monsters and bosses in an open world.
- The game featured 12 cards that rotated during combat. Each of these cards offered abilities, such as summoning powerful creatures or casting spells. After using a card, it was consumed and a new one drawn.
- Before a mission, you leveled up your available cards and assembled your deck. During the missions, you would find new cards.
- Even PvP duels with your friends were possible.
Overall, the game felt very complex, which is not unusual for Magic, and somewhat too RNG-heavy. After all, it was a matter of chance which of the cards from your deck you drew in battle.
MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus played Magic Legends in March 2021 and was impressed with the underlying system: I thought Magic: Legends was like Diablo – I was completely mistaken.
What led to its failure? Magic Legends was shut down even before it officially launched. The period from March to October was merely the open beta from which the action-RPG never emerged.
Problems arose during the beta:
- Load times were very long
- The tutorial was too sluggish and lengthy
- Features like new classes were hidden behind a paywall, which gave a pay-to-win impression. Overall, there was criticism of the shop, which was heavily promoted even in beta.
- The game was very complex
- There was absolutely no hype or interest in the beta
MeinMMO editor Gerd Schuhmann also saw an issue in the lack of a key art that could clearly represent the game:
What are the best memories? The combination of hack-and-slash and card game is probably the biggest highlight that Magic Legends has to offer.
However, since very few players even tried the action-RPG, probably only a handful will miss it.
If you want to get an overview of Magic Legends, you can watch the official gameplay of the beta by the developers here:
Are there alternatives or successors? Right now, there is a decent selection of hack-and-slash games. Good titles remain Diablo 3 or Path of Exile. Additionally, in 2022, Lost Ark is coming out, which focuses on hack-and-slash combat while also combining it with MMORPG elements.
We also introduced you to other interesting hack-and-slash titles here: Games like Diablo – Who needs Diablo 4? Here are 11 current alternatives.
If you are a fan of the Magic IP, you will probably rely on card games from the universe.
