Warlock, Hasbro and Invoke's open world action romp, looks like a good time—at least if your idea of fun is using magic to steal an ogre's sword before tossing it at another horrible creature, or using fancy blood rituals to ruin a sunny day, bringing rain and gloom. "Creative use of magic," Invoke calls it. I call it being a magical party pooper, but I'm here for it.

OK, so here's the deal. You're Kaatri, an experienced swinger of swords who's made a deal with D&D celebrity Tasha—you might know her from such spells as Tasha's Hideous Laughter—who has gifted you with a wide range of tricks. I'm sure it's not going to be a deal that comes back to bite her on the ass. Weird goths offering power? Always trust them!

Since Kaatri had this whole other life before making a deal with Tasha, she doesn't exclusively rely on magic. She's perfectly capable of removing heads from bodies the mundane way, in melee scraps that look snappy and cinematic. How the melee actually feels, well, I'm going to have to wait to find out, as Invoke and Hasbro aren't handing over the controller just yet.

Honestly, though, I'm more interested in the magic—even if using a sword is sometimes a bit more efficient. Take a simple obstacle, like some nasty, stabby brambles blocking a path. Now, you could just chop them away with your sword, but you know what's cooler? Using the spell Tasha's Leash to grab a lamp, which can then be used to set fire to the brambles.

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