Some new information about Magic: Legends was released a few days ago which has ramped up the anticipation for the game, just a month before it’s released into open beta. Some changes will be made to the equipment system in the game after Cryptic Studios listened to the player feedback that it has been receiving over the last year in closed alpha.
Magic: Legends is an ARPG based on the hugely popular tabletop card game, Magic: The Gathering. The ARPG Hades has swept the market away, carving itself a place in mainstream gaming as a big game to watch on Twitch at the moment. Magic: Legends is trying something different by taking a closer look at its itemization, some of which comes straight from existing cards. The game is sticking to its roots, and has a deckbuilding feature like the tabletop game allowing players to strategize similarly to how they would in Magic: The Gathering. The game has found a way of delivering a rewarding experience for defeating enemies and doing missions, but has stripped away the sometimes overwhelming loot drops and inventory management players often have to deal with in ARPGs.
Instead of a typical loot system, Magic: Legends is using a system that works with spells and artefacts of different levels and rarities. A video posted by Magic: Legends on YouTube explains the new equipment system. The game is using the same rarity system from the card game, and as items increase in rarity they also tend to be more powerful. The items that players find can fill six equipment slots on their character, and each piece of equipment has a stat bonus that activates an effect to help players fight and survive. For example, the Nemesis Mask, based on a card from the tabletop game, is a mythic rare item that can be picked up and equipped, and it has the effect of taunting enemies. This card appears in Magic: The Gathering too, although it has a different effect. This stat bonus is reflected in the item’s Core Mod, but gear also has Adaptive Mods which can be interchanged to the player’s preferences. In addition, duplicate items can be used to unlock an Adaptive Mod or get an upgrade material for that piece of gear.
Picking up equipment will unlock it in The Tailor. Every gamer knows that looking good in their armor is just as important as its effectiveness, and The Tailor can be found in the hub of each region. There, players can change their gear to appearances that they’ve unlocked on their adventures. However it’s not only equipment that can be customized; The Tailor allows players to adjust their character’s appearance too, like body, face, skin, and hair.
The appearance of the Nemesis Mask in the trailer implies that there will be at least a few equipment pieces that are based on cards of the original tabletop game. The ability to swap out Mods on each piece of equipment gives players the same freedom to customize according to their gameplay style and strategy like the card game allows. The itemization system now compliments the deckbuilding aspect of Magic: Legends, so players can start building their own unique Planeswalker when it releases in open beta on March 23rd.
