Seven months ago, Digital Eclipse, the company behind last year’s Karateka interactive documentary, released a 3D remake of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. It was available on Steam and GOG as Early Access, meaning it was a playable but incomplete version of the game for Windows only — essentially, an open beta test.
Today, Digital Eclipse announced that the full version of the game will be released May 23, 2024, for Windows, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
Wizardry is built in the Unreal Engine, features a soundtrack by composer Winifred Philips, and will be available in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. The remake can be seen and heard in its Early Access trailer and briefly in the below video.
One of the most compelling features of this modern update is that it uses the original Apple II version not just for inspiration, but actual execution. From today’s press release:
Digital Eclipse’s Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord revival is built directly on top of the original Apple II game’s code, preserving the appeal of the classic while also incorporating modern graphics and improved party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat.
While the remake may look, sound, and feel completely new, the original Apple II game is under the hood — you can even view the original interface while you’re playing.
Digital Eclipse
The Apple II interface can be displayed prominently in the center of the screen, subtly in the corner of the screen, or disabled entirely. Side-by-side comparisons of the original Apple II experience with the modern remake can be seen in this gallery.
The original 1981 version of Wizardry is known not only for having been a landmark computer role-playing game, but also for directly inspiring later RPGs such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Compare the “slime” monster drawn by Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii on the left with the actual slime used in Dragon Quest, as drawn by the late Akira Toriyama; the former passes more than a passing resemblance to the slimes of Wizardry.
In October, Digital Eclipse was purchased by Atari. The Wizardry game was playable last month at Atari’s booth at PAX East, an annual video game expo held in Boston, Massachusetts.
