Nine Parchments seems on first glance a little bit like “one of those” games: A diablo-style, twin stick, fantasy shooter. And to fair it is exactly that, but it is very well done. The Trine-style (coincidentally the same developer), clumsy sorcerer Setup is not what i would call high fantasy nor is it particularly charming or funny but very serviceable to what comes next: very engaging and fun coop gameplay.

Your sorcerers look very similar (honestly we did not comprehend on how, when and why you can unlock other characters) since you can choose of only a few, however you have different colours and will unlock different hats that are purely cosmetic but give you your personal style. You can also find staffs that will boost different stats.

At the beginning you start with only a few spells but after each act you find one of the nine scrolls and can choose one of three new spells. This will further differentiate your character setup from your coop partners and will increase your means of fighting against a lot of different enemy types. The clou of this game is that you can freely choose your spell from an ever growing ring menu of spells that are colour coded to indicate their respective element. Different enemies will need different elements like fire or thunder and you can combine your elements or split up the enemies among each other to improve your strategy. There is also a healing element that is useful to your team but you should avoid healing your enemies. A neat mechanic is also that you can combine your spells to increase power and change directions which comes quite natural the more you play.

It all comes together quite well and is fun…