Magimania Saga

Magimania Saga is an action-adventure video game developed by Burst Arts and published by Multisoft. Released for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC, Magimania Saga focuses on teenage mage-in-training Mash Nestar as he travels to different worlds in search of his friends while also defeating monsters called Rends, born from the deadly Malicio.

Gameplay
Magimania Saga is an action-adventure game with platforming and beat ‘em up elements. It features three playable characters, each with their own scenarios and attributes.

In the character’s campaigns, players can travel to 10 worlds. In each of those ten worlds, players are tasked with defeating the Malicio that infect them. The main characters' goal is to search for fragments of the “Genera Stone,” which protect the worlds from the Malicio and all devastation. They are also partnered with a resident hero of that world, but when playing as Mash, said partner can become a new Formswitch for him. The only limits to Formswitching are that Mash cannot Formswitch to a character of the world he is already in, and certain Formswitches are unavailable in some circumstances, such as boss battles.

Each character has a Magic bar, which fills when they perform attacks on enemies successfully and is split into three sections. If one stock is filled, the player can perform a Magic Strike, an enhanced version of a characters' basic attack. Some characters’ Magic Strikes are improved versions of their special attacks while others are original. If two stocks are filled, players can perform a Sign-Magic Break, super moves that can deal large amounts of damage to enemies. Finally, three stocks allow the player to activate a Rev-Magic Break, a special attack that can defeat enemies in a larger blast radius.

Story
The story begins in Blugardia Farms, where the young Mash Nestar spends the rest of his childhood. His family has lived in the farm for two weeks now, moving in to escape an incoming incident where everyone was being infected by a strange virus the survivors and scientists dubbed “Malicio.” Despite being more of a city kid, Mash has been accustomed to farm life, helping his father with the crops and sometimes playing with the animals. He then grew to have a normal farm life…until one fateful night, where everything changed.

That night, many of Mash’s relatives, including his older sister Billie, came from the city to the farms for a hearty dinner. During the dinner, she gave Mash a special necklace with a carved stone. Billie says that the stone was carved from an ancient tree, and legends say that if one believes hard enough, any and all of their pure wishes can come true. Mash joked that it was “probably a tale from someone who drank too much,” which led to him being reprimanded by his parents. But at that moment, the Blugardia Farms was unfortunately one of the many places to get infected by the Malicio outbreak. Mash is horrified and scared for his life as many of his family members get infected by this disease, turning them all into possessed psychopathic monsters. But surprisingly, Mash is the only one not affected by the Malicio, and decides to escape his home before the monsters try to kill him. However, he encounters his sister Billie, who was one of the human-turned monsters. She attacks the boy, but as an act of self-defense, he uses a knife to kill her…

A few hours later, the Malicio has left the farm, leaving Mash as the only survivor of the sudden outbreak. He is so horrified over the fact that he lost a lot of his family to the Malicio, especially Billie. Not to mention that he was almost attacked by the monster that used to be his sister. As he slowly drifts into unconsciousness, he notices a bright light above him, as well as a person descending from it…

A month has passed since that incident, and Mash wakes up and finds himself in a completely different bed than the one he was used to sleeping in. Not only that, but the place he woke up in was different as well. While gaining his bearing and leaving the room, he comes across a red-haired man brewing tea. The man, known only as the Grand Sorcerer, explains to Mash why he found himself in his home. Those creatures that took over his family are called Rends, and they have been spreading across not his world, but several others, and that the only thing that can stop the Rends from further conquering the worlds is magic, and many mages have fought against these creatures for years before an incident took most of their lives. The Grand Sorcerer then notices the necklace Mash is wearing, deducing that it was the reason he didn’t become a Rend like his family, making the boy question what Billie was trying to tell him and how he took it for granted. The Grand Sorcerer tells him to never take off his necklace at any cost, or else he will likely turn into a Rend himself, as the very presence is enough to turn a person into one. That was when Mash made his own decision to be the one to fight against the Rends himself.

