The Last Spell Critic Reviews

A roguelike tower defence game that doesn’t throw any punches in relation to its story, pixelated graphics and killer soundtrack. I’m sure you’ll have a blast on the pursuit to banish all magic with The Last Spell.

The Last Spell made me realize that a siege is the perfect video game scenario. It allows you to focus on a single area, and gives the player a chance to customize their base. It also lends itself to a small group of heroes standing bravely against a horde of faceless enemies. Combine that with other popular features such as roguelike development, and you have a pretty fun game. But spend some time with The Last Spell, and you will see how differently it plays.

As fun and impressive as The Last Spell is, I almost feel like it’s aged me. I am the type of person who goes in for long, heavy board games, loves to lose so that I can go again bolder and wiser, and relishes gnawing on two or more game-changing possibilities. Yet, I turned away from The Last Spell more than once because I couldn’t bear the idea of going through the stress again. In the right mood, The Last Spell is a gift and treasure. Still, you must not only be the kind of person who wants the densest strategy RPG experience ever created, but you also need to be in the mood to weigh twenty or so variables with each action, lest the house of cards you’ve constructed topple down.

The Last Spell combines RPG, Tower Defense, and City Builder genres, with the extermination of numerous hordes as seen in They Are Billions, managing combat with the beloved turn-based system. The problem is precisely here: each run is a complex and slow chess match that can last a very long time, so those expecting quick sessions may be disappointed.

In all, The Last Spell is a genuinely enjoyable game that allows for strategic planning and makes use of a dark atmosphere. That being said there are times when the atmosphere feels almost too crushing and difficult - leaving it up to the player to latch onto hope as best they can. The Last Spell is the end of days for this world wreaked by war, and your group of Heroes is all that stands between what remains of humanity and a slow demise as the fog encroaches and the undead approach. The dark atmosphere and challenging gameplay can make for a really satisfying experience however, and it is in the darkest of times that one’s worth as a hero is truly shown.

An interesting turn-based fantasy game with nice mechanics and a bit too-long sessions.

A hard and exhausting tactical tower defense roguelike, but one that will excite the hardcore players.

The tactical battles against the monsters are top-notch, but are in desperate need of variety.

The Last Spell is a great package, integrating great core combat mechanics with both management and plenty of progression opportunities. Trying to take down mutant waves by using the minimum amount of resources, while pondering what upgrades can improve character performance never gets old. The title’s mix of chaos and control delivers plenty of tense moments. The meta-progression also works, although there were times when I found the pace a little slow. The Last Spell is polished, fun, and challenging, offering hours and hours of tough decisions and difficult yet enjoyable battles.

Although some runs took me up to a quarter of my day, I was consistently entranced by the head-smashing music, and pulled along by the tactical decision-making process. Ishtar Games clearly knows how to induce a flow state, distort time, and balance challenge with approachability. Playing The Last Spell means settling in for the long haul; but when the long haul is this thrilling, I’ll keep returning.