Lichdom: Battlemage
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Lichdom: Battlemage
I find myself thinking back to a Gabe Newell quote from the book Half Life 2: Raising the Bar, regarding the game's large portions of missing content. "It doesn't matter what we cut, so long as we cut it and it gives us the time to focus on other things." I feel like this outlook is more pertinent than ever; there are too many games being released these days for them to waste players' time in the way Battlemage does. Editing in game design is as important as it is in writing or filmmaking. Get to the point. Respect both the time and financial investment of your audience. Above all else, don't send me chasing after the goddamn lorry.
Brutal but rewarding, Lichdom: Battlemage is magically empowering, but also tests your patience.
A beautiful and difficult action-RPG that rewards risk-taking—the complex magic system makes up for the bits that just aren't worth playing over and over.
A fun romp with an interesting crafting system that encourages all kinds of spell combining action, marred only by some repetitive encounters and minor inherent gameplay flaws
Its core combat is sensational, but Lichdom: Battlemage never evolves a proper game around it.
Lichdom: Battlemage is a fun magic-driven shooter with a deep crafting system, but repetition creeps in across its 20-plus-hour playing time.
For those that may stumble upon it on sale somewhere, feel good in knowing that you are picking up a solid, and unique title, that is finally worthy of sitting on a retail shelf.
Lichdom: Battlemage is a fun, if shortsighted RPG with some fantastic upsides. Is it worth the asking price of $40? I'd say no at this point, and hold out for a Steam sale. It's definitely something fans of the old Hexen will enjoy, but fans of open ended RPGs will find Xaviant's game lacking. A solid effort, but not quite what I'd hoped for after seeing the game at PAX East this year.
