As you know, the past is not so easy to refuse. That Finnish studio Frozenbyte , gave us a wonderful trilogy Trine (or rather, remarkable in it only the first two parts, but not the essence), again made a fantastically beautiful fantasy game in which mages with staffs and in amusing hats jump on platforms. Only this time in Nine Parchments added more magic, or rather - Magicka .
External and, so to speak, spiritual similarities with Trine are quite understandable - Nine Parchments is made on the same engine and in the same fairy-tale universe. But this is actually a spin-off - not a puzzle-platformer with role-playing elements, but a cooperative action with a view from above, again with "pumping", but without any riddles.
We play for runaway students of the magical Academy, who went to collect nine scrolls with powerful spells - an insidious wind dispelled them around. Mage-lesson decided that it would be easier and faster to find these manuscripts and immediately master such witchcraft than bored gnawing the granite of science. But, of course, it turned out to be more difficult than to say - monsters are everywhere on students, and scrolls are guarded by large-caliber "bosses".
In general, the plot inNine Parchments goes background, the role of the narrator is minimized, and humor, in contrast to the same Trine , is smaller. When we are asked to catch an intractable broom, which will become the very first weapon, or, for example, save from a wicked snowman, this causes a slight smile, but no more.
We play for runaway students of the magical Academy, who went to collect nine scrolls with powerful spells - an insidious wind dispelled them around. Mage-lesson decided that it would be easier and faster to find these manuscripts and immediately master such witchcraft than bored gnawing the granite of science. But, of course, it turned out to be more difficult than to say - monsters are everywhere on students, and scrolls are guarded by large-caliber "bosses".
In general, the plot inNine Parchments goes background, the role of the narrator is minimized, and humor, in contrast to the same Trine , is smaller. When we are asked to catch an intractable broom, which will become the very first weapon, or, for example, save from a wicked snowman, this causes a slight smile, but no more.
If you wish, you can fight with the enemies and in splendid isolation, but, of course, it's more fun and more interesting to play in the company for a maximum of four people - Nine Parchments is "imprisoned" for co-operative passage. However, in this case, there can be more problems - if you include fire in your options, then spells, especially those that hit the square, will hurt your friends.
Given that the enemies actively reflect the spell, directing the fireballs and magic arrows that you cast in different directions, all this turns into a dangerous bacchanalia, in which both the strangers and their own perish, remaining lying on the ground awaiting the moment when the comrades revive them. Someone, however, even more fun to make fun of friends. And sometimes it is useful - some of the staff heal, and not cripple.
Given that the enemies actively reflect the spell, directing the fireballs and magic arrows that you cast in different directions, all this turns into a dangerous bacchanalia, in which both the strangers and their own perish, remaining lying on the ground awaiting the moment when the comrades revive them. Someone, however, even more fun to make fun of friends. And sometimes it is useful - some of the staff heal, and not cripple.
The key to success in this situation is to keep a cold head and competently juggle with different spells, considering the fact that all monsters are vulnerable or, conversely, are resistant to some kind of elements: water fears of fire, and fiery ones are afraid of fire. In addition, you can try to combine the elements, for example by crossing the rays of different "spells" in order to get some unusual effect - that's exactly where Magicka is remembered . True, here it is not so interesting - the same expanse in magical experiments with elements, as in that game, in Nine Parchments there.
But there is expanse in the other. Moving forward, collecting some blue feathers scattered throughout the levels, defeating the "bosses" and opening the chests, we find many different magic caps and staffs that give unique effects - one, for example, increases the speed of recovery, while the other heals the character, When he makes a sharp jerk to bypass the shielded enemy.
In addition, we gain experience, new levels and "pump" the character in different branches, reducing, say, the cost of using spells, increasing the damage or effectiveness of a particular type of magic. Nothing special, but the possibility of such a point-like "tuning" of the character, of course, pleases.
Finally, finding staffs and hats, getting special achievements and performing special tasks, we gradually open up more and more new characters or advanced versions of the old ones. Initially, only two heroes are available - a young student gravitating toward attack magic, and a female student who also knows how to treat. And then there are even more powerful mages with different sets of "spells".
That's only to change the hero right in the course of the passage is impossible - you have to start all over again. The authors thus clearly encourage us to re-play the game over and over again in order to open even more content, hats, staffs and characters and try out other spells and combinations in the same situations, but still the solution is ambiguous - let's at least choose individual chapters like this was in Trine. Moreover, I repeat, the same expanse for creative experiments, as in Magicka , there is not, and therefore there is no special incentive for constant pereproshdeniya.
In addition, we gain experience, new levels and "pump" the character in different branches, reducing, say, the cost of using spells, increasing the damage or effectiveness of a particular type of magic. Nothing special, but the possibility of such a point-like "tuning" of the character, of course, pleases.
Finally, finding staffs and hats, getting special achievements and performing special tasks, we gradually open up more and more new characters or advanced versions of the old ones. Initially, only two heroes are available - a young student gravitating toward attack magic, and a female student who also knows how to treat. And then there are even more powerful mages with different sets of "spells".
That's only to change the hero right in the course of the passage is impossible - you have to start all over again. The authors thus clearly encourage us to re-play the game over and over again in order to open even more content, hats, staffs and characters and try out other spells and combinations in the same situations, but still the solution is ambiguous - let's at least choose individual chapters like this was in Trine. Moreover, I repeat, the same expanse for creative experiments, as in Magicka , there is not, and therefore there is no special incentive for constant pereproshdeniya.
Frankly - unlike Trine , the new work Frozenbyte stars from the sky is not enough. Everything seems to be in place, but there is a lack of pepper, depth and uniqueness. And yet in the company of friends, this game can well grease the map of everyday life with a bright paint of magic fireworks.
Rate 8/10
