Dhruin
SasqWatch
Legend of Grimrock continues its stellar run of reviews with this trio. First, IGN who awarded 8.5/10 and Editor's Choice Award. On the magic system:
More information.
Destructoid awards a huge 9.5/10 - on the strength of the puzzles:The unique magic system throws a neat twist into combat that requires some concentration and quick reflexes in order pull off more elaborate spells in the heat of battle. Spells are cast by plugging a specific rune pattern into a 3x3 grid that fits neatly over your wizard character's portrait. Once queued up, you can fire off the magic at any time with a quick click. From hurling fireballs and poisonous clouds to using invisibility and protective charms, there's a good mix for magic-minded folks to play around with. While experimenting with different combinations sometimes unlocks spells through accidental tinkering, most spells aren't uncovered until you find a scroll with their formula on it. Scoring new spells during your travels feel more rewarding than simply gaining them automatically. Potion crafting has the same appeal as well, since you have to track down ingredients and vials, find note scrolls on how to use them, and then combine them properly on an inventory grid to create your elixir.
...and Mashable with a very positive article:Legend of Grimrock's strongest element is easily the puzzles you'll find strewn throughout the dungeon. I lost count as to how many times I threw my fist in the air and shouted, "YES!" after successfully completing a puzzle. I can't stress enough how well the guys over at Almost Human nailed the puzzle difficulty.
Most puzzles will consist of you activating pressure plates or finding secret buttons to press on the walls. In some cases, there will be hints written on the walls or in scrolls that you can find around the area. Some are quite dastardly, and required me to break out the ol’ paper and pencil to get a better look at them.
There are also optional puzzles that are way more difficult than what you'll normally encounter. Occasionally, you'll come across large iron doors that will take a lot of wit and a keen eye to open. I managed to open about three of these doors in my playthrough, but left many more closed. I felt defeated and I loved it.
Thanks Zohaib and Melvil for writing in.If you’re looking for a rich and expansive fantasy world, save your gold for a title like Skyrim or The Witcher 2. If you prefer a no-nonsense dungeon crawl that plays by classic D&D rules and focuses on one quest at a time, Legend of Grimrock is worth every penny.
More information.