Fictorum (PC) Review

Fictorum is a very unfinished game. Loading times are immensely long, especially when booting it up. The loading text even informs that it may take a few minutes to begin. Playing the game, it becomes instantly apparent that regardless the strength of the PC, Fictorum's performance sliders have very strange limits, where the game will turn into some sort of strange psychedelic acid trip if put too high, giving the impression that the slider limits weren't set to a proper balance. Even so, the game manages to utilise the Unreal Engine quite impressively. The physics of how magic spells work, as well as the destroying of structures, sadly, are far from perfect, as sometimes it appears strangely difficult to explode or otherwise break smaller objects near really large ones, such as barrels and boxes.

The gameplay Fictorum boasts is certainly a unique experience, completely revolving around magic spells.
As in most cases, casting a spell, be it a fireball, teleport or even icebolt, uses mana. If mana isn't given time to regenerate periodically, health is consumed instead. What makes Fictorum's take on magic so unique is being able to apply additional effects to a spell during its enchantment, such as multi shots, increased velocity, and larger impact range to give a dynamic variety of results. It's not only limited to annihilating foes, but for puzzles as well, such as hitting an object way into the distance, utilising increased velocity.

The Fictorum is also oddly a very capable sprinter, who can even go at the same full speed running backwards, and even more, is able to run at the same full speed up hill or on slopes. Although seeming as a boon to be able to have such great speed, most enemies appear to move at the exact same amounts. In many situations, foes will just mercilessly pursue the Fictorum at such a high speed the player will have to sprint running backwards in an attempt to kite the enemy, resulting in a strange but humorous spectacle.

The story manages to work really well with Fictorum's game structure. Being the last of his kind, the hero must persevere the landscape with limited health restoration options, perfectly setting the tone of the story for his survival. In most cases, restoring health is mostly limited to using potions that can be purchased, or, in some cases, found. Currency is also very scarce, so every healing item must be used with heavy moderation. Planning to get far, especially if in Hardcore mode, will require very careful and conservative tactics when venturing into the many villages, mountains and other dangerous lands the Fictorum will traverse.