Spells can take three different forms, doing direct damage, damage over time, or “Mastery,” which serves to amplify the effects of the other two. Too often, players find themselves in a position where they need to backtrack to an earlier point in the story so they can grind for better gear. A spell breaks down into three basic components: The Sigil, which defines its basic effects (fire, ice, kinesis, lightning, etc.) the Pattern, which defines the shape of the spell (bolt, ray, lobbed ball of energy, pool, etc.) and the Augmentation, which applies stat bonuses. It’s difficult to even describe, there’s so much going on. That all of the fighting takes some hours to start wearing thin is a credit to the depth of the spell system Xaviant built. Bosses mix things up a bit, requiring actual strategic thinking to match their more far-ranging attack patterns (compared to standard enemies), but they appear too infrequently. The very occasional branching path that leads to an optional treasure room that amounts to a stiffer fight for a larger reward. Lichdom offers no such respite you advance until there’s a fight and then advance some more. There’s simply not enough variety to keep the boredom at bay all throughout.Ī game like Dark Souls – which Lichdom most definitely takes a page from – bolsters its technique and timing-heavy combat mechanics with exploration and light puzzle-solving.
But those energizing components exist within a 20-hour journey that’s been built as a corridor shooter. You pop off ranged spells and area of effect spells, use short-range teleportation to dodge, and even explode in a “nova” of energy if you time a magical block just so. There’s a deeply satisfying magical combat system that ties into a spellcrafting mechanic. It’s a world that seems ripe for exploration, but also one that’s constrained by its shooter design.Īnd really, it’s too big.
From snow-capped mountains to vast desert wastelands, pristine ice fields to suffocating cave systems, you’ve got the full gamut of high fantasy landscapes represented here. Lichdom is a large game, and a gorgeous one. That’s all explained in the opening half hour, with additional exposition delivered primarily by a scout – the gender you didn’t choose at the game’s start – who pops up at specific checkpoints.Īs first efforts go, it’s hard not to admire indie newcomer Xaviant’s execution. There’s a grave threat facing the world, one that’s directly impacted your personal life, and you have been chosen to wield the magical powers capable of putting down this menace. Lichdom‘s intro establishes the backstory for your chosen battlemage – the options come down to male or female – which amounts to a revenge quest. It isn’t the story causing the bloat, though that’s not to say it isn’t a problem of its own.
It’s just too bad the game feels so bloated. It’s a world that seems ripe for exploration, but also one that’s constrained by its shooter design.
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