Games With Better Magic Systems Than Harry Potter

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When it comes to magical book series for children, it’s hard to beat Harry Potter. The magic in the books is easy to understand: if someone is born with magical abilities, they can learn almost any spell if they’re taught how, sometimes needing to really focus their mind for the more difficult ones. It’s similar to learning a challenging subject like Calculus.

We’ve all seen magic in movies and games – people transforming others, objects flying, walls of fire. While visually impressive, these systems can be restrictive, and only Hogwarts Legacy has truly become a major success in video game form. Given the vast world of magic, there are definitely more interesting and varied spell systems out there in gaming, so let’s explore some alternatives.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Dual-Wielding Magic

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a highly acclaimed role-playing game, often considered the best in the Elder Scrolls series. Players create their own unique character and then embark on an adventure through a vast world where their choices have real consequences. The game features a robust magic system: players begin with a few spells and can discover or buy many more. They can even equip spells in both hands, allowing for creative combinations – imagine healing yourself with one hand while attacking with lightning from the other!

The more you cast spells, the more powerful they become. You can also improve your magical abilities through skill trees that focus on specific types of magic. Plus, casting the same spell with both hands creates an even stronger effect – imagine channeling a massive energy blast like Goku from Dragon Ball with your fire spells! That’s just one example, but it shows that anyone in Tamriel can become a powerful mage with enough practice.

Avowed

From Spells To Wands

Avowed features a really well-designed magic system in the style of recent role-playing games. Players have a lot of freedom to customize their characters, choosing skills and spells to create the build they want. Becoming a powerful mage is straightforward thanks to diverse skill trees that let you specialize in different types of magic. You’ll find a wide range of spells, like fire and ice, and many of them interact with the environment – for example, you can even freeze water to create new pathways.

In Avowed, players can use wands similar to those in Harry Potter, but these wands are more powerful, firing bursts of magic at enemies. The game also features spell books filled with different spells. A unique feature is that characters of any level can use powerful spells, depending on certain conditions. Even better, if a player knows a spell and their equipped book contains the same spell, they can combine them for an even stronger attack, like amplifying a fire stream.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Know Your Archetype

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantasy role-playing game with turn-based combat, created by Atlus – the team behind the popular Persona series. The game features a character class system called ‘Archetypes’ that all characters can eventually access. While some advanced Archetypes are harder to unlock, they’re available as you progress. Each Archetype defines a character’s strengths, teaching them unique skills, spells, and stats. For instance, Knights excel at defense and close-combat attacks, while Mages specialize in traditional elemental magic like fire and ice.

Archetypes, much like characters, grow stronger and change over time, giving players different options for how to play. During battles, certain Archetypes can combine with each other, unlocking new skills and powerful dual attacks – a feature that makes combat more engaging. While the game is mainly a turn-based RPG, you can also quickly defeat or weaken enemies in real-time before a turn-based battle begins. The Archetype system applies only to the game’s heroes, but magic is widely available to those with the talent in the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7

The Magic Of Fusion

Okay, so I’ve been playing Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, and it’s awesome! It’s a prequel to Final Fantasy 7, and you play as Zack, who was a friend and fellow SOLDIER alongside Cloud. The magic system is pretty familiar if you’ve played Final Fantasy 7 – it’s all about these things called Materia, which are basically orbs filled with magic from a long-lost, more powerful time. I’m the only character I can control, and I’m constantly finding new Materia to equip to my weapons, which really helps me out in fights!

Characters can use Cure to heal themselves, and Fire to attack enemies with a fireball. A new feature in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 is the ability to combine different Materia to create new and unique effects. For example, you can even create darker versions of spells that inflict status ailments, making it a rewarding system to play around with. Importantly, anyone in the world of Final Fantasy 7 can use Materia – you don’t need to be naturally gifted with magic!

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy

À La Carte Spells

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is very similar to the Final Fantasy series, offering a fresh start with a new story. The game follows four heroes on a quest to safeguard the world’s elemental crystals from evil. As players defeat powerful bosses, they earn Asterisks which unlock new character classes, called Jobs. These Jobs let players specialize in different roles, like healing as a White Mage or dealing damage as a Black Mage. Unlike many RPGs, players don’t learn spells by leveling up; instead, they can purchase spells for the entire group from shops, allowing everyone to share magical abilities.

As you level up a character’s Job, you unlock new skills that they can use. The game also features a unique system where you can learn skills from any Job, even if it doesn’t match your character’s primary fighting style. For example, a Monk could learn Black Mage spells if they’ve unlocked the skill. Overall, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy has a fantastic Job system, making it possible for anyone to learn any magic they desire.

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2025-11-17 08:35