Review – Maglam Lord –

Maglam Lord is a free-to big phone smash hit game, which takes place in the medieval ages. Players must play as Maglam and fight off hordes of enemies with their sword to make it back home. If they can get there before time runs out!

Maglam Lord is a free-to-play mobile game that was released on June 20, 2018. The app has been downloaded over 1 million times and has a 4.2 rating in the App Store.

I suppose I’ve established myself as a degenerate now that I’ve written a few of reviews. I don’t know what more to say except that fan service is my bread and butter. Arcade shooters, engrossing dungeon crawlers, and compelling JRPGs are just some of the games that I feel have decent substance with not-so-innocent appeal. Maglam Lord is a genre mashup that combines stabby bloodlust with a dating sim. That’s right, by day you’re slaughtering crabs and rams, and at night you’re whispering lovely nothings into the ears of future partners. The battling arrangement was what drew my attention in the pre-release screenshots. It reminded me of action side-scrolling romps, which was enough to hook me right away. My next assignment beckoned, but could it live up to my expectations?

That’s what I call a backhanded compliment.

JRPGs with an anime look tend to have a stigma attached to them. People nowadays anticipate a certain amount of depravity. Anything smutty counts, whether it’s an explicit picture or insinuation. Maglam Lord, on the other hand, does not include any obscene stuff. Sure, there are a couple of ladies with prominent curves, but they’re both modestly covered. To be honest, the subject matter here has an uncanny ability to be strangely nostalgic. It does, however, have one thing in common with others like it: eccentricity. As characters inject talks with hilarious comments, lunacy is ever-present. When prompted to choose a gender, regardless of decision, The Demon Lord Killizerk is always referred to use they/them pronouns in an effort to be inclusive. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the writing’s excellence, I simply wanted to acknowledge this positive step.

Overall, the story is good, although it takes a while to get going. The pace isn’t great, but once it gets going, I’m having a blast. Maglam Lord goes right in to create the tone in the first few minutes. During this stage, a person either completely commits or backs off. To be clear, my session had gone upwards of 10 hours before that time. Aside than that, the tale coasts along with little exposition that doesn’t provide a clear picture of where it’s going. My jaw was open at the understanding of foreshadowing once it became apparent — even in a section I dismissed as gibberish. It turns out to be a crucial narrative element that connects all of the previous revelations. It also helps to show the relationship between two characters. Their family bond was heartfelt and convincing. Regrettably, little literary fluff might cause investment to be disrupted.

“There are recognizable faces and burned-out locations all around me…”

Now is the time to emphasize the importance of the dating component. Killizerk is the last of their species, which means they must reproduce. With a concept like that, I’m surprised sexuality isn’t more prominent. In reality, it’s the polar opposite, with a healthy dose of goodness. For example, a robot prepares a unique mix of coffee for Killizerk, or a female fighter engages in a private conversation. Both situations were so relatable that they made me reminisce about my own dating experiences. But it wasn’t all rainbows and joy since one important aspect was missing: lighthearted jabs. When compared to the main tale, there is a distinct lack of teasing, which limits the story’s potential. It leads to the dilution of their characteristics, making everyone seem uninteresting. The foundation is in place, but the inability to control chatter dampens the feeling of togetherness on these occasions.

The JRPG community is well aware that there is a vast pond of clichés from which games love to fish. Maglam Lord is no exception, throwing a symbolic net deep into the lake. Normally, this results in a lengthy string of nonsensical narrative elements that are used to propel the tale ahead. For example, having invisible barriers is a common occurrence in video games. In an unexpected twist, although the trope is still alive and well, it’s been given a new lease of life. The use is smart, seamlessly blending into the story and bolstering the penultimate mystery. Sure, the prose suffers from mediocrity as a result of bad structure, but don’t let that dissuade you. The corny speech constantly elicited a smile, and there were a few laughs here and there. Regardless of the sluggish start, there’s a certain charm built in that entices me to keep reading.

I’m going to see you with a knife. Sorry for the terrible pun. But I wanted to try my hand at one.

You may say that Maglam Lord’s gameplay loop is its most appealing feature. While the central idea is to battle for your species’ existence by finding a partner, there is another. The second puzzle is that Killizerk’s magical abilities have dwindled. They have the intrinsic capacity to convert themselves into one of three types of weapons — a sword, spear, or axe – in order to preserve and reclaim what remains of their internal cache. There’s no denying that it’s an intriguing notion that eliminates the need for more durable gear for overworld excursions. Instead, it used a forging system, and my first thoughts were mixed – it seemed to have limited options. So, baby boy, keep your lips shut; each one comes with more variants, more possibilities, and a rise in the ranks. Of course, as potency increases, it also necessitates the acquisition of more ingredients, resulting in a mini-grind fest.

I’m aware that some people vow they’ll never have to fight to obtain resources, level up, or break the bank again. Despite how much I like it, I recognize how monotonous it may get. Fortunately, Maglam Lord attempts to soften the blow by inserting a few rotating cogs. The first is fighting, which is based on the ‘Tales of’ series. While it isn’t exactly the same and has been watered down, it still has the same quickness. In a Thanos flash, I was hopping between combat and map movement. The second is that the skill execution alters as it becomes more simplified. I stopped hitting directional and button combinations and concentrated just on one. The problem is that it turns this system into a mindless masher. The ability to call on many powers at once was surrendered for convenience of usage. The fast dispatching of enemies, thankfully, rescues this dull affair.

There’s a crab joke here, but I’ll leave it at that.

