Review: WizardChess (PC) – From That VideoGame Blog

We all have a soft spot for a well-crafted tactical adventure. There’s something timeless about turn-based strategy games that touches on nostalgia yet simultaneously offers a breath of fresh air. The foundations of these tactical games might be familiar, but each one introduces unique elements that set it apart. Today, we’re diving into something akin to chess—but hold on, not exactly. WizardChess is the game on my mind, and while I’ve been enjoying it, there are a few quirks worth discussing, starting with its name.

WizardChess barely resembles traditional chess. While the units you maneuver across the board share some similarities with chess pieces in terms of movement and attacks, this is where the likeness ends. The game veers off with its own set of mechanics, distinctly different yet undeniably strategic. If you have a preconception based on its name, there’s a risk of feeling a bit disoriented or, at worst, disappointed.

In WizardChess, you’re thrust into a dungeon with the task of navigating encounters and ultimately conquering a tutorial boss over several rounds. The tutorial itself can feel prolonged, yet this detail seems crucial for grasping the game’s rules. Unlocking and understanding various units—and how they impact strategy—is essential for success. A gripe I have is the lack of save functionality in the tutorial. Exiting the game meant abandoning my progress, and having invested quite a bit of time already, restarting didn’t appeal to me. So, I dived right into a different game mode, which was perhaps not the smartest decision, as the whole gameplay dynamic shifted drastically in Arcade mode.

Now, Arcade Mode has its own flavor. You start with a set lineup of units already in play and must battle against the clock to defeat as many enemies as possible before confronting a boss. There’s a shop where you can spend earnings to buy new cards or upgrade existing ones, but currency is scarce. This scarcity forces you to hustle through rounds, which seems to undermine the game’s strategic elements. Unlike a traditional turn-based setting, where every move is carefully orchestrated, the urgency here makes strategic planning a bit chaotic. Even with rapid play, progressing through numerous rounds is unlikely, amplifying the importance of wise choices in the shop.

The shop is an intriguing feature that offers more than just new characters—there’s the option to beef up your existing units. Though this might seem appealing, I’d suggest focusing on expanding your unit roster at first. Once you’re comfortable with your lineup, then consider enhancing their abilities.

Another sophisticated layer is the ability to imbue units with elemental powers. These elements influence a unit’s behavior: fire encourages aggression, water boosts defense, earth fosters patience, and so on. This feature enhances control over your party’s dynamics, especially those units you aren’t actively commanding in a turn.

I wish I could share a triumphant tale of overcoming Arcade mode’s bosses, but alas, I can’t. Each showdown ended with a brutal defeat, leaving me feeling woefully ill-prepared. With your hero playing more of a supportive, non-combative role, once my four units were wiped out, my fate was sealed.

Arcade Mode feels like the centerpiece of WizardChess, and frustration set in fairly quickly. There seems to be a need for a campaign mode. The tutorial introduces characters and a potential storyline, but without a savable progression, there’s little opportunity to delve into any narrative. It’s an addictive experience designed for short bursts of play, focusing on immediate progress rather than long-term achievement. It’s fun in small doses, but I wonder about its staying power over extended periods.

The controls in WizardChess are straightforward—point-and-click with clear movement patterns for each unit—mimicking chess in function but not quite meshing with real-time strategy imperfections. Terrain can limit your movements, further complicating strategy in a time-sensitive environment. There’s a tension between wanting to be strategic and the clock ticking down that can slow things down awkwardly.

Ultimately, WizardChess strikes me as an enigma. There’s a collection of excellent concepts that aren’t melding together perfectly for me. It might be that I need more time to settle into its rhythm—or perhaps skipping parts of the tutorial left gaps in my understanding. For all its ambition, the game seems to wrestle with its identity, struggling to harmonize turn-based elements with real-time demands. Those who it clicks with will probably cherish it, but I find myself seeking a strategy fix elsewhere.

In summary, WizardChess promises an intriguing blend of ideas, and there’s a genuine attempt at something distinct here. The potential for enjoyment is there for the right player. However, for me, there’s a missing synergy that keeps me from fully appreciating what it has to offer.

Review

A worthy effort

• Look and Feel: 7/10
• Challenge: 7/10
• Gameplay: 5/10
• Story: 5/10
• Replayability: 7/10
• Overall: 6.2/10

One too many pieces

Although WizardChess offers a playful concept with appealing elements, it struggles with its own identity. Despite a wealth of cool ideas, they occasionally clash, preventing the game from fully realizing its potential. It could very well develop a devoted following, but this title might not hold long-term appeal for the broader strategy game enthusiast.