Mage's Initiation
- January 30, 2019
- Himalaya Studios
Get on Steam"Mage's Initiation" is a nostalgic, point-and-click adventure game set in the medieval land of Iginor. D'arc, a trainee mage, must complete a daunting quest assigned by his Masters, retrieving three powerful items scattered across treacherous terrains. Encounter various magical creatures, solve puzzles, and make crucial choices that will affect D'arc's fate in this coming-of-age story.
Reviews
- A nostalgic throwback to classic Sierra-style point-and-click adventure games, particularly reminiscent of Quest for Glory.
- The game features beautiful pixel art, a variety of magic types that enhance replayability, and puzzles that are logical and satisfying to solve.
- The story is engaging with moral dilemmas and multiple choices, making it a fun experience for fans of the genre.
- Some voice acting, particularly that of the main character, is criticized for being poor and detracting from the overall experience.
- The combat system is seen as repetitive and lacking depth, with some players finding it tedious.
- There are complaints about excessive dialogue and backtracking, which can disrupt the flow of the game and lead to frustration.
- story105 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a nostalgic homage to classic adventure titles like "Quest for Glory" and "King's Quest," featuring moral dilemmas, multiple choices, and a richly developed world. While many players appreciate the engaging narrative and clever puzzles, some criticize its generic setup and repetitive elements, suggesting that it could have benefited from more diverse story trajectories. Overall, it appeals to fans of old-school adventure games, offering a blend of charm and challenge reminiscent of its inspirations.
“Excellent point and click with a good story, moral dilemmas, and multiple choices.”
“The story for this game is excellent with many climaxing points, and you can see from how it was executed that the writer on the team not only has a great talent for the art, but sets tones and themes very well in his stories.”
“The story is totally immersive and cleverly designed without inconsistencies like some other RPG-adventures these days have.”
“My other second quibble with the game is how generic it is and how task-like the story is set up as.”
“It's too bad those annoying mazes with their repeated tedious combat are such a big part of the game, because the story and puzzles they get in the way of are a lot better.”
“The story starts kind of slow and the combat is odd but it picks up and it's great by the end.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their charming pixel art and beautiful hand-drawn visuals, evoking nostalgia for classic point-and-click adventures from the 90s. While the overall aesthetic and atmosphere are well-received, some users noted that the cutscene animations feel jarring and inconsistent with the game's art style. Overall, the graphics successfully pay homage to the genre's golden age, appealing to fans of traditional adventure games.
“The graphics and the atmosphere are great.”
“Beautiful visuals, logical puzzles, and creative characters in a large world to explore.”
“Charming hand-drawn art style that reminds me of the golden age of adventure games.”
“- Cutscene animations are jarring for the aesthetic of the game.”
“- Cut scenes did not match the art style of everything else, which made it feel like it was added afterwards and not part of the original direction of the game.”
“Note graphics are old school, so if that is not your thing, you might want to pass.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of innovative and clunky mechanics, with some players appreciating the blend of old and new elements while others find the controls slow and unresponsive. The choice of magic offers slight variations, but the overall experience is marred by tedious point-and-click elements and arcade combat. Despite some flaws, many players find the unique chapter vibes and interesting mechanics keep the gameplay engaging.
“The vibe of each chapter is different, with small yet interesting mechanics twists, which keep the game fresh.”
“The few flaws barely detract from the gameplay, and the strengths more than compensate for any shortcomings.”
“Nice mechanics, not just the classic ones (e.g., combat difficulty, spells, exploration, getting experience from talking, choosing between 3 types of menu).”
“I didn't like the story much and the game mechanics were clunky.”
“A developer that doesn't understand the meaning of point and click offers a tedious gameplay the universe was glad to leave behind decades ago.”
“The abrasive adventure gameplay is further degraded by arcade combat.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive orchestration and how well it complements the gameplay. The soundtrack is described as both engaging and unobtrusive, effectively setting the tone without distracting from the experience. Overall, the music is considered a significant factor in the game's appeal.
“The music that was orchestrated also sets the tone of the game really well, kudos to the musician for an excellent job.”
“Reason for a purchase: the music creates a wonderful atmosphere ♪♫ ;”
“A musical score that never distracts but always compliments the scene.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its four distinct mage classes, each with unique abilities and class-specific side quests, encouraging players to explore different playstyles. Additionally, branching options and various collectibles enhance the experience, allowing players to discover new content in subsequent playthroughs. Overall, the combination of magic types and diverse gameplay elements contributes to a compelling reason to replay the game.
“There are a few branching options, so it has good replay value as well. I can see from my achievements that I only completed about half of them and missed a few things during my playthrough altogether!”
“In the beginning, you choose your element from among four, so there's some replay value.”
“A little longer if you go for a perfect run, listen to/read all the dialogue and notes/books, etc. I think it has some replayability as each mage class has different abilities and a different class-specific side quest, even if the main story arc is the same.”
“But where QFG had different skills to master and use to solve puzzles in different ways, Mage's makes you choose from four magic types, which I'm guessing give it a similar kind of replay value.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be less prominent compared to classic titles from Sierra and LucasArts, with some players finding it amusing but overall lacking in quantity and effectiveness. While there are moments that elicit giggles and a few amusing responses, many reviewers feel that the absence of consistent humor detracts from the experience, suggesting that a stronger comedic element could have enhanced the writing and overall enjoyment.
“It's a very nice homage to the old point and click adventures; I giggled at the funny bits, I enjoyed the storyline, and I hope to Bob that the next one doesn't take 10 more years to make.”
“Sometimes the responses are slightly amusing... not as much humor built into them as old Sierra and LucasArts games though.”
“A bit of humor could have really helped gloss over the weak writing.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and frustrating, primarily due to slow movement between screens and excessive random combat encounters. While the story and puzzles show potential, they are often overshadowed by the repetitive and aimless nature of the gameplay, leading to a negative overall impression. Many users express a desire to avoid combat unless necessary for material gathering, highlighting a disconnect between the game's mechanics and enjoyable gameplay.
“A little too tedious for me -- movement between screens in this game is pretty slow, so walking back and forth looking for the item you're missing to finish a particular task gets really aggravating fast.”
“Once you get the hang of it (which was also tough at first, and added to the bad early impression the game makes) it's not hard, just kind of tedious and pointless really, and you end up having to fight way too many random trash mobs while wandering aimlessly through the maze-like areas.”
“It's too bad those annoying mazes with their repeated tedious combat are such a big part of the game, because the story and puzzles they get in the way of are a lot better.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many noting its successful preservation of the original's charm despite a reduction in humor. The graphics and music significantly enhance the immersive experience, contributing to a captivating and atmospheric environment that appeals to players.
“A surprisingly successful successor to Quest for Glory; less humor, but the atmosphere was preserved.”
“The graphics and the atmosphere are great.”
“The music creates a wonderful atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that I expected.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the atmosphere fails to engage, leaving me feeling disconnected from the world.”
“The game tries to create a dark and immersive atmosphere, but it ends up feeling forced and artificial.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report minor glitches that necessitate frequent saving, others have experienced a smooth gameplay experience, particularly after recent updates.
“This game has some annoying minor glitches, so save often.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is well-executed, featuring a leveling system that enhances stats and armor, complemented by an intuitive inventory system that allows for strategic customization.
“The character development is incredibly engaging, with a robust leveling system that allows for deep customization of stats and armor.”
“I love the character development aspect, especially the nice inventory system that complements the leveling up process.”
“The way character development is handled, from leveling up to managing stats and gear, makes for a truly immersive experience.”
