Review for Super Cane Magic ZERO. Game for Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 30/05/2019
If we had to sum up Super Cane Magic ZERO with one sentence, it would be this: “the listener goes to to seek the hidden meaning behind the absurd, but does not find it, and it is by taking advantage of that vain illusion that it becomes possible, for a moment, release pleasure caused by the absurd ".
This is how Freud tries to trap in a logical explanation what appears to be the very nature of nonsense, that of the cathartic conflict between the creation of an expectation and the destruction of it. In the context of non-sense, the surprise lies precisely in the dispersion of expectations through the use of unpredictability, and if in the English nineteenth century this mechanics could be applied in illustrated poetry, absurd stories and nursery rhymes halfway between genius and madness, today it remains intact in its innate ability to create a playful and conscious suspension of disbelief.
And it is precisely with Super Cane Magic ZERO that the player, like the Alice Carrolliana, goes to cross the mirror to find us in the weird Action-RPG created by Sio and Studio Evil, a realm where every rule and common sense give way to chaos and, indeed, to non-sense. Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts… it will by no means be a jolt-free journey.
The world of WOTF is shaken when, to the sudden and inexplicable death of the Pie Wizard, his dog AAAH! he completely loses control and starts wreaking havoc on the planet with his magic. Fortunately, the hero protagonist immediately comes into play, ready to save the situation despite having literally just fallen from the sky, with no memory of who he is or why he appeared out of nowhere in the crater of a small meteorite. So, one of the characters we could choose from, will therefore have to (re) discover his abilities and save the world, not without the help of the powerful wizards and witches of the Poptarts Academy.
Sio's humor immediately attacks the march in these early stages, right from the selection of the character, so much so that it is impossible not to get a smile from the absurd names of the protagonists among whom you will find yourself choosing: the aforementioned Coso, the plumber Cosa , the magician Giancoso or the influencer Annacosa are just some of the elements of the crazy roster of Super Cane Magic ZERO. Each of these has a special ability, from the power of bacon to healing to treats, each with unique characteristics and limitations, to a total of 18 playable characters with as many skills; some of these are available immediately, others must be discovered in the game world and unlocked through certain actions or quests.
It is precisely in these first minutes of the game that the most intrinsic reality of the title begins to come forward, slow but inexorable, that of stage of the limitations imposed by the non-sense context in which the game is established: the 5 parameters of the PC (Health, Throwing Strength, Ego, Mana and Attack) initially seem essential, but in a short time they turn out to be random figures just as casually stuck to the various avatars, unable to alter even only the mechanics of the title, or the way of dealing with it by the player.
This fictitious depth is also reflected in the plethora of objects, offensive or clothing, which we will find around the 10 different environments and on most of the abilities present in the various skill-trees: despite the appearance of an advanced RPG, Super Cane Magic ZERO does not take itself seriously even according to the canons it dictates; excluding the "class" differences between the various objects or weapons, identified by the now canonical coloring of the single object in the inventory (white, green, blue, purple, gold), all the other statistics do not have the slightest impact on the gameplay , stripping of every taste or benefit the basic mechanics typical of every self-respecting RPG, looting.
Despite the 7 skill trees, there are very few skills that can clearly influence or improve the character, also considering how most of them have half of them completely precluded once you start walking along a specific branch: with the exception of the ability to run on water for 10 seconds, the enhancement of the distance at which we can throw objects and enemies or some passive skills, even in this angular side there is little attention in defining and perfecting a few important elements, resorting rather to an unprofitable “more is better” philosophy that ends up tiring, distracting or impatient the player, most often with a lethal combination of the 3.
If you don't want to believe it, just stop and look at the image a few lines above and the one immediately after this block of text.
Now let's break a lance in favor of what Super Cane Magic ZERO does and does well: the music and the differentiation of the various settings. The soundtrack is full of 8-bit-like sounds, pushes the nostalgia keys without breaking them and it is the catchiness of this sound background that makes many of the title's shortcomings bearable. Monotony and frustration are always at the door and it is also the level design that helps to contain them slightly: the various environments are well differentiated and provide a good level of challenge both in the structure of the same and in the alternation of different enemies; Super Cane Magic ZERO will in fact see you now face a series of dark dungeons, now jump between the various levels of a snowy mountain. The inclusion of mechanics on an "elemental" basis, given that certain enemies will only be able to take damage if you wield a weapon of a specific element, otherwise you will find yourself waving the air providing enemies with more moral than physical offense.
Super Cane Magic ZERO takes a long step back in the few but exhausting backtracking sessions in which you will have to go through the level for 3-4 times in an attempt to recover that key that opens that door; such a structure could be justified in a procedurally generated title, but if even a game like Enter the Gungeon manages not to bore it, one wonders if this obtuse complexity exists only to lengthen the soup.
As everyone knows, even the most vulgar of entertainment products is strongly influenced by the quality of its villain, and Super Cane Magic ZERO is partly afflicted and partly relieved by this inevitable adage: the types of enemies are really varied and many of them they will know how to leave you dumbfounded at your first meeting; a huge fridge with a semi-infinite health bar but that will never attack you, a sort of flying cube equipped with a laser beam so powerful that it insta-kills you and a blue drop with skates and bandana completely immune to your hits are just 3 examples of the circus variety of meat for slaughter that will appear in front of you, with a range of emotions aroused that goes from the most blind anger to the most idiotic giggle.
A first-rate negative note is the need to recover, a couple of hours from the beginning of the story, a specific object, the Spring: this is essential for the rest of the adventure, but it is also so difficult to find to push the player into dangerous proximity to a rage quit. After about halfway through the game, you also begin to notice an increase in the enemy's respawn speed: it is a change of tone and gear that does not clash, despite the relative violence with which it occurs, and it is strangely in this sudden turning point that Super Cane Magic ZERO goes from the hack & slash of an Action-RPG to a sort of "bullet-purgatory" in which the only way to survive is to run avoiding enemies and shots to the best of your ability.
The difficulty levels are 4, but if you choose something other than the easiest, with unlimited lives, you will soon find yourself retracing your steps, especially in the more chaotic sections that await you in the last 2-3 worlds; in addition to the story mode, which can accommodate a co-op of up to 4 players, Super Cane Magic ZERO integrates a PVP mode called "Arena", for 2 to 4 players, who doesn't have enough identity to be able to entertain for more than a couple of matches. After hours of aggressive enemies, weapons and objects with all but fundamental statistics and 7 skill trees covered by a lot of smoke without roast, the ending only confirms the hidden terror that the incipit promised: non-sense makes no sense that in small doses, and perhaps a shorter or more cohesive title would have earned it.
Super Cane Magic ZERO self-dictates the parameters and circumstances of his departure, placing the fulcrum of a genre that is already difficult to rejuvenate and respect in the best possible way on a ground that is too friable by its very nature; the title of Studio Evil wants to be born and flourish in the crazy context of non-sense, but only managing to demonstrate how from a fragile foundation it can only build a building that is unstable and prone to failure. Where other titles with similar premises manage to stand out by remaining impressed for that particular mechanic or this specific gameplay (Enter the Gungeon, Binding of Isaac), Super Cane Magic ZERO dresses the limbs of an Icaro videogame: the status quo of the genre is its labyrinth of Crete, Sio the Daedalus who gives him wings, and he the madman too sure of himself to care about the sun (here, the fire of nonsense) that ends up making him fall to the ground. Now, like the Nereids of legend, we just have to treasure it.
► Super Cane Magic ZERO is an Adventure-indie-RPG game developed and published by Studio Evil for Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 30/05/2019
