The Last Spell Review (PC)

My archer is ready to deliver some death from above, using both Rain of Arrows and Tight Volley, but I need to move her around a little to get the most out of these abilities. That means there’s a chance at least two mutants might get to her on the next turn. So I get my mage to deliver some magic missile strikes to eliminate them.

Meanwhile, on the other flank, my fighter is bashing in mutant skulls left and right, although he has taken a few hits himself. There’s no need to use the health potion I picked up from the shop a few days ago but I decide to move him closer to the walls and give my Haven’s ballistas a chance to soften the horde up a little.

I will certainly eliminate all the enemies that this night has thrown at me before they damage the walls. The big problem is that doing that requires a lot of special attack use, which leads to dwindling mana reserves. To get them back up, I will need to employ a lot of workers at mana wells, even if their labor might otherwise secure much-needed gold or materials. Let’s hope I get the gold required to upgrade another house.

The Last Spell is developed by Ishtar Games and published by The Arcade Crew, Gamera Games, and Dangen Entertainment. I played on the PC using Steam. The title is a tactical game with added role-playing game elements and a rogue-lite structure.

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The narrative’s premise is very interesting: a pretty classic fantasy society decides to eliminate all wars, a great idea, by executing a complex magical ritual. The move backfires and something called The Cataclysm happens. As pure magic ravages this world (think magical nukes), destroying urban centers, a purple mist is spreading, turning remaining inhabitants into mutants, called Clawers, that attack the survivors during the night.

The only way to unto all this damage is to cast the final spell from the game’s name, designed to eliminate all magic from the world and, presumably, allow the survivors of The Cataclysm to rebuild. This means small bands of heroes need to protect the remaining safe places, while mages try to power up this ritual.

This translates into turn-based tactical battles, paired with a deep layer of progression. Players will spend most of their time in control of characters, at night, using their skills to take out big numbers of mutants. Each of them has several special moves, powered by mana, as well as more basic attacks to fall back on. Basic monsters are the core of the first waves but their abilities quickly escalate and one of the most terrifying moments is the one when a capable elite shows up to back them.

The Last Spell’s battles might seem initially easy. Character attacks are powerful, enemies don’t have a ton of health, and their assaults are hampered by obstacles. But as wave after wave comes in, players will have to make increasingly difficult choices. There are times when there’s no way to defend all areas at the same time. Sacrifices are required, which sometimes means losing a hero to last another night.

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When a wave is defeated, the game shifts to town and character management. The Haven that’s under the player’s protection does house mages trying to enact the final spell. But it also has a small number of buildings and workers. They are used to replenish hero resources and more options open up as the game progresses, offering more choice. Always put up more walls, if you can, and throw in some obstacles to slow the mutants.

Each character has three defining quirks and a combat role defined by equipment. As they level up, players can choose which of their characteristics to boost (specialization is important) and what traits can boost their combat efficiency. There are no easy choices and plenty of variety. It’s a good idea to simply ignore a character’s negatives and boost positive traits as much as possible.

Mutants leave behind essence while player action generates favor. These are used for the meta-progression linked to the rogue elements of The Last Spell. Two cosmic powers offer both straight-up upgrades and unlockables that can improve heroes, expand the options associated with the Haven, and more.

There’s a lot to take in but once I got the basic structure of The Last Spell the game put me on an enjoyable carousel. Destroy the monsters, conserve hero resources, find the best way to improve them and the Haven during the day, get some extra gear, consider your strategy, and jump into the fray once more.

The attention to detail is impressive and all the core ideas interact beautifully with one another. The cosmic progression elements could be a little more varied and easier to achieve. But otherwise, the experience is challenging but enjoyable.

The Last Spell wisely uses chunky pixel art that suits its fantasy universe perfectly. Despite limited amounts of detail, all the heroes have a well-defined look, while the user interface constantly shows the player what he can do and how to best use resources. After a while, I no longer needed to click on enemies to remember how they can act, using just their unique looks to identify them to then formulate a strategy.

The sound design is equally solid. Weapon and magic impact sound powerful, while mutant death is, as the characters are not afraid to remark, very squishy. The combat soundtrack enhances the tension, with some great metal riffs thrown in, and wisely switches to a more contemplative approach when it comes to building and progression.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion