Title: The Life of a Magical Circle
Developer: Solideo
Release Date: Aug 1, 2023
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on: PC (via Steam)
Price: Free
Video games are an art form. Art games could be broadly described as pieces of art told through the medium of video games, seeking to provoke a reaction in the audience. It’s a matter of how intensely they lean into the spectrum of art through the medium of video games versus video games that have art within them. Gris is one art game that comes to mind, a quiet, serene reflection on sorrow and grief told through gorgeous backgrounds and color theory, while also being an enjoyable platformer and puzzle game.
It’s important to note that since art games rely on the interplay between the player’s emotions and story that the developer wants to tell, the interplay between mechanics and the theme of the art can help the player buy-in to the interactive experience. The Life of a Magical Circle is an art “evade and collect” game that struggles with the gameplay aspects, which gets in the way its narrator’s somber musing on life, discipline and dreams.
Source: Solideo
Story
The Life of a Magical Circle doesn’t have much of a story. The game is more about exploring through trial and error, as you work to understand its mechanics and ponder on what’s holding you back from success. While you play, the pleasant background music is interspersed with pings of different tones while collecting colored rings. Once you progress enough, the narrator activates. The first thing he says is, “What strange little creatures. Is this what depression looks like in your species?” That’s a memorable introduction for sure.
The narrator, every minute or so, muses on the actions of your magical circle. The robotic, masculine voices asks the player about what’s holding them back from attaining their dreams, muses on how habitual diversions can lead one astray from their goals, and ponders on the nature of failure. Additionally, the narrator will often make a just barely, not quite snarky comment on the magical circle’s death. On my second death after activating narration, the narrator remarks, “I didn’t have high hopes for that one anyway.”
Those kinds of comments could work in games with excellent, tight controls, but this is not one of those games. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the slightly antagonistic narrator. I loved The Stanley Parable. In Portal, GLaDOS is both a compelling narrator and character. In The Life of a Magical Circle, it doesn’t land. It’s a combination of the narrator being humorless, and also the controls don’t let you feel like you’re making any real decisions on your own.
Gameplay / Mechanics
The controls of this game are the weakest and most frustrating parts of The Life of a Magical Circle. You are controlling a green magical little circle as you float across the screen, collecting tiny rings in various colors in an attempt to create glowing copies of your magical circle. The exact number is made clear to you upon death. The controls feel like the circle is fighting you every step of the way. It careens into space when you want to slow, and inches slowly when you’d prefer it to move quickly. I came to find out that this is in part because the circle will move across the screen even if you are not touching your mouse at all. The narrator muses that, “Surely you’ve noticed that even the smallest actions have far reaching consequences.” And like, sure, even inaction is an action, and small things having big effects is cool, but do I have to feel completely out of control at all times while playing a video game?
It turns out that it feels like you’re fighting to get it to where you want to go, because it does have a mind of its own. When the narrator makes comments about your failure, it feels rude and condescending because your control of the circle doesn’t feel fully your own. As you progress, you have to begin evading moving targets and stationary ones, and it’s infuriating to see the little opponent triangles move across the screen and through obstacles with more ease and grace than you. Even once I got a good rhythm going, the narrator began to ask me if having fun was distracting me from achieving my dreams. My snarky response was that this game was definitely stopping me from fighting the narrator outside a Denny’s at 3 a.m. on a Thursday.
Final Score
The Life of A Magical Circle is an art game that leans a little too heavily on the artsy musing on life and discipline and not enough time tightening up gameplay. Lackluster, frustrating controls make progress feel like chance, rather than skill.
Sound design can be pleasant, but collecting the colored rings can feel jarring. The narrator is a pleasant voice to listen to, but when you’ve died because of the poor controls, the narrator begins to feel more like a mean spirited opponent.
If you can tolerate the floaty controls, the narrator’s less than helpful comments, and close to zero direction from the game, there is an introspective art game at its core. Additionally, the game was recently re-released for free, so there is a low risk to giving it a try.
Disclosure: Boss Rush Network received a review code for the PC version of The Life of a Magical Circle. Solideo did not make any stipulations upon this review, nor did they or any representatives read it prior to publication.
Featured Image: Solideo
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