I have this concept for a VR team battle game where you have to learn to actually cast spells through complex real time action. Like a mix of moving your hands in patterns and adding elements via hot bar in sequence and saying words via headphone. 1 on 1 or team vs team strategy game where complexity makes stronger team spells and counters. You could have casters who specialize in defense, offense, healers, traps and counters and how you build your team makes for strengths and weaknesses.
Reminds me of Arx Fatalis. I think it's the only game I've seen where casting spells requires you to trace a rune in the air instead of pressing the cast button.
That was my first thought, but I remember there was some rights snaggle that kept B&W from appearing on GOG. Looking it up, according to an interview
the source code and IP are owned by Microsoft but EA still has the distribution rights.
I love capitalism "Hey instead of someone doing something with this lets all sit on it and give everyone the middle finger. If I can't profit nobody can"
Drakan: Ancient Gates was my inspiration. Their magic casting blew my mind back in the day and I never understood why no one else has utilized that system. I will have to check out Arx Fatalis.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite had spells you cast by tracing a shape on screen, representing wand movements (and it was graded on how closely you matched that spell's shape as well as on speed.)
Not a complex system, but some of them took some effort to get a good cast.