[PC] Magicka: Vietnam Announced

I must buy a new PC immediately (my current PoS crashes when I try to run Magicka).

I must buy a new PC immediately (my current PoS crashes when I try to run Magicka).

That would be Magicka's fault, not your PC's.

...didn't the first Magicka come out like, a month ago?
That wasn't much of a delay.

Originally Posted by John

That would be Magicka's fault, not your PC's.

Indeed. Magicka is many wonderful things, but well-coded it is not. It has terrible stability problems and is just out-right incompatible with a significant chunk of PCs.

This game looks like a copy of DeathSpank's idea. Not the game itself, but the style of sequel (DS1 was fantastic in setting, the second is set in a war-torn world with guns and armies etc.) But yeah, I'll probably pick up the first at some point when I have less on my plate but this one doesn't look that appealing at all really. Same great gameplay mechanics but with a less interesting setting.

I know Magicka is reputed to be quite buggy, but in this case it is my PC. In general I don't expect games to run on it. I have an intel graphics chip instead of a graphics card.

Originally Posted by GKANG

This game looks like a copy of DeathSpank's idea. Not the game itself, but the style of sequel (DS1 was fantastic in setting, the second is set in a war-torn world with guns and armies etc.) But yeah, I'll probably pick up the first at some point when I have less on my plate but this one doesn't look that appealing at all really. Same great gameplay mechanics but with a less interesting setting.

As far as I know, not having played DEathspank, the two are nothing alike. Deathspank is a Diablo clone with a quirky sense of humor. The game's structure reolves around hacking and slashing, getting loot to progress your stats, etc. It has only limited co-op.

Magicka has no loot or progression.The entire game is designed around co-op, in a Four-Swords-style way. And Magicka's spell system is actually quite unique. You've got eight elements. You can store a combo of up to 5 elements (or just multiples of the same), and then unleash them. Depending on the combination of elements, and the way you release them (as a projectile, an area effect, or on yourself), you'll cast a different spell. There is a HUGE amount of variety, and the elements all interact with each other and the environment.

Check out the demo.

I know about the gameplay, they're not similar at all really in that regard. I was just saying in terms of the first in the series being fantasy in setting, then the super quick sequel coming out in a guns / war setting.

Originally Posted by GKANG

I know about the gameplay, they're not similar at all really in that regard. I was just saying in terms of the first in the series being fantasy in setting, then the super quick sequel coming out in a guns / war setting.

But it's set in a historical war setting.

I don't think it's the same; switching periods isn't especially uncommon, but turning an entirely apolitical piece into a very political piece is uncommon.

I bought, played, and beat Magicka with a friend beside me this weekend. It truly is a great game, but like lord-of-shadow said, it isn't coded well at all. I can run a game with similar graphics, torchlight, perfectly well with the highest settings, but Magicka is unplayable at anything higher than 1180xwhatever and medium shadows. It's really unfortunate.

That is my only concern regarding a purchase of the DLC, though. If I knew that the game could run perfectly at all times I would buy that in a heartbeat because the core gameplay is solid.

(I do wish there was a chapter select, though.)

Shouldn't they make sure the original works before diving into the wacky expansions? I love Magicka but god is it bug-infested.

I'm apparently rare, I've had almost zero bugs with Magicka.

Dropped items have lousy collision detection with the ground and one fight has had me knocked out of view of the camera. That's it.

If they keep up their current patch throughput they could well have both the core game fixed and DLC ready to go on time.