Mash’s decision in fighting against the very monsters that took his family lead to him training with the Grand Sorcerer for five years in order to be taught in the magical arts. But training won’t be the only thing he would focus on, as during these five years, he has befriended other mages his age, including two kids in particular, Rio Barbero and Mukuro Katayama. As the Grand Sorcerer’s mages are practicing their arts, many Rends have appeared on their grounds, prompting the mages to fight them. Mash was able to help Rio and Mukuro with some of the Rends before the numbers started to multiply further. That was when Rio decides that one of them should corner half of the Rends someplace where they can’t escape. Mash volunteers, and leads some of the Rends to a dark room with a strange machine. After fighting the monsters, the mage was curious as to what the machine did. As he turned it on, it illuminated the room and after a few seconds, Mash was gone!

But he found himself in a different world, where anything and anyone he comes across is no different from a nightmare. There he encounters a girl in a witch’s costume, who is being chased by the Rends in this world. After defeating the monsters, Mash and the girl, named Maria, stumble upon a strange glowing relic. The former decides to take it before more Rends appear in front of them. Mash and Maria are quick to leave this world and back to Mash’s home…

But something peculiar happens: when Mash alone came back home, he noticed that he was not in his usual body, but in Maria’s! Mash also noticed that the stone on his necklace also changed; it now resembles a heart. The mage doesn’t know how to explain this to the Grand Sorcerer until suddenly, he appears in front of him. After explaining the situation to him, the Grand Sorcerer uses his magic to change Mash back into his normal self, and informs him that while he was gone, Rio, Mukuro, and the other mages have just been taken by the Rends.

Mash noticed that there are still Rends roaming the town and took them out with his magic. As he as going to find Rio and Mukuro, the Grand Sorcerer tells Mash about the machine he just used to travel to the Madworld he witnessed, called the Worldseeker, which will guide users to several other worlds, many of which are suffering under the influence of evil. He also notes that on top of protecting him from the Rends’ influence, the stone around his neck is capable of transforming him into the person from another world he formed a connection with, which was the case with Maria. After being instructed on how to work the Worldseeker, Mash uses it to help find his fellow mages as he says farewell to his master and caretaker.

Meanwhile, a man named Master Harrison has been forming his own legion of cold-hearted beings that serves her known as the “Purgatory Club” which consists of Jessica Argus, Mytho, Rodan, Doctors Coral and Kindred, the Germlord, Inteliqueen and a herd of Rends bound to do Harrison’s bidding. They are sent to their respective worlds to see to it that their master’s ideal is fully realized. Not only that, they have the mages held captive, including Mukuro and Rio.

What they plan to do with them is left a mystery as Mash finds himself in a race against time to save the worlds and his fellow mages!

Main Cast
Mash Nestar: A 17-year-old young man. Five years ago, he was the lone survivor of a Rend invasion that killed his family and destroyed his home. He was rescued by a sorcerer who took him in as his apprentice. Now he is a skilled magician who would do what it takes to see his old home again. Mash may seem like a quiet and serious guy, but he does have a bit of a playful side in him, mostly noticed by his close friends. In addition to his own fighting skills, Mash is capable of Formswitching, a technique he learned when traveling to different worlds for the first time where he transforms into an inhabitant of a certain world.

Rio Barbero: An 18-year-old mage who specifies in dark magic. Like Mash before him, he was taken in by the Grand Sorcerer and taught how to be a mage. During this, he developed a close relationship with Mash, almost like brothers. He is the most serious of the trio, and despite his appearance and demeanor, he is a kind young man who does not hesitate to protect his fellow mages. Rio’s weapon is a black sword and he is capable of sneaking through dark surfaces.

Mukuro Katayama: A 16-year-old young sorceress-in-training aiming to learn about light magic. Unlike the others, she does not know where she came from, but was able to befriend some of the mages, especially Mash and Rio. At some point she becomes infatuated with Mash, who tends to be unaware of her advances. Mukuro is mostly a caring young woman, but ever since being held captive by the Purgatory Club, this changes to a more sadistic demeanor. Mukuro’s weapon is a magic stick.

