Spell Friends: Magicka 2's Co-Op Challenge Mode Shown

Magicka 2 [official site] is walking a fine line with each successive trailer. It's always aiming to be self-aware and to parody other games, films, TV shows, but it comes so close sometimes to simply making pop culture references and assuming mere recognition is enough. I think the latest trailer, demonstrating the wizardy sequel's co-op mode, falls just on the right side of the divide. Watch it below.

The original Magicka came alive in its co-operative mode, which took the slightly janky scripting of the singleplayer and rendered it irrelevant amid a flurry of accidental team kills and panic-typed magic spells. It's likely the core appeal for most people when it comes to the sequel, too. It's certainly the only part of the game I'm likely to play. Magicka 2, which is due for release on May 26th, has both a co-op campaign and a challenge mode which pits you and your friends against progressively more difficult waves of enemies.

If you've already bought Magicka 2, then you'll be able to play this challenge mode immediately and until May 10th, when it gets turned off again. Also, if you've already bought Magicka 2, then you are very silly, because pre-ordering is a terrible idea.