Power systems in video games simply refer to the way in which players utilize or create their special abilities. These are derived from all kinds of different sources, although it most commonly manifests in the form of stamina. A lot of times, it’s pretty run-of-the-mill; not a lot of games really think outside the box when it comes to stamina. In the fantasy genre, though, there is more room for invention since the laws of real-world physics no longer apply.
In role-playing games, managing the power systems presented to you is crucial to your own survival. A lot of the time, they are distinct from other games in the genre, with varying levels of complexity. While magic is, of course, a prominent feature of fantasy, these power systems also extend to stamina or overall energy during combat. These are the best power systems in fantasy video games, standing out for how engaging they are and, occasionally, how complex, too.
‘Mortal Shell’ (2020)
Mortal Shell is a Soulslike RPG that’s a little unorthodox in its approach. See, you don’t really customize your character all that much when you start. You begin as a faceless, featureless husk and only gain power by finding the fossilized bodies, known as “shells,” littered throughout the world. By jumping into these shells, you are granted the abilities that person had in life. Sometimes, it will be a warrior, and other times, it might be an assassin or rogue.
Once you die, that shell is gone forever, never to return. This dynamic makes gameplay very challenging, as it forces you to rapidly adapt and think on your feet. However, it is also one of the game’s best features, as there’s nothing else like it out there. Not only does it make every run of the game different, but it means you don’t have to spend an obscenely long amount of time customizing your character and your build.
‘The Thaumaturge’ (2024)
The Thaumaturge is a criminally underrated RPG set during the Russian Revolution. In this game, you play as a Thaumaturge, believe it or not, someone who dabbles in elemental magic. The elements this time are not the traditional earth, fire, air, and water, but the heart, the mind, the deed, and the word. Thaumaturges are marked by their perceptions—their ability to sense psychic imprints left behind by people—allowing them to read minds, piece together crime scenes, and draw energy from a room.
As for the four elements, called dimensions in this game, they each provide several spells to use in the turn-based combat system and in general exploration. It’s pretty hard to put it all into words, as the magic system is quite complex and layered, but it’s entertaining, nonetheless. It’s also pretty singular, with few games having something that’s so well thought out and that differs from traditional aspects of magic.
‘Dishonored’ (2012)
Power in Dishonored comes in the form of magic. The protagonist, Corvo Attano, was not born with any inherent magical abilities. Instead, he gains them one night after he is visited by a mysterious stranger known as the Outsider in his dreams. When Corvo wakes up, he is branded with the Outsider’s mark and is able to perform supernatural feats, including teleportation, mind control, and X-ray vision.
There are only a few spells in this stealth game, most meant to help you sneak around rather than influencing combat. Thus, abilities are much more practical and inventive, learned and improved by collecting runes and bone charms scattered throughout the levels and located by using a disgusting beating heart that Corvo holds in his hand like he’s Mola Ram from Indiana Jones. (Kali ma!) The magic system is limited by mana, so it’s not something to be used all willy-nilly. Anyway, it’s pretty singular, and it’s a lot of fun to play around with.
‘Dragon Age: Origins’ (2009)
Dragon Age: Origins is a C-RPG, meaning you don’t just play as your own custom character—you have party members to control, too. Gameplay is less about action and more about tactics and strategy, as you must decide which party members to bring on an outing based on their classes and abilities. It’s not particularly helpful to take three warriors with you, for example; it’s best to bring a mage or two for healing and support.
In terms of power, each class comes with specializations. Mages can be healers, battlemages, blood mages, and more, with similar specializations for the other two classes. Specializations give you access to new spells and talents, which must be used wisely. Warriors and rogues use up stamina for their talents, whereas mages obviously use mana. These metres must be carefully managed in order to avoid running out during a fight. It forces players to consider their actions carefully. Though stamina and mana do regenerate naturally, the sheer variety of spells and talents available make this power system incredibly fun.
‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ (2003)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one of the most legendary action-adventure games out there. It involves a heavy focus on platforming elements, with the unnamed protagonist able to climb, leap, and shimmy his way through nearly any obstacle. The game also comes with a unique mechanic that few other games have in the form of a magical dagger that the game derives its title from.
