Spirit Mancer is a cooperative hack-and-slash action game with an interesting twist: the ability to summon monsters. The game uses its own unique mechanics, enriched with a variety of enemy designs and an interesting combination of the action genre and Pokémon-style monster collection. Unfortunately, the solid combat system is marred by uneven boss fights, which affects the overall experience.
Long ago, humans discovered how to access Inferno, the mystical world of demons. After a period of peace, a cataclysmic war broke out between humans and demons, causing the connection between Earth and Inferno to be severed. During a secret military operation, protagonists Sebastian and Mary find themselves trapped in Inferno and possessed Spirit Manceraa mysterious weapon that can seal and summon demons. Their mission becomes to overthrow the tyrannical demon queen and save their friends. The story is not particularly detailed, but the comic tone and retro styles of the graphics and interface alleviate the lack of a deeper narrative, although the finale seems a bit abrupt and underdeveloped.
Levels in Spirit Mancer are classic hack-and-slash adventures, where Sebastian and Mary can fight demons using melee and ranged attacks, as well as summon spirit beings. You have permanent melee weapons and a selection of disposable ranged weapons that can be purchased or traded during levels. Enemies have green, blue, and purple shields that are weaker against melee, ranged, and summon attacks, respectively. By destroying all shields and reducing the enemy’s health, players can seal them and add them to their deck Spirit Cardswhile at the same time restoring part of their health. You can play as Sebastian or Mary, or together in two-player local co-op.
Combat system in Spirit Mancer it is intuitive, with a large number Spirit Cards which provide different effects. Some ghosts have powerful AOE attacks, others distract enemies, while some boost the player by healing or increasing damage. When building your deck, you have a limited number of points, so you decide between more weaker spirits or less powerful ones. The game is flexible, allowing you to occasionally go over the limit while sealing enemies. While ghosts are disposable, the deck can be replenished at checkpoints for little cost, allowing the arsenal to be used without too much risk.
The main missions are linear and basic, but with occasional platforming challenges that add variety. For example, an underwater level changes the physics of movement, while a mission on a moving train brings challenges in the form of obstacles. However, the length of the levels, often lasting 20-30 minutes without a progress save point, can be tiring, especially if the game crashes near the end of the level and all progress is lost.
In addition to the main missions, the game offers short side missions with more varied objectives, such as hunting certain demons or rescuing villagers. Additional activities such as fishing, gardening, and sending villagers on quests yield gold and materials for permanent upgrades and new Spirit Cards. Although the village upgrade system is a bit vague, these activities make for charming breaks between missions.
Boss fights, unfortunately, highlight the weaknesses of the combat system. The central mechanic of limited resources (weapons and spirits) is not a problem during the levels, but becomes frustrating in boss fights, where there are not enough options to restore weapons and spirits. This forces players to use basic, weaker weapons to destroy shields, making fights long and less satisfying. Although the bosses have unique mechanics, they are often slow and contain sections where they are invincible, which detracts from the dynamism.
Visually, Spirit Mancer impresses. The ghost design strikes a balance between cute and scary, while the retro-styled music adds to the atmosphere, although occasional music glitches during boss fights can detract from the experience.
Despite its weaknesses, Spirit Mancer is a fun 2D hack-and-slash game with a unique concept of collecting monsters. While the boss fights leave room for improvement, the mechanics of sealing and summoning spirits are satisfying and add a layer of strategy. If you are looking for a fun game of this genre to play with a friend, Spirit Mancer is a solid choice.
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