8. Magicka

 

“Magicka: Official Release Trailer”

If you need a break from dark and intense medieval graphics and storylines, Magicka is the game for you. Based on Norse mythology and interwoven with satire upon the dungeon crawling genre, it ranges from anywhere between hilarious and cheeky in its writing. Each fireball and spell your wizard casts is quick and devastating, making for streamlined gameplay.

Unlike most dungeon crawling games, Magicka features something unique: There are no mana or health bars, and everyone has access to magic. The twist is that you have to be able to fire your magic off quickly or you’ll be overwhelmed by the mobs of hostiles that come after you. Sporting 3D graphics and a clean and bright style, Magicka is a break from the usual dungeon crawl in that it’s pretty to look at and it's interwoven with comedy to keep the overall feeling of the game lighthearted.

Loot is not the most important feature of the game either, prompting players to look for story clues and progress along the plotline instead of trailing to the side in order to get an extremely overpowered item. Cute and lively, Magicka can be enjoyed by beginners and experienced gamers both.

This wizard is showing off his frost spells.

Chain lightning spells like this can be learned by anyone … and still look cool.