Magicka: Wizard Wars wanders into open beta but forgets the chaos that spawned it

Publisher: Paradox Developer: Paradox North Format: PC Origin: Sweden Release: Out now (Open Beta)

The original Magicka was a party game, riffing on the chaos of friendly fire in fourplayer co-op. Wizard Wars’ team-based PvP aspires to longevity. But since its Early Access onslaught in October, players have languished in a solitary map. Though polish was applied and practice modes added, it needed more meat. Now Wizard Wars has wandered into open beta, and it seems the assault has lost steam.

Like Magicka, Wizard Wars centres on a set of eight elements. These are combined into spells to be lobbed, channelled or applied to yourself. The result? Chaos. Whether in Wizard Wars’ skirmishes or Magicka’s story-driven spellcasting, button mashing ensues. Limbs depart bodies and friendships are tested. This spin-off differentiates itself by limiting spells to three-element combinations instead of Magicka’s five. Arcane-fire-fire creates the go-to beam for dissecting foes. Life-life-water undoes damage dealt to friends who got in the way. Shield-arcane-fire stops them seeking revenge.

The three-element limit keeps fighting speedy and fluid while being easier to balance for PVP than the 32,768 permutations possible in a five-element system. Spellcasting is supported by more powerful Magicks – light-hearted, hotkeyed utilities and finishers which become active as you accrue points. Nature’s Call, for example, summons a WC from the sky to push back your enemies and unleash imps upon them.

Friendly fire remains a concern, but has lost some of its impact. In Magicka, fallen friends had to be manually resurrected. Here, you respawn within seconds, to the detriment of both strategy and comedy.

There’s a sense that having Magicks on a hotbar devalues the skill which might otherwise be required to key in complex sequences before unleashing ultimate magic. Nonetheless, satisfying scraps occur between capture points as enemies leaning on a handful of spells are beaten back by those open to experiment. In alpha there were three such capture points, arranged in a triangle on a single forest map. Unveiled seven months later with much song and dance, the caves of the beta map have just four.

A new map has been a long time coming, and the transition to beta is a chance to convince players of the scope in the elemental mechanics. The map is being touted for its ‘rhombic layout’, which it’s claimed results in less running between spawn points and more two-on-two action. That’s certainly the case – paths cross in the centre, generating multiple, shorter routes between objectives. There’s greater potential to intercept enemies than in the three-pointed forest, precluding drawn-out, cat-and-mouse chases. All told, the caves are the result of thoughtful refinement, but it’s not the update fans were counting on. Instead, it’s closer to a reskin.

Wizard Wars needs variety to survive. The capture point game mode established in alpha makes for a good proof of concept, but it’s not clear whether there’s the depth to sustain long-term play. Seven months on, the beta should have more tricks up its sleeve than a fourth node to fight over. The pacing has been polished and the drapes redone, but the specifics remain the same – hold onto your spawn points while whittling down enemy tickets. A game that relies on the unexpected for enjoyment should have made mixing things up a matter of priority.

Each piece of gear comes equipped with strengths and weaknesses. This policy of give and take keeps Wizard Wars balanced, but dampens any sense of progression.

Players lack incentive to improve. Warlocks whose repertoire includes all eight elements will be at an advantage, but button mashing carries you surprisingly far. Against the casual hedge wizard, spamming fire beams is a reliable way to emerge on top. A more varied game would see veterans develop strategies to counter these lazy plays, but the spoils of war don’t warrant putting work into winning.

Wizard Wars is free-to-play, and victories result in crystals and crowns. The former unlock new Magicks, and the latter get pumped into gear which can also be bought. It’s not pay-to-win by any means, but that’s almost a problem in itself: stat tweaks offered by gear and new spells are trivial. You can equip robes, staves, swords, rings and trinkets with boons and debuffs to suit your style, but you remain on a par with people duking it out with the Staff of Defaulté. Magicka’s throwaway fun is anathema to this business model. Beyond series obsessives, it’s hard to imagine an audience for what are effectively cosmetics – you won’t break bank for bragging rights when all you’re after is an evening’s entertainment with friends. This is primarily a problem for Paradox, but players will feel the effects should F2P prove unsustainable.

As it was in alpha, Wizard Wars is best played in short doses. There’s residual comedy in the chaos that Magicka unleashed, and satisfaction in overwhelming opponents with muscle memory and creative casting. But it’s still a fleeting feeling. There’s no incentive to play the long game, and it’s hard to imagine lasting communities forming around a novelty. Open beta means there’s time to improve. However, after half a year of the same stale skirmishes, it desperately needs to diversify.

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