The Magic Circle: Gold Edition Review (Xbox One)
It is difficult to explain what The Magic Circle: Gold Edition actually is. This updated version of the game contains some extra content and updates not present in the original PC release, though it is still unclear what genre it can fit into. That is because The Magic Circle is a game about an unfinished game. It features elements of a puzzler, platformer, action and sandbox game, all within a first-person perspective.
The player is essentially tasked with trying to fix a game that has spent years in development hell, allowing the inhabitants of the broken world to understand exactly what has happened to them and finally have a working game to be part of. Throughout the experience, the very idea of making games is subjected to criticism as the characters give a running commentary of how development can be something of a poison chalice.
Within the plot it is easy to see how the experiences of the people behind The Magic Circle are being told through the on-screen action. It paints an autobiographic picture of the hazards of making a game – whether it is the danger of having too many ideas that a person tries to implement or a team focusing too much on perfecting every element of a title. This al creates a rather interesting look at game development itself whilst also providing a rather unique backdrop for the gameplay and story.
As mentioned previously, this title doesn’t fit neatly into any established genre. Instead, it something of a combination of many different types of games linked together through the process of walking around and exploring the open world. Using special powers that come with being a tester for The Magic Circle, you are able to manipulate the world around you. This can manifest itself as restoring content that has been deleted by the in-game developers or by changing the behavior of the creatures that inhabit the world.
The changing of characteristics and abilities of the various different animals and monsters that are scattered throughout the game, often blocking your path or attacking you. A rather simple editing system can be used to steal the behaviors of any creature or object, which can then be transferred to other ones in the world. This demonstrates itself with simple abilities such as forcing an enemy to become an ally or can get more complicated with the player creating flying turtle-like monstrosities that can float into the sky.
Unfortunately, the fact that there are so many different types of mechanics in play, along with the perplexing plot, means that The Magic Circle can become incredibly confusing. This means that sometimes the game will be a little overwhelming. While it certainly encourages the player to try a variety of different solutions, it also can cause you to get stuck very easily. However, this stops being so much of an issue once you have explored more of the world and experimented with some of the different mechanics. The mechanic does mean that puzzles can be overcome in a variety of different ways, so no two playthroughs might be exactly the same.
Despite all of this being the most exciting and interesting part of The Magic Circle, it ends all too quickly. Even a relatively slow playing speed will see the main part of the campaign finished in just an hour or two. The title then transports you into the shoes of the developer, able to actually build a game all for yourself. This bit is also quite fun, if limited to what you can do, but it ends the story in a rather satisfying way whilst also giving you the chance to try out some new gameplay mechanics.
This is exactly the type of experience that independent developers should be making. The freedom to create unique games and develop interesting ideas that wouldn’t be touched by big publishers is incredibly endearing and The Magic Circle is certainly distinctive. There is nothing else like it available on the Xbox One, or other platforms for that matter, and it contains some genuine moments of commentary and humor that will strike a chord with anyone who knows anything about the gaming industry.
That may also prove to be its downfall though as it just won’t appeal to core gamers who prefer to stick with established franchises such as Call of Duty. The rather bizarre gameplay and puzzles might well be enough to put off a lot of players, though those that stick with it will get a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
This review was based on a digital copy of the game provided by developer Question for review purposes. It is available on Xbox One for $19.99.