Unique and innovative adventure
The original Magic Carpet was a revolutionary game from the mind of Peter Molyneux, creator of Populous amongst other classics, and while it was commercially unsuccessful, it gained enough support to warrant this sequel. It fixes some of the problems with the predecessor and adds in some new features to create what is actually a highly enjoyable and innovative experience that is well worth seeking out. The basic premise remains the same, with players taking control of a wizard who seeks to destroy the demon lord who is rampaging across the land. This largely involves flying around numerous fantasy-style levels, killing monsters and rival wizards with an extensive array of spells but also adds in elements of RPGs and other genres to add some variety. For example, you can choose to help out various NPCs whose cities are being ravaged by the demon or you can simply destroy them instead, which gives the game something of a god-sim feel, like Molyneux's own Black & White. For anyone looking for a game with originality and creativity, this makes for an intriguing choice. The setting is full of personality and is brought to life effectively through excellent graphics, with a wonderful mix of well-realised environments to explore. The core gameplay itself is like a free-flying FPS and which provides plenty of excitement and action, while the extra elements bring some much needed depth and variety, so when you combine all this, you have an adventure which is compelling, thrilling and memorable in equal measure and which deserves to be played for its sheer inventiveness.
