Magicka turned out to be a bit of a surprise hit for the beginning of 2011. Despite being in development since 2008, many people were unaware of the game until it stormed on to Steam and began notching up the sales.
Unfortunately bugs plagued the title when it first launched, but the developers Arrowhead Game Studios worked feverishly to squash the problems, and for the most part, things have shaped up nicely. Coupled with an appealing price and online and offline multiplayer modes, the game seems to have hit all the right notes with PC gamers. For an in-depth look at what Magicka has to offer, check out MyGaming’s Magicka review.
Currently the game is only available via digital distribution (Steam) but soon it will be arriving on retail store shelves around the world. Arrowhead has indicated that they are hoping to make Magicka happen for consoles, so PC gamer’s thumb-oriented brethren may not be left out for too long.

MyGaming contacted Magicka publisher Paradox Interactive to find out if and when South Africans can expect to see the game. A Paradox representative told us that a shipment of the game destined for our shores should have left the docks, and will likely be arriving within the next week.
Local distributor of Paradox games, Apex Interactive, confirmed that the game will be launching sometime in March 2011, bar any unforeseen circumstances. The game will be retailing for R199.95. We are still awaiting confirmation from Apex on a specific launch date.
Paradox explained that Magicka will be installed from the packaged CD but will have to be activated via Steam. Unfortunately the retail build of the game is the same as initial Steam build and therefore gamers will need to download an approximate 50MB patch to get the game up to scratch. The patch can also be obtained as a stand-alone package from the Magicka website.
Paradox has also hinted at some DLC in the works to say thanks to their fans.
Discuss Magicka on the MyGaming forum.
Related Articles: