Lost Magic

 DS
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Apr 25, 2006
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 41
  3. Negative: 4 out of 41
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  1. JohnH.
    Oct 29, 2007
    10
    I expected this to be a slight modification of Half Life 2 Deathmatch, but it truly is an entirely new game, full of amusing new graphics and a truly team based combat engine capable of running on pretty much any system. It's probably worth the $45 price-tag for the orange box single-handedly, not to say the other games won't be just as good!! Epic Game!!
  2. Tuvix
    Nov 5, 2020
    10
    This game has never been replicated. It is a singular experience that is just so much fun and desperately needs a sequel!
  3. DrewF.
    Jun 20, 2006
    8
    If you only spend 10 minutes with this game, then you will undoubtedly walk away unimpressed. This is one of those games where, if you give it a try, you REALLY do have to give it at least 2-3 hours of your time and THEN pass judgement. There's surprisingly deep gameplay here, once you unlock the ability to cast double and triple runes. Unit AI is painfully bad, but, you get used to If you only spend 10 minutes with this game, then you will undoubtedly walk away unimpressed. This is one of those games where, if you give it a try, you REALLY do have to give it at least 2-3 hours of your time and THEN pass judgement. There's surprisingly deep gameplay here, once you unlock the ability to cast double and triple runes. Unit AI is painfully bad, but, you get used to it and learn to work around it. There' s a good game in here to be find by the patient.… Expand
  4. AnonymousMC
    Feb 3, 2009
    9
    This isn't a game that you can just put down and play from time to time. It should probably be a game for the more deep-type of gamer and not just a casual one. The more you play the more you realize the originality of the game, which is rare these days. The path finding of the monsters is a lacking feature that often forces you to attend to them instead of healing, causing you orThis isn't a game that you can just put down and play from time to time. It should probably be a game for the more deep-type of gamer and not just a casual one. The more you play the more you realize the originality of the game, which is rare these days. The path finding of the monsters is a lacking feature that often forces you to attend to them instead of healing, causing you or your monsters to die, which is a draw back to a clean slate.
    Still, if you're willing to sit down and chill for an hour or two, this is the perfect game for you.    … Expand
  5. [Anonymous]
    May 2, 2006
    10
    The more you play this game the more fun it is. You control the the spells with your stylus and the more accurate they are the better results. There are so many spells and monsters in so many combinations you get better all the time. it doesn't lose the challenge though.
  6. BradleyE.
    Aug 1, 2006
    10
    this game will have you hooked but you have got to spend a life time training your little monsters. i recomend it to any magic loving person.
  7. M0L0T0V
    Mar 25, 2008
    10
    LostMagic is truly amazing. It's one of those games where you think you're getting good, you jump online and then the whole atmosphere changes, and suddenly youre a tiny fish in a swirling hurriccane complete with flaming meteors, dark lightning, and ogres. The online lacks in communication between opponents, however it WAS a DS game so I overlooked it. After all, who has time toLostMagic is truly amazing. It's one of those games where you think you're getting good, you jump online and then the whole atmosphere changes, and suddenly youre a tiny fish in a swirling hurriccane complete with flaming meteors, dark lightning, and ogres. The online lacks in communication between opponents, however it WAS a DS game so I overlooked it. After all, who has time to chat while they try to balance healing a mob and throwing out element dragons and earthquakes, all while throwing out debuff after debuff trying to find your opponent who just made himself invisible?

    Truly a unique game that has found a longtime player in me. Hey, maybe you'll run into me someday online! ~_^ -M0L0T0V    … Expand
  8. Cale
    Apr 8, 2011
    5
    I got this game in 2007, looking for a decent RPG. Unfortunately, this game is severely lacking, falling victim to the issues that seem to be plaguing the genre as a whole in the past decade or so. Only recently was I willing to pick it back up and play it through. Graphics and artwork are excellent. The storyline is a sub-par and quite predictable. The combat system DROVE ME INSANE.I got this game in 2007, looking for a decent RPG. Unfortunately, this game is severely lacking, falling victim to the issues that seem to be plaguing the genre as a whole in the past decade or so. Only recently was I willing to pick it back up and play it through. Graphics and artwork are excellent. The storyline is a sub-par and quite predictable. The combat system DROVE ME INSANE. I can't draw to save my life, and my handwriting isn't great either, so I found the rune casting system to be very unforgiving. I frequently found myself failing to cast my runes frequently through the entire game. I do agree that it's nothing to judge till you're at least 2-5 hours in, but that's only because the battle system takes about that long (or longer) to become complex enough to be interesting. It's not awful, but in all honesty, it sat in my closet for four years. Take that as you will.… Expand
  9. vahn
    May 1, 2017
    5
    I remember getting this game in 2006 and me and my sister were quite curious about this game: Nintendo ds was at its beginnings and most of their games were still gimmicky but not bad (nothing like the **** 3ds and it's messed up design in most games). However when I took this game in and played it for about 2-3 hours I just stopped: this game is unforgiving and has 3 fatal flaws, 3I remember getting this game in 2006 and me and my sister were quite curious about this game: Nintendo ds was at its beginnings and most of their games were still gimmicky but not bad (nothing like the **** 3ds and it's messed up design in most games). However when I took this game in and played it for about 2-3 hours I just stopped: this game is unforgiving and has 3 fatal flaws, 3 unforgivable mistakes that basically ruins what could be a magnificent game.

    1) Clunky Controls: as I said the DS was at its start and the gimmick of the touch screen was used very heavily during that time. However, while some games were great in this regard (Elite Beat Agents, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright), this one is the in the "not so great" category: you can easily mess up the rune if you're slightly off the right path and that uses mana...which means you must not mess it up. The game also controls like an RTS but sadly it's so crippled since you will always have to highlight the units and click and do it EVERY-SINGLE-TIME for moving around. Oh and I wouldn't want to forget to mention that your units move incredibly slow, so if you mess up something you might have to wait a lot of time in order to have them returning in position. It's just beyond bad and it's so bad that the second point is related to control, and that is...

    2) No Pathfinding: in most RTS when you click somewhere, your units will reach it by finding the best route possible - hence the name pathfinding. Sadly this game has none and it's very common that your units will go to a wall and be stuck forever until you make them move on the right track. And how did you move again? Of course, highlight+clickposition EVERY-SINGLE-TIME. What's worse of all this and the biggest flaw that basically makes this game from a rather clunky rts-rpg game to a chore is, unfortunately, the most common one...

    3) Time limit: I don't know who was the retard that thought this was a good idea but - shock - it isn't: not only it adds an element of rush in most battles because of the time limit, but you'll have to deal with the clunky interface AND the clunky controls AND the lack of pathfinding AND make sure you don't make mistakes AND do it within the super strict time limit AND with the slowest units ever created in an RTS. And you might wonder. how much time do you have in these battles? Surely it can't be too bad-

    You have 5 minutes in basically 50-60% of the battles. The highest time available is 10.
    Oh oh and guess what? There are battles that only have 3 minutes!
    Seriously whoever thought this was a good idea clearly had no idea how to make a fun game. I mean it's like putting time limit in a dungeon and without any chance of replacing your group without waiting hours and ....Oh right that game is Final Fantasy XIV....

    Case in point, this game had potential to be great, but instead feels like a chore and a "challenge-fest" for those who don't have enough challenges in their games. It might become easier, later on, I admit (I only reached level 19, 10 years ago, but that's as far as I could go) but I simply cannot play any longer than this. It's just a shame really but alas, the fact that it remained unplayed for nearly 10 years it's proof that this game wasn't meant to be popular and perhaps just niche.

