Immortals of Aveum’s Gorgeous Graphics & Combat Can’t Save Its Flat Adventure

Flinging magic takes a certain amount of flair to pull off, to make it feel as exciting and powerful as firing high-powered rifles and cannons in any modern game. How you unleash and harness the magic in Immortals of Aveum hits that perfect sweet spot of being fluid, compelling, and robust. The game hits all the right notes regarding combat and gameplay, but the overall story feels much to be desired from Ascendant Studios.

My time spent behind the wheel in Immortals of Aveum was a good time, but I also wanted a little more from the main story and the characters inhabiting this world. I constantly found myself far more eager to jump back into the action, to return to the forefront of the gorgeous magic system the development team had created, rather than learn more about The Everwar.

Immortals of Aveum Key Details

• Developers: Ascendant Studios
• Platforms: PC (Origin, Steam, & Epic Games), Xbox Series X|S, & PlayStation 5
• Release Date: August 22, 2023
• Price: $69.99

Immortals of Aveum’s Plot Points The Way, But Doesn’t Steer You Forward

In Immortals of Aveum, we play protagonist Jak, who discovers he can control magic at an uncharacteristically older age. Traditionally, magical practitioners in this world can only control one type of magic, but Jak can handle all three, which earns him the name of Triarch Magnus. As you might expect, someone who learns he has this type of control of magic at an older age, being undisciplined, will have an overly cocky attitude. He’s not afraid to show it. Several pieces of his dialogue had me rolling my eyes more than once.

We follow Jak in the Everwar alongside his superior, Grand Magnus Kirkan, played by veteran actor Gina Torres. When you want someone to play a badass office, Torres is the perfect call, and she does an excellent job with the material she’s given, even swatting down Jak’s continued sharp tongue. Several other supporting characters show up throughout the plot, but many of them don’t leave as a lasting impression as Kirkan does. Even the main villain felt lackluster.

The overarching plot of Immortals of Aveum is fine. Tragically, I was never too invested in the outcome of a random, fantasy location that felt like it had the highest stakes possible from minute one, especially when the land has been dealing with something called the “Everwar” that has been happening for over millennia. Although the overall plot was a bit thin in places, Immortals of Aveum did not lack engaging gameplay, and the combat was everything I wanted from it. I couldn’t wait to jump in for more.

Immortals of Aveum’s Stunning Graphics & Smooth Gameplay Steal The Show

Because Jak’s unique characteristic with magic allows him to control three colors of magic: Red, Blue, and Green, and I had access to all of them while I played. Each type of magic comes with unique flairs that make them stand out. Red is your heavy shotgun, Blue is your high-powered guns and marksmen rifles, and Green is your rapid-fire LMGs. These are the starting frameworks, but they can change as you discover additional gauntlets that allow Jak to channel his magic, which comes with various stats and bonuses.

I enjoyed how much variation went into this magical combat, and I consistently switched more towards using the Red and Blue magic. Although those were my favorite, the Green spells certainly had their place, and being forced to defeat certain enemies that required these spells to be ready kept me on my toes throughout my entire adventure. You can put a lot of personality into your build, and it’s a perfect reflection of Jak as he throws these spells throughout the game.

The magic also came into play with the small puzzles and secret paths littered throughout Immortals of Aveum. These are easily missed, and many are optional, but they do offer worthwhile rewards that make seeking them out something to look out for throughout the campaign. They steadily became more challenging as I became more proficient with the magic, and small mechanics were introduced to me. Still, they felt thin enough to also remind me that I had a significant plot focus, which consistently fell into the background for me. All I wanted to do was fling magic around and watch these gorgeous graphics explode before me, but I had to keep finding myself neck deep in the Everwar.

Immortals of Aveum Tries, But It Tries Too Hard

What will always stick with me when remembering Immortals of Aveum is the magical combat and the fantastic creatures and battles I had along the way. The plot didn’t stick out to me, and none of the side content felt necessary. While exploring Immortals of Aveum, there’s little reason to pull away from the main plot, and I wish I had more of a reason to explore. The world of Immortals is gorgeous. The magic looks good in this game, and the graphics and set pieces are phenomenal.

I wanted more of a reason to explore them, to go off the beaten path and see what the game had hidden away for me. But I didn’t find a reason to go too far away from the plot. There were mild incentives to do it, but none were entirely compelling, and it was partially holding back the entire experience for me. I wanted to explore and unleash magic on the creatures wandering the world to find unexpected battles waiting for me.

I want a lot from this game when it comes to pulling away from the plot, but I was given a linear design to follow respectfully. With a bit more freedom, I could see so many things happen that would have developed Jak as a more profound character beyond his hollow wit or defiance of authority. It feels too much like it wants to follow in the steps of gaming epics before it rather than branching out and leaning into the individual, creative nature of the magic and fantasy it wants to bring to life.

The verdict

Immortals of Aveum is a solid game with plenty of heart. The magic powers and build diversity genuinely turn it into a fantastic experience, and one I want to return to for more, coming up with a unique way to use power or how to best complement everything. I wanted to enjoy the central plot more, but I never quite felt gripped by the arching dangers to become invested in it, especially alongside Jak.

There’s a lot of promise with Immortals of Aveum and the magic system Ascendant Studios brought to life. I can’t wait to try flinging more magic soon and see what other unique combinations I can craft and use against my foes.

Gamepur team received an Xbox Series X code for the purpose of this review.