The games that demand your time and attention grow more and more each week, requiring you to dedicate your life to completing daily missions and acquiring loot, regardless of if you want to do so or not. It becomes habitual, and may or may not actually be fun, but it becomes so routine that you tell yourself it’s enjoyable. It’s rare that a game keeps you coming back because it’s genuinely fun, and not only by yourself, but with friends. Castle Crashers is probably the last local co-op game I felt that with, and Super Cane Magic ZERO wants to be the next.
My first experience with SCMZ was in its early access phase on PC back in 2017, and it was minimal. What was impossible to miss in my short time with it though was the fun art direction and loads of humor. The load screens are full of hilarious quips and information that doesn’t pertain to the game at all. The game’s dialogue follows suit, with almost every line a gag, and character names that are often puntastic. This keeps things fresh when you’re alone, but is also worth a few chuckles if you’re playing with friends and not blowing through the dialogue.
Starting off in the game, the combat feels a bit weak, especially when you’re playing alone. Depending on the character you choose, your stats will differ as will the way you play. I felt inclined to pick up objects, throw them at enemies, and run away because of what the game teaches you. This is all well and good, but when there are mobs of enemies every time you scroll a bit, the fun starts to fade quickly, as the pickup and throw method is a bit slow and tedious. Playing alone makes this tedium evident even quicker, as you don’t have anyone to help pass the time. When attempting melee combat, it felt overly penalizing as the attacks do much less damage than thrown objects and is far more dangerous when it comes to health depletion.
Other than combat, one of the mechanics of the game that will take up a lot of your time involves the items you can pick up and consume. Pretty much everything you pick up can be eaten, and figuring out what you should and should not eat is part of the allure. Different items will boost stats, provide health, or damage you and end your poor soul’s life. Who could’ve possibly thought that eating a bomb wouldn’t turn you into a bomb wielding freedom fighter? In any case, the game is keen on joining the love of loot that so many have adopted, and I realized early on that I was going to be fatigued by this like I was in Fallout 3. There’s a wall of lockers during the intro, all of which contain stuff in them. You have full life and quite a few status buffs. Do you take the time to break open the lockers and pick up what’s in them, or move on saving time but potentially miss out on something helpful like new gear? My fear of missing out paralyzes me in situations like this, and in some cases drives me away from the game entirely. But I understand the allure and drive this brings for many. And yes, I broke them all.
The game features multiplayer with up to four different people, and if you plan on playing this, with others is the way to do so. There’s plenty to enjoy here by yourself, but having someone else to traverse the maps and provide their own colorful commentary while also speeding up what can be a painfully monotonous gameplay loop will boost your enjoyment of this in the same way playing Castle Crashers with friends is infinitely better. For those that want to just battle it out, there’s also an arena mode meant for such occasions – maybe it’ll help settle a spat you’re having.
Perhaps the best thing you can say about Super Cane Magic ZERO is that it’s unpredictable. You never know what’s around the corner, and that is what will keep you going, whether with friends or by yourself. The absolute absurdity of it all thanks in no small part to the Italian artist Sio makes this something unique, and is the main selling point in my mind. It’s something people will enjoy streaming and watching, and will likely be a winner with parents and their kids. Less emphasis on loot and more time spent on fleshed out combat would’ve made this superb in my eyes, but there’s plenty to love for those eclectic minds out there.
7 out of 10
Pros
- Original Humor
- Art Direction
- Multiplayer
- Unique
Cons
- Monotonous Combat
- Loot FOMO
Super Cane Magic ZEROwas developed by Studio Evil and published by Intragames. It’s been available on PC in Early Access since 2015, and is launching officially on PC, NS, and PS4 on May 30th, 2019. The game was provided to us for review on PC and PS4. If you’d like to see more of Super Cane Magic ZERO, check out the official site.
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