I love magic in video games. Magic open up the possibility for so many different game mechanics. Warping reality, using fireballs or lightning bolts to damage enemies, making your enemies fight each other or stop fighting altogether, these different forms of magic really make games more fun for me. I especially like it though when Sci-Fi games or otherwise non-fantasy type games implement magic in a way that makes sense within the laws of the game and also help to spice up how you handle situations.
One of the best examples of this I can think of is the Mass Effect series with the ‘Biotic’ Powers. Essentially in the lore of the game these abilities are simply created by using specially designed amplification modules on creatures who have been born with the rare ability to use Biotic powers after being exposed to a mysterious element. This way of introducing essentially ‘Space Magic’ is so well done and makes for an incredible amount of varied gameplay options that I feel the series would not be the same without it.
So what other game series can you think of that implemented magic in a similar well thought out way? Be sure to let us all know your thoughts! That’s all for now, and as always. It’s not just a game, It’s a Life.