A bit dessert after Heretic and Hexen.
Wizordum is a first-person-shooter primarily based in a world of swords and sorcery. It was odd seeing it crop up in my evaluate docket so shortly after Heretic + Hexen because it clearly attracts deep inspiration from these traditional shooters. On the similar time, it’s refreshing to see this type of shooter take one thing aside from Doom or Quake as a supply of inspiration. So I went into Wizordum fairly excited to see what it could have the ability to carry to the evermore crowded style.
You possibly can select between two courses to begin which is able to alter your beginning stats. As you progress by way of ranges you’ll unlock weapons and secondary gadgets at a fairly common clip. Ammo and different merchandise refills are fairly plentiful so no matter which weapons I prioritized, I not often discovered myself working out of ammo. I did discover it slightly awkward that switching weapons is on the radial menu that pauses the sport, with seemingly no button to rapidly tab by way of buttons. It means you’re breaking apart the motion each time you want to swap weapons. Nonetheless, every weapon feels good to make use of, with distinctive ideally suited use circumstances for each. An early favourite was an ice rod that might freeze enemies, earlier than utilizing an alternate perform to shatter everybody you had frozen.
General design is closely influenced by the early first-person-shooters of the 90s. Whereas a lot of Wizordum’s gameplay pulls from Heretic and Hexen, its visuals and components of its degree design jogged my memory extra of Wolfenstein. Ranges are labyrinthian however don’t characteristic any actual vertical traversal outdoors of individually loaded zones. In different phrases whereas the sport seems absolutely 3D, you’re largely working on a 2D airplane. That being mentioned, the extent design continues to be extremely complicated. And whilst you don’t do a lot vertical motion, enemies can nonetheless assault from elevated positions. Proper from the beginning, ranges have a variety of complexity and usually contain looping by way of beforehand explored areas as you discover keys and entry each essential and non-compulsory areas of every map. In an odd method it felt considerably like Wizordum was ranging from the center of a sport, with a variety of degree complexity proper from the get go. The designs are typically excellent however it does make it tougher for the degrees to escalate as the sport goes on.
Your total enjoyment of Wizordum will rely closely on what you’re searching for. It doesn’t do a lot to separate itself from different shooters of this type. It feels very very like a center floor between Wolfenstein and Heretic. It does that very nicely and is enjoyable to play, however I’d have preferred to see it usher in a couple of extra distinctive concepts. Development additionally feels slightly flat. Every particular person degree is nicely made however I not often felt like they have been getting tougher or extra complicated as I went. It is a strong and nicely made first-person-shooter, if not a revolutionary one.