Shinra Grey: A young vampire who becomes Mash’s partner throughout his adventure. Originally from a world of monsters, he was nearly hunted by Malicio-infected demon slayers, but the Grand Sorcerer was able to rescue him and, sensing purity in his soul, takes him in as one of his students. Unlike some of his piers, he is far more strict and serious during training. He may come across as a jerk to people, especially Mash, when all he is doing is to make sure nobody fails as mages. Shinra’s weapon is a scythe and is a master of black magic.

Darius Noble: An 18-year-old fox-man who is Mash’s partner in his adventure. From a world of dragons, his family had a history with mages, and he found himself being a student of the Grand Sorcerer. He is a close friend of the mages and enjoys their company, mostly Mash and Mukuro. He can choose to fight in close-combat, though he is an expert at fire magic.

Dana Orson: A beautiful sorceress who becomes Len’s partner during his quest. She was born into a mage family that has been slain by the Rends at the start of her teenage years. Since her parents knew the Grand Sorcerer personally, she decided to live with him, where he is teaching his other future mages. She is often seen as the mother figure to the mages due to her charismatic and affectionate personality. Dana can perform wind magic.

Sal: A lizardman who sides with Len in his adventure. His mother used to be a mage, and was taught under her throughout his childhood. But then a war happened in his world that took his mother’s life, leading him to living with the mages under the Grand Sorcerer. At first glance he appears very serious, but over time one can see he is very friendly and cares about his friends besides helping. Sal wields a spear and specializes in water magic.

Rollie: A techno-sprite who becomes Mukuro’s partner. Originally hailing from a dying world, she was built by a team of evil scientists to possess any technology that can help bring life to the world. When her world ended up being destroyed, her model was sent to the world of the Grand Sorcerer, where she was found by Mukuro and Holly. Rollie can use techno magic, which grants her access to different mechanical objects.

Holly Warner: A tomboy who is a close friend of Mukuro’s. Before setting her path to becoming a mage, she had to put up with her abusive mother and weak-willed father, both of which became infected with Malicio. The Grand Sorcerer was quick to save her and in response, she became one of his students. She is sometimes serious but funny and knows a lot about anime. She has no specific expertise in magic, and is comfortable with anything.

Master Harrison: A strange entity often depicted as a faceless man wearing a black suit and white gloves. He is the founder of the Purgatory Club, a group of villains from different worlds with the sole purpose of controlling them with the Malicio. He also captured some of the Grand Sorcerer’s students, including Mukuro, whom he claims to remember her past.

Fault: A being who claims herself to be the “Mother of the Rends.” Since her capture, she was set on making Mukuro her new host. Her purpose was to take advantage of Mukuro’s purity and corrupt her into being the new “Mother” for future Rends.

Otherworldly Heroes/Mash's Formswitches
Tremor: Commonly known as the “Hero of the Wilds”, Tremor was rescued and raised by a colony of apes after his parents were killed by the vicious Redfang. As the years passed, he turned into an ape-man, protecting all of nature, and never knowing the outside world, apart from the jungle.

Kyle: An audacious orphan living in the city of Mystia. His social status left him with severe insecurity, making him feel worthless and undeserving of love, specifically that of Princess Makia. Despite this, he maintained a warm and selfless heart, which in turn made him entitled to a magic sword containing the secrets of his kingdom.

Elise: The only daughter of Maximus, the king of Avarion. Her life was filled with hope for the future until the arrival of Dr. Coral, who staged a coup d’etat against the Avarians, turning everything around them into a robotic wasteland. With the few survivors she could gather, Elise formed the Life Savers, whose main goal is to save Avarion from the clutches of Dr. Coral.

