Wizordum
- November 29, 2023
- Emberheart Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Wizordum" is a single-player action game with sensational gameplay and outstanding graphics. As one of the last Mages of Wizordum sanctuary, you must embark on a quest to find the source of Chaos and push them back in this fantasy FPS, featuring a vast arsenal of magic weapons, puzzles, and online leaderboards. Join the Wizordum community on Discord to talk with devs and other fans.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Wizordum is a charming and engaging tribute to classic FPS games like Heretic and Hexen, featuring vibrant graphics and a beautiful soundtrack.
- The level design is complex yet rewarding, encouraging exploration and secret hunting, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The game offers a wide range of magical weapons and dynamic combat, making it a fun and nostalgic experience for fans of retro shooters.
- Some levels can feel overly long and convoluted, leading to frustration when trying to find secrets or navigate the map.
- The enemy design is considered cliché, lacking variety and creativity, which can detract from the overall experience.
- As an early access title, there are occasional bugs and performance issues that may disrupt gameplay, such as save game problems and minor glitches.
- graphics63 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of Wizordum are praised for their vibrant and charming pixel art style, effectively blending retro aesthetics with modern enhancements. Reviewers appreciate the unique visual design, which contributes to an engaging gameplay experience, while the smooth performance and well-crafted environments enhance the overall atmosphere. Despite some initial reservations about the quasi-2D elements, the graphics ultimately resonate well with players, evoking nostalgia while maintaining a fresh appeal.
“A charming and engaging tribute to classics like Hexen or Heretic, with very nice graphics and a beautiful soundtrack.”
“Graphically, the game retains a retro aesthetic while benefiting from modern enhancements, ensuring smooth performance even in the most hectic battles.”
“The graphics have a beautiful and vibrant pixelated retro aesthetic and there is something about blasting nasty goblins with pixelated fireballs that just never gets old.”
“At times, the quasi-2D graphics that flatten features, despite you moving around them, can be slightly off-putting at first, but once you get a feel for the general aesthetic of the game, it's nothing you'll notice.”
“I'm sure there are reasons for why the devs did their effect SFX how they did them, but I found some a bit underwhelming and even too simplistic for the 16-bit aesthetics they went for.”
“That and the range and damage of explosions is significantly larger than the graphics would suggest.”
- gameplay54 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Wizordum is widely praised for its engaging mechanics, fast-paced combat, and nostalgic retro style reminiscent of classic FPS games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. Players appreciate the vibrant pixel art, enjoyable music, and the thrill of secret hunting, although some note that level design can be convoluted at times. Overall, the game offers a solid and addictive experience, with potential for future updates to expand its multiplayer options and gameplay depth.
“The gameplay has improved drastically since the day I bought it.”
“It has fun mechanics and engaging gameplay that can keep you hooked on its levels.”
“The gameplay is fast and smooth, the artwork, sound, and music is excellent, and it even has a level editor!”
“The gameplay is fine, but the level design is incredibly convoluted, as if done by complete amateurs of the genre.”
“Some polishing needs to be done around explaining game mechanics perhaps.”
“The gameplay field is flat.”
- music52 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic and engaging qualities, reminiscent of classic RPG soundtracks while enhancing the overall atmosphere. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack complements the gameplay effectively, creating an immersive experience, although some found it repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of vibrant graphics and a well-crafted soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“The music and sound effects in Wizordum are excellent, enhancing the immersive experience with a nostalgic yet fresh auditory backdrop that complements the fast-paced action.”
“The soundtrack is actually nice too, embracing the heroic fantasy atmosphere in contrast to its dark fantasy shooter predecessors and contemporaries.”
“The music reminds me of an updated version of 80s/90s game soundtracks with simple but enjoyable songs that you won't mind hearing on repeat for hours.”
“The music is boring, the level design is atrocious.”
“Really generic stock fantasy music + boring goblins.”
“Most frustratingly is probably the most easily missed play, which is that the trailers and main menu have some reasonably hype music and then the actual couple of levels I played before boredom set in just had... overly calm, soothing music.”
- story13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story presents a stark contrast to its vibrant and colorful visuals, leading to a tonal dissonance that some players find jarring. While the narrative is generally simple and straightforward, it effectively guides players through engaging environments and offers a fair balance of gameplay elements, focusing on exploration and combat rather than complex storytelling. Overall, the story is deemed acceptable, with some players appreciating its minimalism, allowing for a more relaxed gaming experience.
“A simple yet enjoyable story thread leads you through some fantastic environments which grow in complexity as they progress.”
