Avencast: Rise of the Mage
- March 17, 2010
- ClockStone Studios
- 16h median play time
Get on Steam"Avencast: Rise of the Mage" is an action-RPG game set in a world of magic and adventure. As a mage, you must hone your combat, spell casting, and weaponry skills to vanquish demonic monsters threatening your academy. With a variety of combat moves, spells, and equipment, you'll uncover treachery and deceit on your epic quest to save Avencast. Can you become the hero it needs?
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique spellcasting system that combines movement and key combinations, making combat engaging and dynamic.
- Despite its age, the game has a charming atmosphere and decent graphics for a 2007 title, with a variety of spells and quests that keep gameplay interesting.
- Players appreciate the nostalgic feel and the ability to play as a mage, with two distinct schools of magic (blood and soul) that offer different playstyles.
- The controls can be clunky and difficult to master, leading to frustration during combat and navigation.
- The story is considered cliché and predictable, with repetitive environments and a lack of variety in enemy types.
- Many players experience technical issues, including crashes and bugs, which detract from the overall experience.
- story164 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered cliché and predictable, revolving around a young mage attending a magic school and facing typical fantasy tropes like betrayal and evil forces. While some players find the narrative engaging enough, enhanced by charming storybook cutscenes, others criticize it for being linear and lacking meaningful choices. Overall, the story is seen as serviceable but not a standout feature, with many players recommending it primarily for its gameplay rather than its plot.
“The story is also told through charming storybook cutscenes, which adds a nice touch.”
“I think the story is also good; I won't go much further into details, but the high fantasy atmosphere of this world is a breath of fresh air and felt neither generic nor overrated, at least in my opinion.”
“With stunning visuals, an immersive soundtrack, and a gripping storyline, Avencast: Rise of the Mage will transport you to a world of magic and mayhem.”
“The story is somewhat cliché and quite a simple one; you are a young human with an affinity for magic, enter a magic school, and start getting quest after quest.”
“The story is absolutely linear and obvious since the first intro video.”
“What's even worse is that the whole story has been used a billion times in other games - betrayal, invasion by demons, big bad guy threatening to destroy everything, and you are the only one to stop him.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Avencast is characterized by a unique blend of spellcasting and melee combat, allowing players to engage in a dynamic and immersive experience. While the game features a variety of quests and solid mechanics, it is noted for its dated graphics and controls that may feel clunky. Overall, the gameplay remains enjoyable and addictive, particularly for those who appreciate its innovative approach to magic-based combat, despite some criticisms regarding its linearity and difficulty level.
“They’re not all typical fetch quests—there is a refreshing variety, including some with unique gameplay elements, which keeps things interesting.”
“The core gameplay loop is a good ARPG where you can cast spells via either combos (fighting-game style) or hotkeys you set by pressing the hotkey button while hovering your mouse over the spell in your spell menu (or on your hotbar); either way, the menu can be accessed while paused to change your settings on the fly, even during dialogue.”
“Avencast delivers explosive action RPG gameplay with a unique blend of spellcasting and melee combat.”
“But if anyone has some spare money, curiosity, and some stomach for, well, 2007 game mechanics, then it's at least an experience or a time sink you can have while waiting on that 'something'.”
“It's not a hard game; the difficulty seems to be geared towards children aged 10-14, with linear gameplay and some side quests.”
“[b]Gameplay & story: 3/10[/b]”
- graphics56 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Avencast: Rise of the Mage," while considered dated by modern standards, are generally viewed as decent for a game released in 2007. Many reviewers appreciate the atmospheric design and detail, though some note issues like blurriness and graphical bugs. Overall, the visuals are acceptable for players who prioritize gameplay and story over cutting-edge graphics.
“With stunning visuals, an immersive soundtrack, and a gripping storyline, Avencast: Rise of the Mage will transport you to a world of magic and mayhem.”
“For a game that was launched in 2007, the graphics, effects, and mechanics are impressive!”