The third and final bullet is a clever little approach that completely deconstructs the concept of grinding. It essentially doubles the amount of experience points gained. Killizerk may be one of three weapon kinds, as we’ve previously established. These are also related to the creatures’ weaknesses. A simple way to think about it is that each one has a vulnerability, neutrality, or resistance state, with the latter being the most important. Changing weapons in the middle of a combat is simple. By doing so, the harm output is reduced to a tiny level. By striking successive strikes, you may acquire a combo counter. A bonus is granted for striking five consecutive strikes, which increases experience by 5%, but it practically doubles if you hit sixty consecutive strikes. The damage is kept at a minimum by using the kind that an adversary is immune to, which is shown by a little symbol. As a consequence, the sound of grinding becomes more audible.

There’s also no need to go scavenging for anything else. To maintain the previous pattern, money isn’t as important in this game as it is in others. Unless otherwise noted, equipment, for example, may be ornamented with a variety of characters. Buying any from a store isn’t a good idea since the ones found through exploration are usually more powerful. When it comes to diligence, there are endangered species strewn over the different places. But be warned: a few are well-hidden, and I had to seek every nook and crevice to find them. When you find one, you may choose from a variety of prizes – think of them as critter collections. Fortunately, if you happen to miss one, don’t worry about it. They may be found in side-quests, which are typically recurring. The only major drawback is that redundancy tends to sneak into some.

Hey everyone, for the first time in a long time, I got a reference!

Rather egregiously, a few locations are obscenely enormous despite the fact that they don’t need that much room. It makes even the most basic quests difficult. For example, depending on the scale of the activity, assembling materials is normally a snap, but it’s a chore when accompanied with a massive map. I’d lose track of locations I’d previously rummaged through on many occasions. To make things even more complicated, it’s very simple to miss the sparkles that are intended to indicate goods. I lost count of how many times I had to go back and scan every pixel. Even yet, my irritation was leading me to show up empty-handed. Fortunately, this isn’t a typical occurrence, since most side tasks condense the entire region. It makes me wonder why this doesn’t apply to every situation. At the very least, I never felt like quitting.

This claymation-type graphics style is used by Maglam Lord. Every figure has a glossy shine that, while not overtly obnoxious, does reveal their age – an odd remark considering that this is a fresh new game. Their resolution is also lacking, with outlines that are hazy. Ironically, it’s the monsters that stand out, almost as if they’re designed to be the center of attention rather than the heroes. Unfortunately, the images aren’t very good when it comes to surroundings. They’re all uninteresting and seem to follow a general formula for the various settings — woodland, castle, and so on. There’s nothing special about them, and none of the level designs stand out. Niche games, on the other hand, aren’t known for their excellent 3D modeling. The artwork and character pictures are an another tale altogether. Although it may be argued that these designs are also cookie-cutter, everyone felt unique.

Oh dear, the hot elves are in jeopardy. Someone is going to be disappointed by this.

Not only am I a dirty degenerate, but I also like dubbed voice acting since I have trouble finding the right cadence in certain foreign language performances. That wasn’t a problem with Maglam Lord, since it was a fantastic film. With every line they gave, every actor and actress had a clear direction. I like the fact that I could feel the rage or snarkiness. Sure, there are some areas that might be improved upon, but nothing is perfect. The music, on the other hand, is hit or miss, with the majority of the soundtrack being forgettable. I’d want to emphasize on something I’ve taught for years: tunes, particularly in JRPGs, should intensify the mood of a moment. As a result, imagine my astonishment when a heartbreaking cutscene was followed by similarly sad music.

With exaggerated curvature on ladies aiming to distract, Maglam Lord is a mixed mixture of good and bad. The idea of a Demon Lord trying to reproduce is absurd, but it’s also predictable. This is a ridiculous JRPG that should not be taken seriously. That isn’t to say the writing is bad; in fact, I was astonished by a twist. What looked to be a haphazardly put-together story was really a touching story. I like the smart use of a cliché, and the voice acting was important in giving the characters individuality. It’s worth noting, though, that they tend to fall into stereotypes that we’ve seen before.

There are minor technical flaws, such as a little delay while halting. I noticed a slight lag in fighting as well, but it’s never a major issue. In all honesty, it provides the impression of power. Although the voice acting is superb, the rest of the music is bland. The character design is excellent, but the landscapes are uninteresting. Maglam Lord is a blemished, tarnished hidden treasure that will thrill niche entertainment aficionados at a reduced price.

Portraits of characters are stunning. Everyone is drawn well and has a distinct appearance. Those landscapes, however, are bleak. They’re the definition of simple, but hey, it works.	It’s half-RPG, half-visual novel. Fortunately, the game leans more heavily on the exploration side of things. The combat was fluid and rapid, and the collecting part was a delightful throwback to my N64 days.
For the most part, tracks are forgotten. They do, however, sound excellent while they’re performing, and they’re never bothersome. What helps is having a music that amplifies the emotional impact of a scenario. That’s a good thing.	I had a good time looking for treasure. Even with some of the characters’ craziness, I had a good time. The mystery piqued my interest, and the forgiving was enjoyable. The fact that Maglam Lord is generous with his plunder helps with this.
Final Score: 7.5

On Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, Maglam Lord is now available.

On the Nintendo Switch, a review was conducted.

The publisher gave a copy of Maglam Lord.

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Maglam Lord is a new game that combines elements of classic platformers and puzzle games. The game features an interesting story and beautiful graphics. It also has a few cool power-ups to help you along the way. Reference: maglam lord switch.