REVIEW: WizardChess (PC) – Insight from That VideoGame Blog

We all have a soft spot for a well-executed tactical game. There’s a comforting nostalgia in turn-based strategy. Though their core principles often remain steadfast, a good game can breathe fresh life into familiar mechanics. Imagine playing a game akin to chess – well, not exactly, but you’ll get my point as we dive deeper. I’ve recently played WizardChess, and while there are elements that truly captivate me, there’s a list of aspects that raise eyebrows, starting with its name.

WizardChess mirrors chess only in the broadest sense. You’ll find pieces moving and attacking much like chess pieces do, but that’s where the resemblance ends. Beneath this, our game is a whole different beast. WizardChess is undeniably strategic, yet its unique flow and distinct rules set it leagues apart from traditional chess, forging its own identity. This deviation isn’t a drawback; however, entering this game with a chess-board mindset might leave you puzzled, if not slightly vexed.

In WizardChess, you’re plunged into a dungeon setting, confronted with challenges, leading to a tutorial boss you must eventually defeat. The tutorial drags on a bit, but it’s essential to grasp the intricate rules. A myriad of unlockable units can significantly impact your strategy, making their understanding vital. What irked me was the lack of a save feature during the tutorial. Needing to exit meant abandoning my run. Frustrated, I opted for a different mode mid-way and was quite unprepared for the stark transition to Arcade mode.

The tutorial operates with a turn-based rhythm. You play unit cards collected over time, and you have the luxury of contemplating strategies, even if you move a single unit per turn. Positioning becomes challenging, especially considering enemy movements. Units come with special abilities triggered at the cost of movement, necessitating a strategic balance. Once settled in, despite an initial restart, I found the experience moderately enjoyable.

Arcade mode took a left turn. Here, units hit the board at once, and you’re racing against the clock to vanquish foes before facing a boss. You get shop breaks between rounds to acquire new cards or upgrade existing ones, but limited currency stifles progress, pushing you to hasten through rounds. This time constraint muddles strategic depth, toning down the game’s tactical appeal. The scarcity of resources heightens every shop decision’s impact on your journey.

Interestingly, the shop offers more than new units. You can opt to boost your troop’s attack and defense, but early on, expanding your roster trumps other improvements. Until familiar with your existing setup, focus on growth.

Units also allow elemental customization, influencing behavior. Want aggression? Infuse with fire. Seeking defense? Water’s your friend. This enriches the gameplay by letting you adjust unit behavior not directly controlled in each turn.

Regrettably, I couldn’t conquer Arcade Mode’s first boss – every encounter with it felt insurmountable. The hero in each encounter contributed support roles but couldn’t attack, rendering me vulnerable when all units met their end. With Arcade Mode spotlighted as the main attraction, this quickly sapped enthusiasm.

A lacking campaign mode is evident in WizardChess. The engaging tutorial introduces characters and potential plots, but its continuity doesn’t allow a fleshed-out narrative. This absence is a disservice given the compelling writing already in place. The game caters to short sessions meant to challenge how far one gets in a sitting, rather than over time. It’s addictive, but its appeal is capped, raising questions about longevity.

Navigating WizardChess is straightforward. With its point-and-click controls mimicking chess’s directional piece movement, maneuvering can feel cumbersome. Obstacles impeding progress add unnecessary complexity, deviating from the real-time strategy’s expected fluidity.

Altogether, WizardChess stands as an anomaly. Perhaps, more immersion will unravel its charm or my oversight of unfinished tutorials hints at misjudgment. As it exists, though, the melding of ideas doesn’t seamlessly coalesce. A distinct turn-based dungeon crawler could capitalize on chess elements better, or pure real-time strategy competitions could streamline gameplay urgency. Conjoining them creates avoidable discord.

I appreciate WizardChess’s ambition. Its imaginative concept deserves recognition, even if execution feels off. Should it click for you, expect some solid amusement. But for me, unresolved mechanical quirks prompt a search for my next strategy fix elsewhere.