I grew up with the NES version of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and I play it again every few years, as it's one of my favourite dungeon crawlers of all time. Wizardry is incredibly simple, but challenging; easy to learn, yet surprisingly detailed, and it contains a sense of panic throughout, since it's so easy to run into a group of foes that will destroy your party without a second thought. You are always on your toes, and I love that.

This version is a remastering of the original; nearly the same game preserved in its entirety, but with many QoL features to make it a bit easier. With that being said, the QoL features are optional, and it is possible to play the game as it originally was, in all its hardcore difficulty, if you so desire.

The enhanced graphics are amazing, and the essence of each enemy has been lovingly preserved, yet recreated in great detail. I love all of the animations, like how the mages cast spells, the way the spiders skitter uncomfortably, or how the will-o-wisps swirl about as they attack. Dragons and giants tower above you, in awesome glory.

As in the original, there are multiple versions of the enemy/player classes you face, like Level 1 Mages, Level 3 Mages, and Arch Mages, for example, encountered throughout the dungeon. All of their variations look different, and this is great to see; a non-lazy approach that really makes you fear each foe and see how powerful they are, compared to their previous version. The Level 1 Mage wears a simple tunic and carries a wooden stick, while the Arch Mage wears elegant, gold-embroidered robes and wields a staff of arcane power. A fantastic interpretation, I must say, and it is clear the artists have done a great job.

This game is still in Early Access at the time of me writing this. Therefore, there are monster descriptions missing, and many enemies lack sounds, but patches have been consistent, and I'm sure these missing aspects will be added in time.

If you grew up with the classic Wizardry games, this remaster is worthy of your time and money. It's a wonderful retelling of a classic masterpiece, full of love, passion, and respect for the original.

I grew up with the NES version of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and I play it again every few years, as it's one of my favourite dungeon crawlers of all time. Wizardry is incredibly simple, but challenging; easy to learn, yet surprisingly detailed, and it contains a sense of panic throughout, since it's so easy to run into a group of foes that will destroy your party without a second thought. You are always on your toes, and I love that. This version is a remastering of the original; nearly the same game preserved in its entirety, but with many QoL features to make it a bit easier. With that being said, the QoL features are optional, and it is possible to play the game as it originally was, in all its hardcore difficulty, if you so desire. The enhanced graphics are amazing, and the essence of each enemy has been lovingly preserved, yet recreated in great detail. I love all of the animations, like how the mages cast spells, the way the spiders skitter uncomfortably, or how the will-o-wisps swirl about as they attack. Dragons and giants tower above you, in awesome glory. As in the original, there are multiple versions of the enemy/player classes you face, like Level 1 Mages, Level 3 Mages, and Arch Mages, for example, encountered throughout the dungeon. All of their variations look different, and this is great to see; a non-lazy approach that really makes you fear each foe and see how powerful they are, compared to their previous version. The Level 1 Mage wears a simple tunic and carries a wooden stick, while the Arch Mage wears elegant, gold-embroidered robes and wields a staff of arcane power. A fantastic interpretation, I must say, and it is clear the artists have done a great job. This game is still in Early Access at the time of me writing this. Therefore, there are monster descriptions missing, and many enemies lack sounds, but patches have been consistent, and I'm sure these missing aspects will be added in time. If you grew up with the classic Wizardry games, this remaster is worthy of your time and money. It's a wonderful retelling of a classic masterpiece, full of love, passion, and respect for the original.