Spark: The final android built by Dr. Ted. After Dr. Kindred robbed his rival of his other eight robots, Dr. Ted places his hopes on Unit 730-09, Spark. On his way to Kindred Tower, Spark begins to question if decommissioning his brothers and sister is the right way, but still strives forward with the task he was given.

Sasha: The daughter of the Skeleton King. As a living skeleton, she is immortal and can remove parts of her body without harm, as is often demonstrated for comic relief. Being the daughter of the Skeleton King means she has to live up to the expectation of her father and the people of Creeptown.

Nebula: The embodiment of dreams in Somnio. While his ego may seem inflated at times, even his arch-nemesis Inteliqueen, the Creator of the Somnus, knows that Nebula is no pushover. He can fly without wings and match the Inteliqueen’s minions with his own magic. He is also the undisputed leader of the Dream Kids and allows no breaks in ranks.

Fiend: A prince by birth, he was cursed by a mysterious sorceress into a suit of armor as punishment for his selfish and cruel nature; the only way the Fiend can break this spell is if he can learn humility, respect, and more importantly, love. He kept the musician Morton in his castle but his daughter Sophie steps in to take her father’s place. Some time later, Sophie finds a room full of sunflowers but the Fiend tells her to leave, causing Sophie to run away from the castle. But then the Rends ambush and captured her, and the Fiend’s world, along with all of his servants, was infected by the Malicio. The Fiend was able to escape to Spectral Citadel so he can find Sophie, believing she may be able to break the curse to be his true love.

Worlds
Plug Town – A quiet town where the Grand Sorcerer teaches and raises his young mages. This world serves as the hub world for the playable characters.

Madworld – A very maddening world, as the name implies. Nothing about it makes sense, and for every step awaits monsters of unspeakable origin. Ruled by the spoiled and rotten-to-the-core Mother Queen, chaos always ensues due to her lack of proper leadership. Maria also found herself here, after chasing a bug.

Giant Jungles – A vast tropical world full of trees and the most exotic of animals. It is the very place Tremor was raised in ever since the death of his parents. But now that the Rends have fully conquered the jungles, Tremor now has to help a woman from the same place of birth as he was to save it

World Tournament – As the name states, it is a worldly tournament where the bravest and strongest fighters gather and compete in a grand set of matches. One of these fighters, Tora, enters the tournament in search of his master’s killer, Mytho.

Mystia – A golden kingdom ruled by King Arkia, who has been dethroned by the vicious warlord Rodan. Kyle, a street-smart teen, relies on his brand new sword to rescue Princess Makia from Rodan’s clutches.

Avarion – The land inhabited by the anthropomorphic Avarians. Threatened by the heartless inventor Dr. Coral, who wants to turn their lands into a metallic metropolis, the Avarians turned to the Life Savers, led by the brave princess Elise, to stop Dr. Coral and his newfound army of Rends.

Kindred Tower – A tower built by the nefarious Dr. Kindred. He used to be a respected partner for Dr. Ted, but personal grudges from the past led him to steal Dr. Ted’s robots, reprogramming them with Malicio to obey him. Dr. Ted places faith in his last surviving invention, the Combat Robot Alter.

Creeptown – The residence of the horrible Skeleton King. His daughter Sasha has been tasked with becoming his successor in the future, but the ruthless Germlord has other plans for Creeptown, using the Rends to his advantage.

Somnio – The world crafted by dreams. The Inteliqueen, the ruler of this world, wants it to be infested with more nightmares, so she sends Rends to destroy everyone’s dreams. Nebula, the embodiment of dreams and slayer of nightmares, stands in her way with her four Dream Kids to take them down.

Spectral Citadel – A world that has long since been in ruin thanks to the arrival of the Rends. This is also the location of the Purgatory Club’s base of operations, but unbeknownst to even them, an even darker evil watches from above.

The Fault – This is the dimension where the supposed "source" of the Malicio can be found. The "Mother" of the Rends can also be encountered here, in a final battle that will determine the fate of the worlds.