This week’s free game on the Epic Games Store is Mages of Mystralia

This week’s free game on the Epic Games Store is an older fan favorite quest-based RPG, Mages of Mystralia. And yes, it’s probably time to admit that games from 2017 are now considered to be “older,” sorry.

• Mages of Mystralia
  • Release Date: May 18, 2017
  • Game Type: RPG, Adventure
  • POV: Top-down
  • Party: Single player
  • DLC: None (OST DLC available on Steam)

While the overall vibe of this game is a very nostalgic Fantasy story-based RPG, the biggest strength of Mages of Mystralia is its innovative magic system. You, as a mage, get to craft spells using nodes and a ton of options, shaping them using a number of different categories and schools. You can change a regular fireball into a homing fireball, or a rain of fire, or a fireball that bounces to multiple targets after it impacts the first target (but, if you miss, you’re out of luck). In addition to just being useful in combat, you’ll also have to use certain schools and behaviors to unlock puzzles and traverse difficult terrain.

In addition to being a solid game on its own merit, a sequel called Echoes of Mystralia was announced last August. While there’s no ETA on the release of that sequel, this is a perfect time to dig into the novel mechanics of the original which will undoubtedly be carried forward into the next game.