Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

Magicians & Looters Could Have Been Excellent

Slightly unresponsive controls meshed with old-school-style cheap boss fights keep Magicians & Looters from reaching its true potential.
This article is over 11 years old and may contain outdated information

Magicians & Looters is Morgopolis Studios’ take on the classic Metroidvania model. Let me just preface the details of this review by saying that the original Metroid is my favorite game of all time.

Recommended Videos

That should give you a decent idea of how excited I was to jump into this game.

The Up Side

As with most Metroidvania derivatives, you have platforming, exploration, a form of leveling and the incentive to search out secret areas to find the best armor, weapons and accessories. To distinguish this game from its predecessors, Morgopolis also gives you a satirical story and a cast of three playable characters all with unique abilities you’ll need to explore the world and complete the game. On top of that, this game hosts (what I consider to be) an excellent soundtrack.

The Down Side

On the surface, it would seem that Magicians & Looters is an easy choice if you are a fan of this style of game. Unfortunately, the controls and platforming are floaty and slightly less responsive than they should be. This wouldn’t be too bad if the game didn’t devolve into requiring expert pattern memorization and timing to overcome the increasingly cheap boss fights. 

If you are ok with that old school, ‘throw everything and the kitchen sink at you during bossfights’ approach, then you shouldn’t be too disappointed. But I have a family and a gang of other responsibilities, so I don’t really want to spend Saturday having to replay a boss battle 20 times just to win it. In the game’s slight defense, it’s very liberal with save points. It’s not like the original Ninja Gaiden on NES that would push you back 3 levels for getting a game over during the final battle.

The Bottom Line

Whether you should invest the dollar it costs to play Magicians & Looters really depends on how difficult (or cheap) you want your Metroidvanias to be. 

6
Magicians & Looters Could Have Been Excellent
Slightly unresponsive controls meshed with old-school-style cheap boss fights keep Magicians & Looters from reaching its true potential.

GameSkinny is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of B. Chambers
B. Chambers
Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. Co-Founder AlloySeven.com - Writer - Gamer - Gym Rat - Musician - WebDeveloper -- @TheSecondLetter