    ...meanwhile I still play Elite Beat Agents, Phoenix Wright and many other valuable games that at least are playable from the start.    … Expand
  10. Auxking
    Oct 13, 2013
    9
    I know it is extremely late to be writing a review for this game, but I just picked it up used and loved it! The combination of simple RTS gameplay with frantic DS scribbling is entertaining and engaging. That's what the game is all about too, so I won't even knock more than one point off for the story. I have had so many last minute wins/losses in this game! I wish I had picked it upI know it is extremely late to be writing a review for this game, but I just picked it up used and loved it! The combination of simple RTS gameplay with frantic DS scribbling is entertaining and engaging. That's what the game is all about too, so I won't even knock more than one point off for the story. I have had so many last minute wins/losses in this game! I wish I had picked it up earlier so I could play online, because I'm sure that would be very interesting with the sheer variety of spells (read strategies) available. I got stuck in single player a few times as I'm sure some of the professional critics did, but go online and you can get the tip you need to move on. After you figure out that the game isn't strictly rock-paper-scissors, then you can start building attack plans in new and sometimes esoteric ways my best record for a battle was 11 seconds because of one such maneuver enjoy the game if you can find a used copy!… Expand
  11. andrewmoorecp3
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    One of the most creative and fun RTS games ever. Certainly the best available on the DS. The reviews aren't great for this game but give it a chance, you might love it as much as I do. Highly recommended!
  12. TharosTheDragon
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    I highly recommend this game, especially for adult gamers who have a hard time finding a challenge on the DS. It's like a Pokemon RTS. And not only will you want to catch all the monsters, you'll want to complete your list of spells (which are cast using an innovative rune-drawing system). There's a very strong appeal to people who like collection-based games. I understand that this gameI highly recommend this game, especially for adult gamers who have a hard time finding a challenge on the DS. It's like a Pokemon RTS. And not only will you want to catch all the monsters, you'll want to complete your list of spells (which are cast using an innovative rune-drawing system). There's a very strong appeal to people who like collection-based games. I understand that this game failed to gain popularity because it was regrettably released still needing to be tweaked a bit. The inconsistent difficulty curve could certainly use some ironing out. But like I said, it's a rare example of a hard game on the DS so that's a plus. And the charming graphics/story/character design make me willing to forgive its flaws.… Expand
  13. HyrulianHero
    Apr 27, 2019
    0
    Lost Magic is itself an ironic name as the game contains a magic that most will never experience. Played somewhat like a real-time RTS minus resource management (mostly) and building, you control Isaac, an aspiring magician who collects monsters throughout his adventure and uses them and his magic runes to battle other monsters and magicians. If I recall correctly, there are 296 differentLost Magic is itself an ironic name as the game contains a magic that most will never experience. Played somewhat like a real-time RTS minus resource management (mostly) and building, you control Isaac, an aspiring magician who collects monsters throughout his adventure and uses them and his magic runes to battle other monsters and magicians. If I recall correctly, there are 296 different magic spells Isaac can learn from a combination of six different runes, drawn on the DS touch screen. Isaac can choose up to two groups of monsters to take with him into any given battle. Battles are accessed via an overworld screen as the narrative plays on in a mostly linear fashion.

    The artwork for this game is wonderful. It never feels forced, designs are original and brilliant. Even the sprite-work has a unique charm to it, tiny DS screen notwithstanding.

    The story is simple but not quite as straight-forward as one might at first expect. A couple of "twists" keep the tale interesting and characters have at least a bit of personality. The most engaging aspect of the story is the world as it feels consistent, believable. By keeping the world simple, the developers were able to keep every facet of the world feeling cohesive and sequitur.

    There music is nothing to write home about and the sound design in general is lacking. A couple of the themes are catchy but for the most part, the music falls flat and the effects are...well, it's a DS game.

    The gameplay is quite simple but managing your magic gives the game enough substance that even the somewhat repetitive battles can be played differently every time. The monsters you take into battle don't honestly change the gameplay much but they're not carbon copies either; each monster group has its own strengths and weaknesses.

    The real star here is Isaac's lost magic. With six runes and 296 combinations, you'll constantly be considering which effects best fit the situation, how fast they are to draw, their range, power, effects, and magic consumption. This is where Lost Magic truly shines. Expect to find new effects on your third and fourth play-though.

    This is a fantastic budget game, definitely one to pick up if you are looking to fill out your backlog of DS games.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best DS Game of 2006
27
#27 Most Discussed DS Game of 2006
30
#30 Most Shared DS Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 44
  3. Negative: 3 out of 44
  1. GameBrink
    84
    The only downside to this game as a whole is the fact that the main focus is the spell-casting system and the ability to control and upgrade groups of monsters; the further into the game you get, the more the plot takes a backseat to the spell gameplay and strategic battles. [JPN Import]
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  2. GamePro
    70
    Lost Magic strives to accomplish something innovative and enjoyable, it falls short in its implementation, resulting in a game that frustrates and disappoints.
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  3. GamesRadar+
    70
    It plays to the DS' strengths, and when it all clicks, it's a lot of fun. Just be prepared to brute force your way through a lot of frustrating misfires if you decide to go for it.
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