Magicka

Review

Common Sense Media says

Run-of-the-mill fantasy game has blood and gore.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Magicka is a fantastical role-playing game set in the ethereal universe of Norse mythology. It is the player's job to travel across distant lands and destroy evil creatures that plague the world, with the end goal of taking out an almighty sorcerer. When creatures -- not humans -- are destroyed, they emit splashes of blood and indistinguishable pieces of gore. The violence generally consists of magic spells and other fantastical attacks, and the depiction is from a zoomed-out perspective. In addition, there is some rough dialogue that occurs between characters. Players can play the game online with unfiltered chat, though unlike many online games, this one encourages cooperative play where everyone works together.

  • Positive messages1
    Players embark on the noble quest of restoring peace to a village that has become overrun by evil sorcery. It is always implied that players are working to take out the bad guys to ensure villagers and civilians remain safe and protected; however, the central gameplay mechanic is violence.
  • Positive role models1
    Fitting with the mythological theme of the game, the heroic characters have a larger-than-life aura about them. They are seen as strong, powerful, brave warriors who put the greater good above everything else. While they do use violence (with very fantastical, otherworldly attacks), the bigger picture is that they are taking out the bad guys and working to restore peace to the world.
  • Ease of play3
    This game is accessible but challenging. Players with no experience in role-playing games will likely have a tough time mastering the nuances in the controls and strategy, but even players with a modicum of experience in the genre should be able to grasp the battle mechanics fairly easily. Developing the correct strategy and being skillful enough to take out waves of enemies while avoiding their oncoming attacks can be a challenge, and mastering the controls over time will allow players to progress through the game at a good pace.
  • Violence4
    This game involves a seemingly nonstop barrage of enemy creatures that must be killed by any means possible. The violence is against creatures that are fantastical and unearthly in design, and many of the attacks involve bright flashes of fire and lightning. However, players will see constant sprays of blood and chunks of indistinguishable flesh and bones when creatures are destroyed. The violent content is always presented as the only result to a larger-than-life conflict, and players are on the good side as they try to eradicate the evil creatures.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language3
    There is rough dialogue in the game, including discussion about mass warfare and epic conflicts; the word "s--t" appears during some of the more heated passages.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety1
    Creates safety and privacy concerns. Players can engage in online matches with other players, with the option of unfiltered chat. This means it is possible to be exposed to language from other players that may be more egregious than the existing content in the game. Up to four players can join in a single game, in a "cooperative" mode that encourages players to work together.
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What's it about?

The story in MAGICKA is loosely based on Norse mythology. Players are put in the shoes of a young wizard who embarks on a larger-than-life quest to eradicate the world of an evil sorcerer and a barrage of creatures bent on destroying the world. As a story unfolds about the gods, players team up with a band of characters and learn new magic abilities as their skills improve. There are 12 different, expansive levels that require players to both attack with cunning and strategy, as well as use their minds to solve puzzles and navigate the various terrain. 

Is it any good?

 

There is nothing particularly new or noteworthy in Magicka. Rather, it feels like a generic fantasy role-playing game. The nods to Norse mythology are a bit overused in this genre, so there is nothing special about that either. The storyline is well written and captivating enough to hold players' attention, but it is not worthy of excessive acclamation. Likewise, the combat system is derivative of other games. The entire experience feels like the game was simply meeting a checklist of requirements for a solid RPG, and while it definitely meets everything that would be on that checklist, it does not go above and beyond to deliver anything new and exciting.

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the level of violence in this game. Is the blood and gore excessive, and how much is the impact lessened by the fact that all creatures are non-human? Or that the view is from top-down?

  • Does this game accurately capture the mythos and lore of mythology?

  • What is the over-arching message of the game's story?

This review was written by Mark Raby

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This review was written by Mark Raby
Topics:magic and fantasy
Platforms:Windows, Mac
Available online?Available online
Genre:Role Playing
Developer:Paradox Interactive
Release date:January 25, 2011
Price:$9.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
This review was written by Mark Raby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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