Dare to enter a fantasy world and face untold mysteries in RUINSMAGUS: Complete.
Fans of anime will recognize the term isekai instantly. In general terms, it is when a character is transported from their daily life, usually a person in the modern era, to a fantasy world with all types of otherworldly beings, people, and cultures. This fish-out-of-water circumstance usually brings all kinds of funny business depending on the story, from the character becoming a reluctant hero to something more mundane like opening a store and trying to earn a living in such a foreign land in hopes of returning to their life. RUINSMAGUS: Complete is an invitation to such a journey.
Developed by CharacterBank, you step into the boots of an eponymous Magus in the magical streets of Grand Amnis. Instantly, the hustle and bustle of the city, with mages running around, conversing between themselves and greeting you as you walk by, makes it feel lively. Labeled as a rookie, the aim is to make a name for yourself in the RUINSMAGUS Guild and hopefully uncover what mystery is brewing in the ruins below.
As most games do, RUINSMAGUS: Complete starts with a tutorial. While not entirely complex, there are certain moves that you have to learn to succeed in battle, such as reloading by pressing specific buttons and moving your right hand close to your hip. Getting the hang of your electric and fire powers, learning how to block and parry attacks, and adjusting to the motions of dashing and drinking health potions take a bit of time before the game properly starts, and due to a fair reason.
The game takes no time throwing you straight into the action, walking headfirst to meet a cheeky host named Reese Seption, and then sending you to the famous ruins behind her that most mages seem eager to jump into. You are introduced to Iris, a researcher who will guide you for the remainder of the adventure. Her personality is somewhat immature but funny, as the trope in the inspirations behind this game seems to be, but is determined to help you as the rookie you are in this new quest to explore the ruins and leave no stone unturned.
This is where the thorough tutorial comes into play as mechanical constructs hastily appear as soon as you enter the futuristic-looking cave to make use of your newly learned powers. The enemies’ designs seem strangely technological and robotic, completely contrasting to the folksy town where you were a few moments ago that could be mistaken for a village in the Middle Ages. Being careful by the number of opponents thrown your way, RUINSMAGUS: Complete does an excellent job of adapting your abilities in the starting area without being too overbearing.
The journey on your way back to the town is interrupted by a rather imposing figure who, thanks to the effective use of the VR goggles, is startling. Once you escape by the skin of your teeth, RUINSMAGUS: Complete subtly foreshadows that there is way more going on at the ruins than it is letting on. It can be a great source for looting and making a living, but there are also secrets that it is up to you to discover.
The way RUINSMAGUS: Complete works is the following: you choose a mission from a quest board, and once completed, based on your performance stats such as the clear time, the enemies eliminated, and the times you died, will be given a Rank and reward accordingly. You can play earlier missions to grind out and earn more currency to improve your magic gauntlet and shield if the battles get too intense.
Combat develops to have an arsenal of 16 individual spells that you can alternate to better suit your needs as the dungeons require. Having to aim your fireball, short-range or wide energy attacks to hit the targets while you have to be a moving target yourself becomes fun and second nature once the ball is rolling. Different colors of attacks determine whether you can parry an attack or have to blink away from it. Lastly, there is an ultimate attack reminiscent of the Kamehameha from the Dragon Ball series that is just as fun to use as it sounds.
Comprehensively, there are three main difficulties that you can choose from the start of the game. Several items to aid you, such as attack and defense elixirs and enhancing your equipment, are all part of the journey to becoming a leader of the guild. Mastering each spell, parry, and overall movement comes with its reward, but raising the difficulty can give an extended playtime for those seeking the ultimate challenge.
Of course, like any self-respecting RPG focused on dungeon crawling, RUINSMAGUS: Complete offers extensive boss fights. Each one serves as a refreshing change of pace from the usual enemies you find, and everyone has a unique set of skills ready to annihilate you if you are not careful. If you attack fixed vulnerable parts of said bosses, there is a chance you can stagger them and do major damage. Dashing around the map, parrying, and having your shield up are crucial to victory in these situations.
Exploring the town of Grand Amnis is just as important as the ruins. Lore scattered around in the shops or the hub world gives a glimpse of the expansive world. You get a sense of the machinations that make this place go round, as talks of the many uses of magic, newspapers talking about aristocracy and politics, and the many geographical areas magus from the east, west, and north come from inferring there are other cultures and points of view at play. The worldbuilding makes you feel that there is more than meets the eye in the world of RUINSMAGUS: Complete.
As you unlock an area called the back alleys, you recognize some beautiful architecture and color palette that stands out. The walls are adorned with artsy flyers, the people hanging out in cafes or just talking in the streets. There is even a tailor shop to customize Iris’ appearance. The places might be small, but make good use of the space with even more books and magazines around the street.
You are given a camera at some point that sends your photos directly to your Media Gallery. It comes in handy in certain situations where some designs feel straight out of a fancy fable and also helps with the immersion as doing it with the Share button on its own just does not feel quite right.
No game is perfect, and RUINSMAGUS: Complete is not the exception. Some of the character animations are not fluid, and not every person walking about is fully detailed. When you start a conversation, the screen abruptly fades to black to prepare the scene, and as wearing the VR glasses practically leaves you looking at a void, it can feel bizarre. Finally, there is no option to turn off the subtitles; they can sometimes get in the way of your companions or NPCs in general.
It is true that the graphics are nothing to write home about and the ruins, at least in the beginning, look too monotonous. Still, the animated art style and continuous progression along the lower levels of the dungeons can spark an addictive gameplay loop that allows these minor issues to be easily ignored. Also, there are areas of the town that truly make the world shine.
Given PSVR2‘s current RPG offerings, RUINSMAGUS: Complete is a breath of fresh air with its mission-based incursions into its dangerous catacombs, customizable equipment, and narrative focused on climbing the ranks of the Magus Guild. Ultimately, the empowering sensation of being a mage in control of all their powers is a feeling this game recreates well. At the best of times, it can make you feel like you are inside a classic fantasy story, and if that is what you have been searching for, look no further.
