Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Android-OS-Customization
    Beginner Basics of Android OS Customization
  • smartphone-gaming
    Mobile Revolution: The Impact of Smartphone Gaming on Online Casinos
  • NFL-24-on-Android
    Unlocking Madden NFL 24 on Android: A Game-Changing Experience
  • Android MiniAir Cover Image
    Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air Gaming Keyboard Review
  • Royal Cooking by Matryoshka
    Royal Cooking Review
  • Canadian-Mobile-Casinos
    The Security Behind Canadian Mobile Casinos
  • Tears of Themis Four Main Men
    Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis
  • addictive-puzzle-games
    The Nine Most Addictive Puzzle Games on Mobile
  • android-13
    Everything You Need to Know about Android 13 and Why It Matters for Gamers
  • Dragonheir: Silent God title
    Dragonheir: Silent Gods Out Now
  • Knightcore Sword of Kingdom Official Promotional Artwork
    Strategy RPG Knightcore: Sword of Kingdom Opens for Global Pre-Registration
  • mobile-live-casinos
    How To Find Mobile Live Casino Sites With The Best Bonuses
  • mobile-esports
    Mobile Esports Ascend: Unpacking What It Means, Its Impact and Challenges
  • gaming-the-future
    Is Gaming the Future of Education?
  • smartphone-hacks
    Best Hidden Smartphone Hacks That Every Android Phone User Should Know
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • Action
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Magic vs. Metal Review

  • March 1, 2023
  • Dave Weber
Magic vs. Metal Title image
Spread the love

More Magic than Metal

Foursaken Media’s latest tour-de-force Action RPG pitting purveyors of magic versus metal armies feels like a home run on the surface. The graphics are strong, the concept is ace, and the story sets the stage for hours of epic showdowns. How could sorcerers battling robots possibly go wrong? However, the aforementioned pluses draw you in while the gameplay will send most players packing. 

My time with Magic vs. Metal was twofold. At first, the game amazed me with its strong graphics and amalgam of niche concepts. Every round of gameplay allowed me to answer such nerdy questions as, “who would win in a fight: a necromancer or a technomancer?” As my time with Magic vs. Metal continued, the strain of repetitive motion started dragging me down. Levels are identical, objectives have little variation, and enemies move as senseless soldiers. After a couple hours, I had seen all the game has to offer.

Magic v. Metal first battle image

Going Through the Motions

Magic vs. Metal finds players choosing a side. You can begin as a magic user or a robot. Once your choice is made, the game does a nice job of getting players’ feet wet with a quick and fun tutorial. Everything feels connected. Your chosen avatar battles a horde of enemies. You collect gold and spend it on upgrades. Then, rinse and repeat. After several rounds, you are introduced to additional upgrades such as increasing the gold production of the fortress you defend against the horde. Things feel as though they are building. 

Be that as it may, things stop building after completing the first stage of the game. I quickly learned that the chain of events was secondary to all the bells and whistles added on after the battle had ended. I was spending more time upgrading abilities after pushing past notifications of how much gold and additional credits I had earned. Eventually, this process chipped away at my enjoyment. My love for the game came from watching my sorcerer light up rolling turrets while summoning orc armies to take on the flood of other metal enemies thrown my way, not from seeing how much gold I had earned. The switch in focus coupled with the repetitive gameplay caused my interest to wane.

Loads to Maintain

What Magic vs. Metal lacks in diversity of gameplay they make up for with loads of accoutrements. I started off with five special abilities allowing me to summon defenses such as a wall of fire or mythical beings like Medusa. As I continued to level up, new abilities became available. By the time I reached level 17, over a dozen abilities became available. The game also provides the ability to unlock bonus scrolls through the use of credits earned in gameplay or purchased through microtransactions. There are close to 20 bonus abilities but no way of knowing if they are better or worse than those you gain from playing the game. I felt overwhelmed by all of the add-ons and felt more comfortable simply continuing to play the game no matter how much it wanted me to focus on all the other bells and whistles.

Magic v. Metal second battle image.

The Final Word

Magic vs. Metal is a fun game to play at first. It is every nerd’s dream to watch magical forces take on mechanical marvels. However, as gameplay continues, the repetitive nature of battles with the game pulling your attention elsewhere left it feeling like a staged set rather than a lived in world. 

The graphics are phenomenal and will keep your attention for some time, but once they wear out their welcome, players will realize there is little more to do than defend your tower, upgrade your powers, rinse and repeat. Magic vs. Metal is a game I enjoyed, but once I was done, I felt no need to return. If you are looking to play out the fantasy of watching robots destroy sorcerers or vice versa, I suggest checking out this game. However, if you are looking for engaging game elements or a compelling story of why these two worlds have collided, you won’t exactly find that here.

Is It Hardcore?
2.5

Kinda

If you are the kind of person who loves games for their graphics and don’t mind the loose story tying everything together, this is the game for you. However, if you want more engaging elements and purpose for completing tasks, you may want to look elsewhere.

Related Topics
  • Android Action
  • Android Action Games
  • Android Role-Playing Games
  • Android RPG
Dave Weber

Dave is a high school English teacher who moonlights as a gamer and freelance writer. He is always on the hunt for more time to do the latter.

Previous Article
SAO VS feature image
  • Action
  • Reviews

Sword Art Online Variant Showdown Review

  • February 25, 2023
  • Trevor Wells
View Post
Next Article
Mighty DOOM Official Poster Screenshot
  • Action
  • FPS
  • Hardcore
  • News

Mighty Doom Opens for Pre-Registration

  • March 1, 2023
  • James Bell
View Post
You May Also Like
Android MiniAir Cover Image
View Post
  • Hardware
  • Reviews

Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air Gaming Keyboard Review

  • Dua Rashid
  • September 26, 2023
Royal Cooking by Matryoshka
View Post
  • Offline Android Games
  • Reviews
  • Simulation

Royal Cooking Review

  • Barbara Walker
  • September 25, 2023
Tears of Themis Four Main Men
View Post
  • Adventure
  • News
  • Simulation

Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis

  • Allison Van Oirschot
  • September 23, 2023
Little Nightmares Official Cover Artwork
View Post
  • News
  • Puzzle

Little Nightmares Mobile Opens for Pre-Registration Ahead of Release

  • James Bell
  • September 17, 2023
Super Cat Tales: PAWS load screen
View Post
  • Indie
  • Platformer
  • Reviews

Super Cat Tales: PAWS Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • September 16, 2023
Dungeon Hunter Cover
View Post
  • Action
  • Interviews
  • RPG

Dungeon Hunter 6: Interview with GOAT Games’ Machine Ma

  • Divine Ekong
  • September 14, 2023
Heroes of Middle Earth Title Picture
View Post
  • Reviews
  • RPG

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth Review

  • Trevor Wells
  • September 13, 2023
Tarisland MMORPG Promotional Artwork
View Post
  • Hardware
  • MMOs
  • News
  • RPG

Tarisland Developers Announce Second Closed Beta Test

  • James Bell
  • September 12, 2023
The Latest
  • Beginner Basics of Android OS Customization
  • Mobile Revolution: The Impact of Smartphone Gaming on Online Casinos
  • Unlocking Madden NFL 24 on Android: A Game-Changing Experience
  • Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air Gaming Keyboard Review
  • Royal Cooking Review
  • The Security Behind Canadian Mobile Casinos
  • Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis
  • The Nine Most Addictive Puzzle Games on Mobile
  • Everything You Need to Know about Android 13 and Why It Matters for Gamers
  • Dragonheir: Silent Gods Out Now
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.