Magic systems go hand and hand with most RPGs, or at least the ones that are based on fantasy adventures. For example, it can make all the difference in unlocking a new spell in classic games like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. For the most part, spells are just spells and don’t differ too much in how they are implemented into RPGs.
That is, except for the following RPG examples. These magic systems go beyond caring about getting stronger spells for attack purposes. They may be able to boost stats, be combined with other elements to create new attacks, and so on. For anyone who wants an interesting magic system to obsess over, these games offer plenty.
Final Fantasy 7
Trusting In Materia
Final Fantasy 7 allows characters to use magic if they possess crystalline orbs called Materia, which come in different colored varieties. By equipping Materia to armor or weapons, characters can cast spells like Ice or Fire, but the other types are more supportive.
For example, blue Materia essentially changes how green Materia works, like combining Fire with All will make the attack hit all enemies. Pink Materia can affect stats, like HP; red Materia can summon monsters, and yellow Materia can add new attack commands. The variety lets players customize their characters more than in other RPGs.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Building Upon Skills
Every character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 behaves differently in combat. Some characters can use magic while others rely on skills, but either way, most spells and skills react to each other. Lune is perhaps the best example, as her elemental magic requires Stains to use, which are elemental orbs that generate from other attacks.
Another character, Sciel, uses dark magic and tarot cards, with each attack or supportive skill adding to her max potential. Every character has a skill tree that players can reverse and experiment with to find the best build to nuke the competition.
Avowed
Infecting The Environment
Avowed has a great magic system, as players don’t have to build their character into a mage to use spells. Instead, they can find Grimoires to cast spells, which are limited, but still an interesting way to get players interested in magic.
Those who do invest heavily in spells can find that the elements can affect the environment in cool ways, going beyond combat practices. For example, players can use ice magic to freeze paths on water, thus creating shortcuts, which is very useful for the first area.
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
Monster Mash
When players attack monsters in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, they have a chance to absorb a monster’s skill. Some skills are active and can be used like attacks, including a skeleton’s spear. Some skills allow players to traverse the environment differently, like getting a glide.
And then there are skills that can affect stats. There aren’t many strict spells in the game, but skills are essentially the magic here. It can become addicting fighting the same foes on repeat just to see what skill can be unlocked next.
Chrono Trigger
By Your Powers Combined
Chrono Trigger’s characters start with basic physical attacks, but once they reach the end of time, each character can learn an element to master. For example, Crono can gain lightning attacks while Marle can gain ice attacks.
Learning spells also unlocks double and even triple attacks. For example, Lucca and Marle can combine fire and ice magic to form an explosive bomb. It may not be the deepest spell system, but the combo attacks definitely elevate this time-traveling RPG.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
