Game: MAGIC CHRONICLES ISEKAI RPG
Platform: Mobile
Genre: Casual Idler / Gacha / Free to Play
Overview
Magic Chronicles the Isekai RPG game is a bit deceiving. You do not die and become reborn in a new world, there are no RPG features, and the game would have been far better off if it had just called itself "Magical Chronicles" to some extent.
I was hoping for a pleasant idle game that would have some character development, relationships, and general components that I typically see in these very charming and casual games, but unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of engagement with the player.
Issues
There isn't really anything wrong with this game, besides the fact that it will crash and will no longer open until you re-install it. There are no loading screens or anything of the sort, which means that you are simply scorching through level after level, mini-game after mini-game. It is just not what it claims to be, and a lot of stuff is just too idle to the point where it is not even an idler. Fights are so quick, and there are no loading screens or anything of the sort making it more manual.
Graphics & Presentation
The game features some absolutely stunning and charming art design for both the characters and the world as a whole. However, this alone does not really accomplish much to carry it through the rest of the gameplay, which is somewhat boring. It is a huge waste of the designers' talent to capture cell-shaded chibi characters in a magical universe only for it to just not do anything for itself or the player.
Everything in this game is all over the place. Instead of reading through a synopsis of each of the characters, which includes information on who they are and how they came to be magicians, knights, and priests, the title gives the impression that it is something that might possibly involve an interactive plot between them. But this is not even close to being the case, It is a game that is not very interesting to play.
Gameplay
When a character has a skill that is ready, you press a button to activate that skill. Everything from a healing special to knockback to force monsters away from your back line, area of effect damage, or massive damage to a single target.
In the event that you decide to activate the auto feature, this is simply the same as turning on idle mode. During the course of the game, there is not much else for you to actually do; it is a game that plays itself. You will be able to upgrade once the battle is done, and you will also be able to look for specific things to complete in order to be rewarded with new heroes and more weapon upgrades, among other things; but, the gameplay will return to being very basic and unpleasant.
The only actual interaction you have is trying to figure out which characters should be grouped together in a particular arrangement in order to trigger hidden passives that increase their overall output of damage, tankiness, and sustain. This could be anything from tethering a Healer to a Mage, but it's very difficult to figure out.
There are various side minigames that are only available a few times daily, such as the Mario Party styled board game, in which you get to roll dice for rewards, a dungeon crawling board game in which you acquire powers and fight bosses, and a map of a board game in which you have to free a town from the evildoers.
Conclusion
I had high hopes that this game would not only be adorable (which it was!), but that it would also engage with the game's visuals, characters, and overall environment.
The entirety of the dialog takes place during combat, which lasts for a mere ten to fifteen seconds. Once the fight is complete, there are a few panels of dialogue that appear and explain the situation from both your point of view and the characters that you are directing or protecting. None of the Arena, Guilds, Community, Events, or Dailies provided any kind of stimulation that could keep me interested in playing. It just did not offer any kind of stimulation. On the other hand, I can see how this may be a lot of fun for someone who is only interested in nice aesthetics and nothing else.