With the release of the PSVR I was hoping for some quality RPGs to come to life in VR. Sadly, the limitations of the PSVR’s power shattered that dream. With only skyrim VR being released there’s still a huge void left to please the RPG lover. The Wizards is not a full-on RPG but has enough RPG elements to at least satisfy some of PSVR-owning RPG lovers. Carbon Studio decided the time was right to re-release The Wizards on the Playstation VR as The Wizards – Enhanced Edition.
Meliora
In The Wizards – Enhanced Edition, you are a sorcerer who happens to be the only hope of saving the realm of Meliora. You are guided by Aurelius, an old wizard stuck between dimensions, who helps you with advice throughout the whole game. Although Aurelius depends on your success, he’s also your greatest critic resulting in witty remarks on your behalf. Through spellcasting you need to cleanse the world of Meliora from orcs, ogres, goblins and Evil sorcerers.
Hordes of enemies and no sword
There are no weapons to be found in the world of Meliora. Your only means to defend yourself against the hordes of enemies is throughout the use of spells. The Wizards – Enhanced Edition puts the magic directly in your hands – through the use of the move controllers. By using specific hands gestures you summon one of six available spells. The simplest spells like conjuring a shield or readying a fireball are done with a simple single-handed swipe and twist, while more complex spells require both hands to perform in unison. This means you’re always in the middle of the action as opposed to constantly getting in and out of menus to change your spells.
Movement
The problem with the use of the move controllers, is often how to implement movement. The Wizards – Enhanced Edition lets you choose between teleporting or a combo between teleportation and normal movement. The normal movement is prone to be a bit barf-inducing in most games, but I felt quite good while testing it out. The combination of both worked best for me. Normal movement came quite handy during combat. On a side note, the upcoming 3D Rudder PSVR Movement Controller will be supported and could mean a much smoother experience altogether.
Wave after wave
Exploring the world of Meliora is fun and doing so rewards you with all sorts of extras. Collecting 3 secret shards will grant you more power and collecting the Fate Cards will come in handy if you want to replay the levels later. Be wary of moving too fast to the next area because you might not be able to return. If you happen to trigger enemies in a certain area, that area closes off through the use of gates or magical barriers. The only way to open the area up is to defeat the wave of enemies. Sadly, going back to collect hidden treasure is not possible which felt a bit cheap to me.
Fate Cards and leaderboards
Although The Wizards – Enhanced Edition is a full pledged single player experience in a stunning looking Meliora, you can earn points which counts towards an online leaderboard. After each level is completed you can replay it to improve your score. The Fate Cards you collected can be used to make the level easier or harder. Choosing the harder route adds a multiplier to your score, which can make all the difference on the leaderboards. Just be prepared for a hard workout.
Enhanced Edition
The Wizards – Enhanced Edition is not just a PSVR port of the original. Carbon Studio did their best to fully upgrade every aspect of the game and to implement some newer stuff too. A whole new level was added. Furthermore visuals and mechanics have been polished to give the players the best possible experience. Due to user submitted suggestions, a checkpoint system was implemented. This means you don’t have to replay a whole level from the start once you die. If you happen to own a previous version of the game, you’ll get all the updates for free.
Conclusion
The Wizards – Enhanced Edition makes great use of the move controllers to immerse yourself fully in the beautiful crafted world of Meliora. The use of hand gestures makes for an intense but fun experience. After a while you really feel the power of the spells your casting. The game could’ve used some more variation in enemies and scenery but overall, I had a lot of fun playing The Wizards – Enhanced Edition.