See, the dagger is filled with the magical Sands of Time, which allow players to rewind time for up to 10 seconds if they die in combat or miss a jump. It has limits, though, as the dagger has charges that will need to be refilled. Rewinding time isn’t its only ability, however. It can also be used to perform special combat moves, giving you a bit of an edge against the sand demons running about the royal palace. While the power system in this game isn’t very in-depth, its simplicity is its strength.
‘Lies of P’ (2023)
Lies of P is a Soulslike RPG based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, the same novel that became a famous Disney animated musical. In this dark and edgy take on the classic fairytale, you play as P, short for Pinocchio, a metal automaton instead of a wooden marionette like the original story. Being a puppet gives you access to a ton of interesting abilities.
Power in this game comes in two forms: for one, there’s Fable, used to perform special attacks with your weapon. The special attacks vary based on which weapon you use, and Fable recharges by landing successful attacks. Then there’s Legion, which is tied to P’s prosthetic left arm. The Legion arm can be crafted and customized to have various effects, acting as a gun, shield, flamethrower, grappling hook, and more. Legion only refills by resting at checkpoints or by consuming Legion magazines. While the power in this game is derived from P’s nature as an automaton rather than magic itself, it’s still pretty neat to experiment with.
‘Middle-Earth: Shadow of War’ (2017)
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War places gamers into Peter Jackson‘s cinematic universe, based on the lore established by author J. R. R. Tolkien. While the game is pure fan fiction, it’s loads of fun to play. The protagonist is Talion, a Gondorian Ranger who is brought back from death by the spirit of Celebrimbor, the Elven smith who crafted the Rings of Power. The two have fused into one body, giving Talion spectral abilities that other humans do not have.
Most of these abilities serve Talion well in combat, but they are also used to strike fear into unsuspecting orcs. It provides Talion with the ability to control the minds of orcs and raise his own army to challenge the Dark Lord Sauron. The magic is amplified by the new ring that Talion and Celebrimbor forge at the beginning of this sequel. There are few limitations on what Celebrimbor’s ghostly talents offer players, making the open-world exploration varied, interesting, and highly customizable.
‘Concrete Genie’ (2019)
Concrete Genie is a really hokey PS4 title set in an oppressive, fictitious seaside town. Following a catastrophic oil spill, the town has fallen under the shadow of a growing darkness, which has drained all the color and light out of everything. Arriving at the town lighthouse, the protagonist, Ash, discovers a magic paintbrush, which causes everything he paints to come to life.
In this game, power is derived from your own creativity. You can literally paint unique genies, who will help you traverse the world and access new areas. There are other things you can paint, too, which bring vibrancy and life back to the dreary town and improve exploration. The best part of this game is how the power actually comes from the real world, i.e., the player’s imagination, which makes it infinitely varied and exciting.
‘Magicka’ (2011)
Magicka is a game all about magic. However, it allows you to experiment and craft your own spell combinations rather than confining you to a specific set of incantations. Each spell is made up of eight elements: water, life, shield, cold, lightning, arcane, earth, and fire. Using them on their own is seldom enough to get you through the game, though.
Instead, the game encourages exploration and trial and error, allowing players to combine the elements to produce different effects. There are a ton of possible combinations, not all of which work: some will be disastrous and can hinder you more than help you. In any event, this approach makes the game more replayable and vast, and makes you feel like a proper mage, indeed.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the first game in the franchise where dragons are a regular part of gameplay and not just a novelty. While the Magicka system and spell-casting are much the same as it is in the previous entries, the game comes with a new type of magic that any sort of build can access: dragon shouts. Killing dragons rewards you with dragon souls. Clearing certain dungeons will reward you with words in the dragon language. By spending the souls, you can unlock these words to use as shouts, which have different effects.
Some are standard and let you breathe fire or ice, while others can slow time, summon a thunderstorm, or detect nearby life forms. Each shout takes a certain amount of time to recharge, which makes sense since they are immensely powerful. With over 20 unique shouts to choose from, this game never really gets boring. It’s fun collecting them all, and it’s even more fun using them, just one of the many reasons why the game is still immensely popular 15 years later.
Leave a Reply