Let's chat magic in games! What are our favourite spells? Should magic be chaotic? Or should it be arranged in an orderly tome?

Alice likes the competing forces of technology and magic in Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, while Matthew tells us about a Japanese import of Ni No Kuni on Nintendo DS which came with a real spellbook.

But we’ve been playing stuff too. Alice has been shouting at gravity in anti-platformer Youropa, and Matthew has been trying to cope with the size of Egypt in Assassin’s Creed Origins.

A special thanks to Chris McDowall for the theme suggestion. May your life be full of good magic and only a moderate amount of chaotic magic. If you want to suggest a theme for a future episode, please email podcast@rockpapershotgun.com.

Links:

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcanum:_Of_Steamworks_and_Magick_Obscura

Final Fantasy XV is so magical:

Two Worlds was a game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Worlds_(video_game)

Sorcery was our best RPG of 2016: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/03/best-rpg-2016/

The cannon spell from Planescape Torment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZZEPoVb4c

Ni No Kuni’s magic spell book on DS: https://youtu.be/HQtH4eQI7sA?t=1m8s

BioShock Infinite was pretty different in early demos: https://youtu.be/6WUt5dEMt_Y?t=4m22s

Have you played… Else Heart.Break()? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/20/have-you-played-else-heart-break/

The Earthsea books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthsea

The Knightmare TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5pdZOA9vc

Knightmare Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_46fJIySw

Have you played… Encarta Mindmaze? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/04/have-you-played-encartas-mindmaze/

Gravity works differently in Youropa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_t3XUurm6Q

Our Assassin’s Creed Origins review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/01/assassins-creed-origins-review-pc/