Developer: Studio Evil
Publisher: Studio Evil
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Super Cane Magic ZERO – Preview
Super Cane Magic ZERO is a game that combines the adventure and action genres with a tad of silly humor. Studio Evil is the team behind the game and they also worked together with the Italian cartoonist Sio to create the funky art style of the game. We had a chance to test out Super Cane Magic ZERO while it’s still in early access, the game is about 90% completed so the game already has a lot to offer.
Storytelling in Super Cane Magic ZERO is quite silly just like the rest of the game. A cake wizard, who lived in the magical world of WOTF, died because he sneezed too hard. His dog “AAAH” was sitting next to him and saw everything. Suddenly because of the sadness, he became a magical dog and now every time he barks; weird (and destructive) things happen. Now, of course, like any other game, it’s implied that you as a player will be the only one able to stop the magical dog.
The art style of Super Cane Magic ZERO is quite silly but at the same time pleasing to the eye. Sio, an Italian cartoonist, is the person responsible for the special art style and he did a great job. All the graphics fit in with the cartoon style and some are more detailed than others. Some characters have some weird lines, but this adds to the “drawn cartoon” charm.
Super Cane Magic ZERO is an action adventure RPG that also has a touch of humor to it. You can play either alone or in local co-op with up to three other people. When you start the game you get to pick a character. Each character has a different special ability so you get to choose which one you think will fit you the most. As the game starts you see your character wake up in a crater but he or she has no idea how he/she ended up there. When a police officer shows up; you get arrested for illegal crater making. So you quickly end up in prison but not for long as the president abolished all laws before taking his leave.
As you are now free, because there are no laws, you can leave your cell. The prison is actually a tutorial level. There you learn the controls for either a keyboard setup or a controller as you can play with both. Although there is only an explanation for an Xbox controller if you’re playing with a PS4 controller it takes some time to get used to it. There also seems to be a glitch that if you start the game with a controller, you later can’t, in the same or another save, start to use a keyboard anymore which will hopefully get fixed.
You start by learning how to pick up things and how to throw them. Anything that moves with the music is an object that you can pick up and throw. Throwing some things at a wall will open them as for example, a chest opens when you throw it at a wall, as will a locker. Some of them contain treasures and others contain food, clothing, weapons or trinkets.
As you progress through the game you end up in the Poptarts Academy where you find out that all the teachers, who are also magicians, disappeared. They are the only ones who can stop the magic dog that is causing havoc in the world of WOTF. So it’s your duty to find them. Luckily their magic helper dogs were found and they can give hints about the whereabouts of their masters. There is an order to rescuing the teachers so only one or two dogs give real hints at a time. Outside the academy is a town that you can help rebuild with dog biscuits but also an entrance to a few dungeons or other places in WOTF.
As you try to find the missing magicians you come across different landscapes with fitting enemies. You can also collect different weapons and clothes/armor on your journey. Try to upgrade your character as much as possible because the enemies never stop coming. Weapons drop randomly from chests or enemies and sometimes have extra features (not always good ones). Choosing a weapon is quite hard because it depends on your play style and the area that you’re in. It’s easier to use melee weapons against some enemies that also use melee but other times it’s easier to throw magic from afar at baddies. Aiming is quite hard while in battle with a lot of baddies since you can’t fight and walk at the same time.
You heal by eating food that’s found throughout the game. Eating food is as simple as picking something up and holding the same button to eat that object. Food cannot be put in your inventory so you always need to find food somewhere around you. Now you can also eat objects that aren’t exactly “food” but this damages you. There are also food objects that are better thrown against a wall so they heal more health or are now safe to eat; for example, a can of tuna will damage you unless you first throw it against the wall to get the tuna out.
Money in this game is portrayed by salami and special tokens are portrayed by dog biscuits. You can collect salami simply by defeating enemies but dog biscuits are rarer as you need to defeat bigger bosses to obtain them. With salami, you can buy things from vending machines. These appear throughout the game and sometimes hold handy items like for example; an extra life, a chest with food and more. Dog biscuits are used to help people in to rebuild their destroyed houses/shops.
In this game, they use a “belief” system to put skill points in and obtain specials as well as grow stronger. The first thing you believe is that you are a comet which is told to you by a wise tree. This awards you to be able to use the believes interface and you’re able to choose to believe that you’re more an astral being or a UFO, each option has its own features and specials. You get skill points either by leveling, mints given by the museum or by touching a television shrine. Skill points can be put in wherever you want and each block you unlock opens up another path. Every block either upgrades your mana, health, ego, rainbow power, etc or gives you a special feature. Sadly there isn’t a reset button so when you change your mind throughout the game you can’t change it. There is only an undo button to use right before you pick a feature.
Conclusion
Super Cane Magic ZERO is a game that adds some humor to the action and adventure genre. It has funny references here and there and even the loading screens might make you smirk. The gameplay is enormously fun although a bit hard if a horde of enemies attacks you. The story seems a bit silly at first but is pretty well thought through. Graphic wise the game looks really appealing and has a certain charm that overly detailed futuristic games don’t have. If you’re looking for a game where you can discover and defeat different silly enemies while also having a smile on your face then maybe give Super Cane Magic ZERO a try. Even in Early access it already has a lot to offer and it will (hopefully) only get better as it updates.
No Comments