Wizordum – Review
This review assesses “Wizordum” based on its current Early Access state. While already offering a substantial and enjoyable chunk of retro FPS goodness, it’s crucial to remember that this is a game still under active development. Features may be refined, content added, and bugs squashed before its final incantation is complete. However, even in its current form, “Wizordum” conjures a compelling experience for anyone yearning for the days of finding keys, blasting imps, and discovering hidden walls.
The Core Formula: Retro Runes and Modern Refinements
At its heart, “Wizordum” is unapologetically a “boomer shooter,” a term affectionately given to modern games emulating the design philosophies of 90s FPS classics. You are a Cleric, one of the last of your kind, navigating treacherous, monster-infested dimensions to find the source of Chaos that plagues the land. The setup is simple, providing just enough context to justify the ensuing carnage.
The gameplay loop is immediately familiar to veterans of the genre:
- Enter a non-linear level.
- Shoot, stab, and blast everything that moves (and some things that don’t).
- Find colored keys to unlock corresponding doors.
- Solve rudimentary environmental puzzles.
- Hunt for secrets hidden behind illusory walls or accessible via tricky platforming.
- Reach the exit, usually after dispatching a tougher encounter or boss.
Where “Wizordum” begins to carve its own identity is in its blend of combat styles and its emphasis on environmental interaction. You aren’t just reliant on firearms; magic plays an equally crucial role. Your arsenal includes a sturdy mace for close-quarters encounters, a crossbow for reliable ranged damage, and a growing repertoire of spells powered by mana. These spells range from offensive projectiles (like fireballs) to utility magic (like healing or light sources), adding a strategic layer reminiscent of “Hexen’s” class-based abilities, albeit streamlined into a single character’s toolkit.
The combat feels satisfyingly punchy. Enemies react convincingly to hits, exploding into pixelated gore or recoiling from forceful blows. The mace, in particular, has a gratifying heft, capable of stunning weaker foes or reflecting certain projectiles with a well-timed swing. Switching between melee, ranged weapons, and spells becomes a fluid dance of death, forcing players to adapt their tactics based on the enemy types, encounter design, and available resources (ammo and mana). Enemy variety, even in Early Access, is decent, featuring familiar fantasy archetypes like goblins, imps, skeletons, floating wizards, and more formidable demonic entities, each with distinct attack patterns and weaknesses.
Level Design: A Labyrinth of Secrets and Switches
The level design is arguably where “Wizordum” shines brightest, faithfully capturing the intricate, exploration-focused layouts of its predecessors. Forget linear corridors and guided paths; these are sprawling, multi-layered environments filled with interconnected rooms, hidden passages, locked doors, and tantalizing secrets. Progress often involves backtracking, hitting switches to lower bridges or open new areas, and scouring walls for tell-tale signs of hidden compartments.
This emphasis on exploration and discovery is a core pillar of the experience. Finding a secret stash of ammo, a powerful new spell, or a shortcut can feel genuinely rewarding. The levels encourage observation and experimentation. See a cracked wall? Try hitting it. Notice a suspiciously placed torch? Maybe interacting with it does something. This design philosophy, largely abandoned by modern AAA shooters, feels incredibly refreshing here.
Furthermore, the levels are highly interactive. Drawing inspiration from the Build engine games (“Duke Nukem 3D,” “Blood”), players can interact with numerous objects. Break barrels and crates for supplies, flush toilets (because why not?), activate machinery, and trigger environmental traps. This interactivity adds a layer of immersion and often plays into puzzle-solving or secret-hunting, making the world feel less static and more like a playground for mayhem. Traps are plentiful, ranging from classic crushing ceilings and dart shooters to more elaborate magical hazards, keeping players on their toes and rewarding careful observation.
Visuals and Sound: Pixel-Perfect Nostalgia
Aesthetically, “Wizordum” is a love letter to mid-90s graphics. It embraces a low-poly, pixel-art style with sprite-based enemies and items set within chunky, texture-mapped environments. The developers have nailed the look, capturing the specific visual language of games like “Heretic” and “Doom” while adding subtle modern touches like smoother lighting and particle effects that enhance the atmosphere without betraying the retro vibe.
