Fantasy-themed video games are perennially popular, and it's no surprise that the Game Awards named Elden Ring game of the year in 2022. At the Game Awards, many upcoming fantasy titles were announced, including Hades II, Diablo IV, and Wo Lang: Fallen Dynasty. These are all games that use normal combat alongside magic, or, at times, magic alone.
Magic is a huge part of the fantasy genre, but not every player enjoys diving in and using it. Sometimes, magic systems can be a bit overwhelming, and more casual gamers may want to know which fantasy titles offer simpler, more direct combat instead of complicated spellcasting.
Demon's Souls
There is a portion of the Souls fan base that refuses to use magic in the games and that's because they either see it as "easy mode" or they have no desire to play an RPG in a way they never have before. Magic in the Souls games isn't super complex, especially not in Demon's Souls. Unlike the other Souls games, magic in Demon's Souls is split into only two categories "Magic Spells" and "Miracles."
Magic Spells deal damage whereas Miracles are for either inflicting status effects or healing the infliction of status effects or just health in general. Each spell in the game has a requirement to use it, but it's rather straightforward. The only thing the player will need is a Catalyst and a Talisman so that they can wield magic.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Most of the Fire Emblem games have a relatively easy magic system to understand, but Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is one of the best Fire Emblem games with one of the easiest to understand.
Magic can only be used by certain characters and only specific types of magic for each character (this can be seen by looking at a character's profile and going to the skill tab). In the game, magic works as a rock-scissors-paper method. There are three anima magics with fire taking advantage over wind, wind over thunder, and thunder over fire.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 has one of the easiest magic systems to understand and all of it is unlocked to the player at the very beginning of the game. However, each sign (the name of the magic) can be improved with unlockable abilities.
Each of these signs have different usages and varieties to them. One of the best hidden details in the Witcher 3 next-gen update is the addition of quick sign casting. This makes the magic system far better than it was and can allow the player to change what sign they want to use instantly.
Spellbreak
Spellbreak is a battle royale first-person shooter game. However, instead of guns, players are given various spells that they can obtain in each playthrough. There are also various classes to choose from that will give the player a few starter spells to begin with based on this class.
The magic in the game isn't anything too complex, and it's as easy to learn how to use a spell as it is to know how to wield a certain type of gun in Fortnite. This is the perfect type of game for fans of battle royales that love fantasy.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
There's a lot to do in one of the most popular open-world video games, Skyrim but when it comes to the general combat of the game, it's pretty easy to understand. That goes for the magic system which is split into five categories, though each one is simple to use and understand.
Destruction, conjuration, restoration, alteration, and illusion (enchanting is also a magic skill, though it does not have spells). The names fit what each of the magic spells are capable of. Players must find tomes to read and unlock various spells and then equip whichever one they want to use. From there, it's all rather straightforward.
Wizard of Legend
Wizard of Legend is a rogue-like video game that focuses on a spell-slinging protagonist. Magic is the only weapon used in Wizard of Legend, and it isn't too complex. There are four different categories to equip the arcana magic called basic, dash, standard, and signature.
This will assign the magic to a different button and will have different attacks, which is pretty comparable to the boons unlocked from the gods in Hades. The arcana also works like Fire Emblem games where one magic has a weakness and an advantage against another.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest XI, one of the best Dragon Quest games, has tons of spells available to use in the game that can be unlocked in a character's skill tree. Magic is straightforward in the game and almost every magic has a stronger version that can be unlocked.
These stronger variations do not replace their weaker counterparts, so players can still use both. The reason why a player would want to have both is because the stronger the magic the more MP it consumes. There's no need to use a stronger attack to wipe out an enemy with health when the weaker version can wipe out an opponent with ease. There are tons of different types of magic in the game and players will need to know which characters should use them.
Master of Magic
Master of Magic is a turn-based strategy game that allows the player to use magic that is slowly unlocked throughout the game. There are various characters that the player can control with the most important ones being the wizards who can learn various spells.
There are five different types of spells in the game--Arcane, Life, Death, Chaos, Nature, and Sorcery. Each spell type has different spells that can be learned from them with higher levels of rarity that are more effective than the rest.
Blade and Sorcery: Nomad
Blade and Sorcery: Nomad is a VR video game that fits its name. The combat is limited and is rather similar to Skyrim but far less complex. There aren't many magic spells that can be used in the game, but they add to the overall fun of the game and are easy to learn.
Magic can either be blasted forward at an opponent or the player can imbue their weapon with magic to get an extra effect. Fire, for instance, will make attacks against armor far more effective. This game is only for fans of VR.
Diablo III
While Blizzard's World of Warcraft has a complex magic system, its Diablo III makes things far easier to understand. Most classes chosen can learn various spells and several will be unlocked to the player at the beginning of their playthrough.
These spells alongside attacks are assigned to a different button each and new ones can be unlocked throughout the playthrough or even an advanced variation of some of the player's favorite ones. Diablo III is player-friendly, and it doesn't require any sort of deep-thinking strategy to use the magic desired.
Source:gamerant.com