New Skin for the Old Ceremony
I posted a hasty review here after playing for about twelve hours. Now that I've played for many more hours, completed a few games, and bought all the DLC, I have to revise my review and up the rating I gave this game.
Btw, I borrowed the title from an album by Leonard Cohen. It seems to fit here.
I started playing the original Master of Magic when it was new, in the mid-1990s. It kept me up late many a night and was one of my favorite games for years. I only stopped playing because of my lag in keeping up with technology. And by the time DOSBox made MoM available again, it showed its age; it looked and felt kind of clunky and old-fashioned. I'd also grown used to faster-paced games, so MoM felt painfully slow.
From what I've read, that was what a lot of gamers experienced. Seravy made a brave attempt to bring MoM into the modern world with Caster of Magic, and it's cool to play that faster-paced, debugged, fleshed-out version of MoM with a diplomacy system that actually works (the original is more or less broken). But I found it hard to get into a game that looks like MoM but isn't quite.
I grabbed Slitherine's 2022 version on release day. My wife and I had both been into the game, and we were both eager to revisit it. Unfortunately, we found it too slow. For her, it was slow just because she had grown used to faster-paced games. For me, it literally ran much too slowly on my slightly outdated laptop. Thus, I had to let the game sit until I upgraded my hardware.
With all those obstacles behind me, and having gotten back into playing MoM, I'm now very impressed with this remake. The original game is still there and very much alive, under the new skin. The joy I experienced in the 1990s is back again. And the game looks and sounds and plays better than it ever did.
An old-timer like me can stick to the basic "vanilla" game and get immersed in a nostalgic trip. Yet MoM '22 offers more: new random-event choices, new races, new skills. And diplomacy works too. It's not a groundbreaking diplomacy system, but it works well enough for trading and staying on good terms with some rival wizards while fighting others.
There are also setup options that can speed up the game--especially the early part, where there's not much you can do. But I find myself enjoying the game without those options. The slow start is welcome in a way; it lends the game an epic feel, since you have to build up your empire over time.
For those new to MoM, it's a 4X TBS strategy game with a big box of fantasy-themed toys thrown in. The gaming experience is an exercise in creativity, beginning with your choice of unique standard wizards or customizing a wizard of your own. The mix of skills and spell books can give each playthrough a different feel.
And for those who've been disappointed with the tedium of "playing wide" in a strategy game like this (gradually painting the map your color), the Spell of Mastery offers a "playing tall" option: You can win simply by researching and casting that spell. Of course, it takes a lot of preparation.
Among the games inspired by MoM are Age of Wonders, Fallen Enchantress, and Endless Legend. All fine games. But now that this MoM remake is available, we have another top-notch choice. For me, there's nothing quite like MoM; it's the root of all the rest and still an excellent game in its own right. For anyone new to the game, I'd say it's well worth spending some time with.
No comment on the purchasable DLC, as I haven't tried it yet. Bought it, though, just to make sure it's there when I'm ready for it. The free DLC, "Through the Myrror," meshes nicely into the game, IMO, spicing up MoM with a few new races and stock wizards. Cool stuff.
Bottom line: MoM '22 has become my go-to version of the game. I don't see myself revisiting the "old MoM" in any of its forms. For me, this one's the real deal.
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