Summary
With its cast of warring wizards and some set pieces that look like they’d be right at home in the latestElder Scrollsgame,Immortals of Aveumwears its fantasy influences proudly on its sleeve. But even as Ascendant Studios embraced some familiar trappings of the genre, it also made some intriguing narrative and gameplay choices that make themagic flowing through Aveumstand out as a departure from the norm. Not content with simply putting a layer of well-worn fantasy tropes on top of standard shooter mechanics and calling it a day, Ascendant Studios clearly wanted magic inImmortals of Aveumto feel fresh and original.
This surprising spin on the use of magic can be seen throughout the gamein ways both big and small. Whether its sanitation workers using low-level spells to literally clean the streets of the bridge city of Seren or powerful Magni using the arcane arts to power the devastatingweapons used inImmortals of Aveum’s Everwar, magic is everywhere in Aveum. This inescapable infusion of mystical energy into everything from the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Aveum to the disturbing role it plays in the oppressive social structures of the world is what truly setsImmortals of Aveum’s magic apart from other fantasy games.
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Magic Is the Resource That Powers the World of Aveum
One of Ascendant Studios’ most interesting deviations from traditional depictions of magic can be observed in the on-screen text that greets players the first time they load intoImmortals of Aveum. Rather than being the limitless well of mystical energy that gamers have come to expect from traditional fantasy titles, this opening screen immediately establishes that magic is a finite resource, with the fight for its control being the driving force behindImmortals of Aveum’s Everwar. Since magic powers practically everything in Aveum, gaining control over it is seen as vital by the game’s warring kingdoms.
In a clever inversion of Arthur C. Clarke’s famous quote, in the world of Aveum, any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. This blurring of the lines between magic and technology can be seen most clearly in the Palathon,the Order of Immortals’ floating base of operations filled with artifacts that behave more like advanced computers than items imbued with arcane energy. The opulence of life on the Palathon also provides a stark example of how Aveum’s magic isn’t just used as a resource, but also a powerful means of social control.
Immortals of Aveum’s Magic Is Used By the Powers That Be to Shape Society
Much like occurs with real-world resources with depressing regularity, the distribution of magic inImmortals of Aveumis anything but equitable. While powerful magic users like the Immortals are able to live a life of relative luxury thanks to their unfettered access to the mystical powers surging through the world, life for Aveum’s common people is decidedly more difficult. For the Lightless, individuals with little to no magical ability who comprise the bulk of Aveum’s population, life is more often than not nasty, brutish, and short.
Rather than being an unavoidable aspect of how magic behaves in Aveum, this distinct class divide between the magical haves and have-nots is a purely intentional choice by the powers that be. For the nobility of Aveum, their ability to stay as part of the ruling class is wholly dependent on their continued access to magic. It’s for this reason that the great houses of Aveum go to great lengths to ensure their carefully cultivated bloodlines have access to the world’s magic, even conceiving their children beneathAveum’s magical leylines.
By making magic an integral part of Aveum’s society, from its weapons of war to its social structures, Ascendant Studios provides a unique spin on a familiar concept. And whileImmortals of Aveum’s quippy charactersand magical gunplay may not land for every gamer, its surprisingly original take on magic is sure to give them something they haven’t seen before.
Immortals of Aveumis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S
