Wizardry is a legendary series that inspired countless other RPGs including beloved series like Shin Megami Tensei, Etrian Odyssey and almost if not all Dungeon Crawler RPGs. While it was not the first CRPG as commonly believed (it was inspired by the earlier PLATO RPGs and there were some commercial RPGs before it such as Beneath Apple Manor and Rogue), it is one that, along with Ultima, towers over almost all others in the genre due to how influential it has been. Now Digital Eclipse has turned its attention to the first game in the series, Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and has brought it back in a new remake.
The core gameplay in this remake is very similar to the original Apple II version of the game, and you can even press a button that brings the original version onto the screen. What we have as a result is a gorgeous recreation of the original game in today’s visuals, with the dungeon looking stunning as the environment is detailed in lush graphics and lighting. Each spell has a unique visual effect, and all the monsters have their own unique animations which makes this stand out more.
The changes are more than skin deep, however, as there have been a number of quality-of-life improvements added to help the experience. These include an on-screen automap, some in-game hints and changes to character creation to make things smoother. Of course, if you want the old-school experience, then you can just switch these off at will.
However, it is not just based on the Apple II release, as Digital Eclipse has gone and added in elements of the console ports made by Japanese developers. Wizardry was huge in Japan, with the series continuing to thrive there long after stopping in the west, and there were several Japan-only versions of the original games that contained interesting changes. Digital Eclipse has included an option to use the console layout for levels 6, 7, and 8, but these must be selected when starting a new game.
Additionally, Digital Eclipse has given the combat some tweaks to flow better, and here too has incorporated some features from the 16-bit Japanese remakes. Like in those remakes, thieves and ninja can now hide and ambush during combat, even when situated in the back row, but you can choose to turn this option off if you want.
The map was a bit of a mess in the Early Access release, but Digital Eclipse has managed to give it a much-needed overhaul, and it is now far more useful. Now, the map will not become as much of an issue when walking into a teleporter trap, which could completely throw you off in the Early Access release. In fact, the map is far more useful than it was before and can really give you an edge in the game, unless you want the old school feel, in which case you can turn it off.
Now for the gameplay, this is an old-school dungeon crawler and even with modern touches, this is still going to be a hard game. It is worth playing, but be aware that you will need to spend some time figuring out how to do things, what works best for your party, when to return to town and so on. Do not just go in thinking this is going to be a Dungeon Crawler like Etrian Odyssey, since while the latter was inspired by Wizardry, Wizardry itself was made for an older generation that did not have the modern features in their games that make gaming today so accessible.
Still, if you like old-school RPGs, this will be a fun one, and the modern touches really do help a lot. Digital Eclipse has done some amazing work on the game since Early Access, with the visuals looking amazing on PC and consoles and many more visual ad audio assets have been added, while the bestiary has been overhauled. Many more quality of life options have been added to make this a smoother experience, and the art and music stand out more now, making this the ideal way to play the game. I do have to note that when playing in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch, like I did a few times for this review, the text, and some visuals can be a bit small and dim making it hard to see. However, this is not a dealbreaker, and the game plays well on Switch and on PC.
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord’s remake is extremely well done, and the Early Access period has allowed the developers to fix many of the issues. This is a work full of love for the classic, and hopefully, Digital Eclipse can also give some love to other classic CRPG classics as well, such as Ultima IV or the Ultima VII Duology. Either way, this is recommended, but be aware this game will challenge you immensely.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.
