Dragons Dogma magic help?

Well the three main elements, Fire, ice and Lighting have magical reprecusions on certain enemies. Overall Fire First spell is the fastest and most used and more enemies are weak against it. Overall once you try Sorcerer, you find that the High level spells, Ice is most powerful second to Dark. (Maelstrom is totally overpowered)

Ice is great when you fight regular Saurians, Black Saurians, Goblinkind, Drakes, and Hellhounds

Lighting is great against Ogres, Cyclops, Cockatrice, Gargoyles, and Succubus

Fire is great against, Goblinkind, Wolf kind, Sulfur Saurians, Sage Saurians, undead, arc and reg Hydras, Harpykinds, Griffins, and Wyrms.

Though overall, from beginning to end Fire Element is used the most and powerful, though Lighting was used a handful since there is a lot of Cyclops. Post Game is mainly Ice and Holy magic that is the most powerful used, because it will be a lot more fire resistant undead, and lots of fire type enemies.

Is fire magic overpowered? Nope. Certain creatures are weak to certain magic attacks. Some are even resistant to all magic based attacks, It all depends dude. Griffins are weak against fire for example. The goat part of the Chimera is resitant against magic based attacks is another example. Ghost are immune to melee based attacks.