Mighty Mage | PS5 Review
Every since 2022, I’ve been chasing that Vampire Survivors high. I’ve played at least a dozen clones since that game topped my game of the year list. I had high hopes that Mighty Mage from Afil Games might scratch that itch. While it has some really interesting concepts that it adds to the tried-and-true recipe, it’s sadly short-lived.
Conjuring in the Arena
When I say there’s no story in Mighty Mage, I mean there’s absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. All you know is that you are a mage and there are enemies to destroy. Not all games have to give me a rich narrative, to be clear. I do expect a good amount of depth if you’re going to be lax on characters and plot, though. But when I was able to finish this game with a platinum trophy in under an hour, I found myself feeling woefully unfulfilled.
That’s not to say the game is busted or doesn’t provide pockets of enjoyment. You start by selecting one of four elements as your primary method of magic: electricity, water, earth, or fire. Your choice determines your ability upgrades upon completing each wave. You’re then immediately thrust into an uncomfortably small arena to start taking out various baddies. Once the room is clear, you’re offered three upgrade choices, sometimes which provide new magical abilities. Others offer speed boosts, crit chance increases, etc.
After fifteen waves of enemies, the game is over. A single still-frame screen gives you a brief message that basically says “Congratulations on finishing the game. You are a true mage,” and kicks you back to the title screen. I failed exactly one time, and never looked back. While the game works just fine, it’s simply very basic and feels very unrewarding.
You’ve Got Something Here
I’m not just being optimistic when I say this: there’s a lot of promise here. I think the ideas at play here have potential; there’s simply not enough time to get anything going to make this game worth recommending.
As with similar games, you control your mage with the left stick to navigate the arena. In order to unleash attacks, you pull the right trigger, which encircles your character with an area of effect. Your magic spells automatically cast towards the nearest enemy. The catch is that while conjuring magic, your character walks at a much slower pace, forcing you to back off your attack in order to dodge enemies.
Each new magic spell you acquire has its own cooldown, and you never have to manage any of them. Simply pull the trigger when you want your spells do their work, and you can focus on staying alive. It’s all a great concept, especially when you see the different magic abilities at your fingertips. But since there’s no real reason to start another run with the same element, it feels like a wasted opportunity. There really is something here, and I’d like to see someone iterate on the concept significantly more.
Mighty Mage Final Verdict
It’s sad when the biggest selling point for a title is that you can get an easy set of trophies or achievements. Unfortunately, that’s really all I can recommend when it comes to Mighty Mage. Instead of coming across as the next, better step in an overcrowded genre, it feels like a starting point that others iterated on. With that said, there’s something there. It just needs a lot more meat on the bone for me to suggest a purchase.
To hear me talk more about Mighty Mage, listen to our April 10th episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 59:27 time stamp.
This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Mighty Mage provided by Press Engine for coverage purpose. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Mighty Mage
$3.99
Pros
- Great Concept
- Easy Achievements
Cons
- Limited Arena Space
- Extremely Short
- Choices Matter Very Little
- No Motivation for Gameplay
- Unfulfilling Ending
