Spellsworn by Frogsong Studios is a fast-paced MOBA that is a testament to players of skill as opposed to overpowered builds or characters. If you are a fan of Magicka and League of Legends/DOTA, then this may be a great combination of both worlds.
A fair warning though: there is not a whole lot of character customization. Your avatar is a generic robed figure, but you can customize him/her with different staves and appear in different colors. Other than that, you are able to choose whichever spells you want under various categories. You can sell the spells you’ve learned and use that gold to create a different spell set. How you play is completely up to you, and it is really cool. You can have the same, or similar, ability set as your challenger, but the battle is ultimately determined by player skill. I hope you set up your keybindings are set to the way you like it – may the carpal tunnel begin!
There are three maps, all of which are the same arena but look distinct. If you are pushed outside of the arena, you will receive constant damage until you make it back. That’s why I liked to stock up on utility spells, like Blink, Speed Boost, and Shields. There are spells that take on an area of effect, like an acid pool, a lightning strike, or a meteor. There are also spells that have an area of effect but are more of a utility, like slow time (within a bubble) or gravity, which pulls a character toward its center. There are plenty of attack spells, most of which are similar, and you can use them in a variety of ways. One even works like a heat-seeking missile.
As for game modes go, you can fight in a dual, a free-for-all, or a team deathmatch. When you host a game, you can play with friends, bots, or some combination of both. The bots are not half bad, especially in an 8-man free-for-all. The matches always start slow, because no one is at a level to have a full list of spells, but everything gets fiery and intense by the third round.
There are a series of level progressions, and you earn experience after every session. Sometimes you earn a loot-box. Both times I’ve encountered this I’ve received a lightning staff and a sort of rustic metal staff. They don’t necessarily add to anything aside from aesthetic, but it’s nice – helps you stand out a little bit. You won’t really notice it while in a game, but you can see your avatar on the home screen.
I thought that the game did not have sound when I first started it up, but I realized that the master volume was set at 0. After raising the volume, I noticed the soundtrack was pretty good. It is a sort of thing that you would expect from a MOBA, like a preamble to an epic battle. It gets you in the mood, that’s for sure. The sound effects of the spells are pretty good too. I was skeptical when I was starting out, learning how to play, but the sounds and the gameplay have a positive effect on the overall experience.
Overall, it is a good time. I like it, especially for the creative freedom you have, in which you can choose your loadout and utilize spells to maximum effect and with so many combinations. Spells block spells, shields reflect spells, and some spells are designed to ricochet or hover in place. It’s a mad house, especially up to 8 players. I feel like this could end up having a pretty large following given how fun and intense it is.
Check Out the Spellsworn Video:
Spellsworn is free-to-play for PC and Linux via Steam.
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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