Choice of Magics
- August 10, 2018
- Choice of Games
"Choice of Magics" is a text-based role-playing game where players attend a magical academy and choose their own magical path. With over 150,000 words of content, players can explore different magical disciplines, make choices that affect the story, and engage in challenges that test their skills. The game features multiple branching storylines, diverse characters, and the opportunity to specialize in one of several magical arts.
Reviews
- The game features a well-written narrative with engaging characters and a variety of choices that significantly impact the story.
- It offers high replayability with multiple paths and endings, allowing players to explore different schools of magic and their consequences.
- The emotional depth of the story can lead to powerful moments, making players feel connected to their character and the world.
- Some players found the game to be overly linear at times, with certain choices feeling railroaded and lacking meaningful consequences.
- The lack of a save function can make it tedious to replay sections for different outcomes, as players may need to start from the beginning to explore new paths.
- There are instances of awkward pacing and abrupt transitions in the story, which can disrupt immersion and lead to confusion.
- story124 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "Choice of Magics" is praised for its depth and the significant impact of player choices, allowing for a variety of endings and character developments. While some players found the pacing inconsistent and certain plot transitions illogical, many appreciated the engaging narrative and well-developed characters. Overall, the game offers a rich, interactive storytelling experience that encourages replayability through its branching paths and meaningful decisions.
“The characters' personalities are well developed and made me honestly feel for them all throughout the story.”
“I am here to announce that up until the very last page of the game, you feel like almost every choice you made throughout made a difference in how the story progressed, how your relationship with the characters developed, or what endings were open to you.”
“The story is captivating and the choices are... oh my god, what have I done to the world?”
“The flow of the story feels weird to me; it feels kinda fast and I felt that it moved on from choices rather abruptly.”
“The stats are too much of a big deal to make it feel like you have a real say in how you play the story, and I just couldn't get invested in the plot either; I'd zone out and skim read and end up so confused.”
“There were many subplots in the story that went nowhere and ended suddenly, which left me feeling 'so what was the point in that'; there weren't even choices later on that came from them, they were just things that happened.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering diverse story paths and gameplay variations that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players may experience fatigue after several runs, the overall consensus is that the game remains engaging and offers a wealth of content to explore, making it a standout in its genre.
“A mainstay of the franchise and pretty endlessly replayable.”
“This allows for superb replayability, as there are very different ways your story can go and enough to explore.”
“You can finish the story in a couple of hours, but the replayability value is huge!”
“It's a difficult game with a lot of variation in terms of gameplay, number of choices, and a lot of replayability value.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game elicits strong emotional responses, often leading to tears due to its well-crafted story and deep character relationships. The emotional investment in characters, particularly in their friendships and struggles, creates a powerful rollercoaster of feelings, making it a memorable experience for many. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to evoke genuine empathy and connection, leaving a lasting impact on players.
“This game made me cry the first time I played it.”
“I won't describe the scenes because -spoilers- but all I will say is: Tal and Cos both made me tear up with their wholesome friendships, and I love them both.”
“It was an emotional rollercoaster filled with great highs and lows.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Choice of Magics" is text-based and offers a rich variety of choices, allowing for significant character development and replayability. Players appreciate the organized mechanics and the ability to play as aromantic or asexual, enhancing the overall experience. The game is noted for its difficulty and diverse gameplay options, making it stand out in its genre.
“The gameplay of 'Choice of Magics' is entirely text-based with plenty of choices.”
“This game has a few mechanics that put it above the rest of its genre; its abilities are more organized and it gives you more information—if you choose it—so you can develop your character more wisely.”
“This game has a few mechanics that put it above the rest of its own genre; its abilities are more organized and it gives you more information - if you choose it - so you can more wisely develop your character.”
“It's a difficult game with a lot of variation in terms of gameplay, number of choices, and a lot of replayability value.”
“Basically, the gameplay of Choice of Magics can be summed up in four simple steps.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is likened to a tabletop D&D adventure, appealing to fans of "Choice of Robots" with its witty style, though some find the modern life allusions excessive and detracting from immersion. Overall, players experience a range of emotions, from laughter to satisfaction, with many enjoying the comedic elements throughout their journey.
“Somebody here commented that it's as close to a tabletop D&D adventure as you're going to get, and in a funny way, I would agree.”
“If you liked the humor and general style of 'Choice of Robots', you'll like this one, unless its theme isn't something you'd enjoy.”
“There were parts that made me tear up, made me laugh, made me angry, and in the end completely satisfied (somehow I ended up with the happiest possible ending on my first try).”
- graphics3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is entirely text-based, lacking any visuals or audio, which may not appeal to those who prefer graphical content or are not fans of reading. Essentially, it functions as an interactive book rather than a traditional game with graphics.
“Since the game is entirely text-based, there are no visuals or audio.”
“If you don't like reading, don't like a lack of visuals, or don't like fantasy or magic, give this game a pass.”
“Visuals: well, it's a book.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the balance between exciting events and the growth of relationships. However, some comparisons to other titles suggest that it may not reach the same level of depth and pacing as seen in games like "Wayhaven Chronicles" and "Heart of the House." Overall, the inclusion of love, magic, and choices contributes positively to character development.
“There was always something fun or exciting happening, and yet there was always time for everyone's character development and for relationships to be built.”
“Love, magic, action, and character development, oh, and of course choices.”
“Coming from reading 'Wayhaven Chronicles' and 'Heart of the House', this choose your own adventure novel falls short in terms of pacing, story, writing, and character development.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly when progressing through the nine chapters to achieve specific endings. While activities like cultivating versatile crops can be engaging, the overall experience may feel repetitive and drawn out.
“It can feel tedious to play through the story from beginning to end (which has nine chapters, by the way) just to get a particular ending.”
“Grinding for resources feels like a never-ending chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay invested in the game.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally engaging, but some players feel that excessive references to modern life can detract from immersion, occasionally undermining the overall experience.
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the optimization aspect of the game enjoyable, as it encourages repeated playthroughs to enhance performance and refine strategies.
“Very fun, and running through the game on repeat playthroughs, trying to optimize my performance, is a lot of fun.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism primarily for its lack of effective advertising, with players expressing disappointment that they discovered the game by chance rather than through targeted promotions or announcements from the publisher. This suggests a need for improved marketing strategies to enhance visibility and reach potential players.
“One complaint I have, which is not related to the quality of the game itself, is that for future releases, I think they could do much better in terms of advertisement. As an avid player of Choice of Robots, I came across this game by pure accident two days before its release while browsing Steam's upcoming titles. While I appreciate that they are a small publisher, I would have expected at least an announcement under my Choice of Robots news page. If I hadn't been lucky, I could have missed this for a long time.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded with prompts to spend money.”
“I find the in-game purchases to be quite frustrating. It seems like you can't progress without spending real money, which really detracts from the overall experience.”