“The first episode was 'merely' great, and the second episode refined nearly everything - with every mission offering a unique theme or clever little conceit, it felt like they were firing on all cylinders.”
“As a mage on a mission to restore order in the world of Terrabruma, this game offers a delightful mix of swords, spells, and a captivating visual experience.”
“This may sound petty, but the game's story and its presentation don't match at all.”
“Aside from the start and last level, which have a screen of text, there isn't much to the story for now.”
“All this, in the context of a simple and straightforward story.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with smooth performance on high-end systems and a retro aesthetic enhanced by modern graphics. However, some players have reported erratic frame times and performance hitches, particularly on lower-end hardware and the Steam Deck, indicating that further optimizations are needed as the game progresses through early access. Developers are actively working on these issues, suggesting improvements may come in future updates.
“Graphically, the game retains a retro aesthetic while benefiting from modern enhancements, ensuring smooth performance even in the most hectic battles.”
“Made with Unity, it sports a vibrant color palette, crisp controls, satisfying weapons, and excellent optimization.”
“Since the game is in early access, I am sure it will be fixed and optimized as it progresses.”
“My only real criticisms would be performance on some levels.”
“I didn't experience any hiccups myself, as I have a 4090 and 5800X for my system, but I did notice the frame times were somewhat erratic, which could be an issue on lower-end systems. However, from what I can tell, the devs are working on optimizations, so this should hopefully be solved after it leaves early access.”
“There are some performance hitches, and controller optimization is needed, but it works well so far.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its visually appealing graphics and exceptional music, which together create an immersive experience reminiscent of classic titles like Hexen and Heretic. Players appreciate the detailed level design that evokes a strong sense of place, with environments like harbors and graveyards feeling authentic and engaging. The combination of exploration, hidden secrets, and a melodic soundtrack enhances the overall atmosphere, making it a rewarding experience for those who enjoy delving into the game's world.
“Visually very appealing, music is great, nailed the atmosphere.”
“The levels are big (at least 30 min long and definitely long if you search for secrets) and full of secrets. The levels give you the classic NES vibe with a really good atmosphere (a harbor feels like a harbor and a graveyard feels like you're in a graveyard).”
“Much of the atmosphere was carried by the music, which I didn't expect to be this good and carry that much of the experience.”
- stability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game exhibits significant glitches that may deter players seeking a stable experience, though the developers are actively addressing these issues with community input. However, it runs well on the Steam Deck, with only minor control adjustments needed, indicating a generally positive performance in early access.
“The game runs great on the Steam Deck and controls well with a few tweaks, such as turning the right trackpad into a mouse/left click.”
“So far, I've only played on my Steam Deck. It's early access, so there are no major issues; it runs and plays great.”
“But this game has some big glitches in it.”
“If you want a perfectly stable game, then this game is not for you. However, the developers are actively working on it and have asked the community for help in finding these glitches.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to long levels that require extensive exploration to uncover secrets. While the environments are visually appealing, the repetitive nature of searching for keys and switches can lead to boredom, especially if saved progress is lost.
“Great game, but my saved games won't load, and having to run through the entire levels later in the game and finding all the secrets again is too tedious.”
“The levels are too long. Maybe it's just me, but I love going around every inch of a map, murdering everyone, picking up everything, and finding all the secrets. However, when you are spending at least fifty minutes in a map trying to find all the keys, switches, etc., it becomes boring and tedious since the maps, while beautiful, all look the same.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in Wizordum is highlighted as a standout feature, blending engaging gameplay with a nostalgic throwback to classic titles like Heretic, while incorporating a vibrant color palette reminiscent of Warcraft. Players find the game's comedic elements both entertaining and integral to the overall experience.
“So funny in terms of its gameplay.”
“Wizordum is a fascinating throwback that combines heretic elements with the humor and color palette of Warcraft.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily through its in-game level editor, which allows players to create and share custom levels, enhancing the overall experience beyond the initial playthrough of approximately four hours.
“It took me a little over 4 hours to get through all the levels, and there is some replayability along with a level editor.”
“The in-game level editor allows you to design and share custom adventures, extending the game’s replayability.”
“It took me a little over 4 hours to get through all the levels, and while there is some replayability, it feels limited.”
“The in-game level editor allows you to design and share custom adventures, but it doesn't significantly enhance the game's replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be exceptionally wholesome, highlighting its emotional depth and positive atmosphere, which sets it apart from typical first-person shooters.
“This is the most wholesome FPS I have ever played.”
