Magical Drop VI | A PS5 Review

Welcome to Magical Land! A land, that in it's current state, kind of mirrors our own real world. Ran by a ribbon wearing and third eyed leader named World this land of tarot card characters, and puzzle competition is in a state of chaos. Magical Land is divided, and in that division Lovers aims to remedy the situation. This pink haired protag on a pig challenges her friends and foes as they try to bring back normalcy. Through 6 modes of play including a story mode with branching paths and multiple endings you help Lovers and the other cast of colorful characters battle their way to a hopefully mutually beneficial conclusion. 

Touted as being a truly challenging puzzle game even at the easy difficulty setting, 'Magical Drop VI' has you collecting and tossing up colored balls in a matching manner to score chained combos as they continuously descend upon the Fool that acts as your matchmaker. It sometimes requires meeting a quota of chains before your opponent does, and to multiple rounds per match. This color coordinated gimmick alongside special character tied power-up balls will help you in both completing puzzles with set requirements as well as in the versus matches with the complete roster of characters. Depending upon the mode objectives change, but the gameplay stays pretty much the same, universally.

In total there are three mode menus to choose from within Magical Drop VI's main menu listing. Each to the tune of easy, normal or hard difficulties. These main mode inclusive menus include a Singleplayer, an online/local Multiplayer, and a Magic Hall bonus content library. Singleplayer, alone, has 6 modes of play to it. 

Within Singleplayer there's the Story mode in a branching board game-like setup with four different possible endings depending upon path choice including the Sun, Moon, Hanged, and Pierrot ending. Each path point will have you in either versus matches against the CPU characters or doing specified objectives like making matches with a certain combo count. All while forwarding the plot with contextual character conversations between battles.

Match mode, on the other hand, is the game's versus mode, and in singleplayer will pit you against the CPU. Survival, coming in as a third alternative, is as it sounds. A survival mode that will see you making matches, moving up levels, and scoring a potentially high score in the process. Puzzle mode, the fourth of the given modes, is a test of skill wherein you aim to clear a preconstructed layout of colored balls in the fewest hits possible. In at fifth place is the unlockable Path of Destiny which is a different take on the story mode with questing, and quest item rewards. Lastly, and at sixth place, is the unlockable Caravan mode that is a 2 to 5 minute challenge mode to see how much score you can rack up.

Multiplayer, like Match mode, plays by the same rules, but you get to matchmake with other online or local players, and get to select your preferred character from a roster of 15 with their assigned drop types in tow. The mode has both friendly matchmaking, and competitive for those looking to truly test their mettle. There's also gimmicky match types like 'Quota Crush' where meeting the quota first is the key to winning.

It is the go to mode of choice if you want more than the solo experience. Beyond all that is the Magic Hall mode in which you'll unlock bonus content for the game. It is basically the extras menu. For those of you who have never ever played a Magical Drop game there is also a Tutorial available to explain away the base mechanics. 

The Verdict ...

Magical Drop VI is a puzzle game that is truly demanding. It requires precision placement, forethought, and careful planning if you hope to out match your opponent. You'll need to constantly be matching chains according to their color. Doing this to a full board wipe has added benefits if achieved. It'll also drop crystalized blocks onto the other players' playing field making their matching efforts more trying a task. 

As far as content is concerned Magical Drop VI is a beefy package for the asking price of $30. You get a fully fledged singleplayer experience with tons of replay value as well as access to the online/local multiplayer experience. If you don't mind the challenge, and have a bit of patience it might just suit your fancy. Do keep in mind though it is a very challenging puzzle game.