The art direction is consistent and evocative, creating distinct themes for different episodes or areas – from dank dungeons and crumbling castles to corrupted forests and hellish dimensions. Enemy sprites are well-drawn and animated, clearly communicating their actions and threat levels. Weapon models are satisfyingly chunky, and spell effects are vibrant and impactful.
The sound design complements the visuals perfectly. Weapon sounds have appropriate punch and weight, from the thwack of the mace to the thump of the crossbow and the crackle of magical energy. Enemy noises are distinct, providing crucial audio cues for identifying threats off-screen. The soundtrack features MIDI-style fantasy tunes that shift dynamically with the action, evoking the classic scores of Bobby Prince or Kevin Schilder. It’s atmospheric when exploring and ramps up effectively during intense combat encounters, perfectly capturing the intended retro mood.
Story and Premise: Serviceable but Secondary
The narrative in “Wizordum” is, typical of the genre it emulates, fairly light. You are a Cleric fighting Chaos. There are brief text intros before levels and occasional lore snippets found within them, but the story primarily serves as a justification for the gameplay. This isn’t a criticism; the focus is squarely on the action, exploration, and atmosphere, and the minimalist approach to storytelling feels appropriate and authentic to the 90s FPS experience. Players looking for deep lore or complex character arcs won’t find them here, but those seeking pure, unadulterated gameplay will feel right at home.
Early Access Status: A Solid Foundation with Room to Grow
As an Early Access title, “Wizordum” presents a remarkably polished and stable experience. The core mechanics feel solid, the performance is generally smooth, and game-breaking bugs seem relatively uncommon based on current player feedback. The initial Early Access release already contains a significant amount of content, including multiple episodes, a variety of enemies and weapons/spells, and numerous well-crafted levels packed with secrets.
However, being Early Access means it’s not yet feature-complete. Emberheart Games has outlined plans for future updates, including:
- More episodes, levels, enemies, and bosses.
- Additional weapons, spells, and items.
- Potential refinements to existing systems based on player feedback.
- General polish and bug fixing.
The developer appears actively engaged with the community, releasing patches and updates to address issues and tweak balance. This active development cycle is encouraging, suggesting a commitment to realizing the game’s full potential. While the current offering is already worth the price of admission for fans of the genre, prospective buyers should be aware that they are investing in a game still under construction. Some areas might feel less polished than others, and the final amount of content is yet to be determined.
Conclusion: A Spellbinding Blast from the Past
“Wizordum” is a triumphant conjuring of 90s FPS magic. It understands precisely what made games like “Heretic,” “Hexen,” and “Duke Nukem 3D” so compelling: fast-paced combat, intricate level design rewarding exploration, satisfying environmental interaction, and a distinct, atmospheric presentation. By blending fantasy spell-casting with traditional FPS gunplay (or rather, mace-and-crossbow-play) and layering it over expertly crafted, secret-filled labyrinths, Emberheart Games has created something that feels both authentically retro and refreshingly engaging in today’s market.
While its narrative is minimal and its core mechanics intentionally derivative of its inspirations, the execution is stellar. The combat is punchy, the exploration is rewarding, and the retro aesthetic is perfectly realized. Even in its Early Access state, “Wizordum” offers a substantial, polished, and incredibly fun experience.
If you have fond memories of strafing around corners, hunting for skull keys, blasting demonic hordes, and punching walls in the hope of finding a hidden Quad Damage (or, in this case, perhaps a Tome of Power), “Wizordum” is an essential purchase. It’s a potent reminder of the enduring appeal of classic FPS design, delivered with passion and skill. For newcomers curious about the roots of the genre, it serves as an excellent, accessible entry point. “Wizordum” is more than just a tribute; it’s a damn fine game in its own right, and its continued development promises even greater arcane adventures to come.