“Graphics are not modern, but the design is very atmospheric and beautiful.”
“The graphics are a tad bit dated and the camera can be finicky at times with a really weird control (where it controls independently from your character but even with that I still played 6 hours with no problem; it is something you get used to. Although I would highly recommend turning on the 'expert camera' because it just snaps your camera to your character's back and you no longer have to control it independently).”
“While the story is a bit simplistic and the graphics are dated by today's standards, what this game has for it is an innovative and unique magic casting system.”
“The graphics feel quite aged; it's not insanely bad but definitely not up to 2010 release date.”
- music28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some tracks praised for their ability to enhance the atmosphere and set the scene, while others are criticized for being repetitive and unremarkable. Although certain pieces stand out, particularly in dramatic moments, many players find the overall soundtrack limited and forgettable. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience but may not leave a lasting impression.
“With stunning visuals, an immersive soundtrack, and a gripping storyline, Avencast: Rise of the Mage will transport you to a world of magic and mayhem.”
“The ambient music and sound effects establish a mood that fits the environments well.”
“There's autumn outside which adds a bit of melancholy to the scene and the music there is complementing it beautifully.”
“Also, the music wasn't half-bad, although it did get old after an hour or more due to pure repetition.”
“I don't even remember if the game had any music, that's how unremarkable it was.”
“The music is also very limited and gets a little annoying too as it plays the same loop every time a mob appears.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninspired, with repetitive enemy encounters and large, similar-looking areas contributing to a monotonous experience. Boss fights and later enemies are described as frustratingly resilient, leading to a sense of mind-numbing repetition that detracts from overall enjoyment. While some hope that leveling up might improve the experience, many struggle to progress due to the grind-heavy nature of the gameplay.
“Every area, especially the academy, feels too large and looks almost identical, making exploration tedious after a while.”
“The whole game felt like clearing the trash mobs in MMO/grinding.”
“Long mind-numbing grinding that is extremely uninspired.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and immersive high fantasy setting, which feels fresh and engaging rather than generic. Players appreciate the beautiful design and atmospheric elements, including cool set pieces and a mix of creepy and appealing environments that enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms of the story, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and immersion.
“The atmosphere in the first part of the game is unique and appealing.”
“Graphics are not modern, but the design is very atmospheric and beautiful.”
“The story is bland, but the immersion is good and the atmosphere is excellent!”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as light-hearted and reminiscent of amateur tabletop RPG sessions, with creators displaying a self-aware sense of fun. Many quests are noted for their comedic elements, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience, though some players feel the humor may not reach the heights of other games in the genre.
“That being said, they clearly have talent despite sometimes sounding like amateur tabletop RPG players humorously voicing their characters' dialogue.”
“I jest about this in part because I feel like the creators had something of a sense of humor about their creation, and while I might mock it a bit, I really respect that too.”
“There are many quests, most very humorous, to level you up and to even give you great rewards.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for having little to no replayability, with players expressing that the lack of engaging content and the presence of repetitive elements make it unappealing to revisit.
“This game offers none to minimal replayability.”
“I don't find it having any particular replay value that is worth suffering through its faults and repetitiveness again.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report stability issues, particularly with floor glitches, but there is a workaround available through a cfg/text file edit. However, some setting files are inaccessible with standard text editors, complicating the troubleshooting process.
“There's a guide for the tech issues if your floor glitches (a cfg/text file edit fixes it, sadly the other setting files are impossible to open with Notepad for some strange reason).”
“There's a guide for the tech issues if your floor glitches (a cfg/text file edit fixes it, sadly the other setting files are impossible to open with Notepad for some strange reason).”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development is described as straightforward, but players should be cautious as the same pool of points is allocated for both learning new spells and enhancing character attributes, which can lead to strategic challenges.
“The character development is fairly straightforward, with the biggest gotcha if you fail to notice that the same pool of points is used for both learning new spells and increasing character attributes.”
