We’ve all been in a situation at least once in our lives where we’ve thought to ourselves “it’d be really useful if I could just throw a fireball at this right now.” The Wizards is here to turn those thoughts into (virtual) reality, casting players as an all-powerful mage on a quest to save a parallel realm.
There are plenty of VR shooting games around these days, but there aren’t many “wizard simulators” quite like this. Using the PS Move controllers (you won’t be able to play without them), players perform gestures in the air to cast an array of spells before flinging them towards the oncoming hordes. A quick flick of the wrist summons a fireball which can be thrown in any direction, or make a “drawing a bow” motion to… draw a mystical bow, whose arrows are fired with exactly the gesture you might expect. Our favourite spell involves pulling both hands towards your body then pushing them outwards to direct a dual stream of lightning towards your foes, making you feel like the wickedest wizard in the world.
On top of the spell-casting feeling generally awesome, movement itself – which can often be a sticking point when the sometimes-not-so-aptly-named Move controllers are concerned – is pretty great, with the left hand controlling smooth locomotion while the right is in charge of click turning and teleportation. Either (or both) can be used at any time, which works tremendously well.
The game’s story campaign should last you around 6 hours, during which time you’ll be hunting for collectables (red gems enhance your spells, and collectable cards can add some interesting rules to future playthroughs) as well as slaying monsters. There are even a few puzzle sections to keep things interesting, and boss fights provide a welcome addition to the spell-slinging action. An Arena mode is also included, where you can simply fight through endless waves of monsters and chase high scores just for the fun of it. Loads of fun, definitely recommended for VR owners!
THE WIZARDS – ENHANCED EDITION / DEVELOPER & PUBLISHER: CARBON STUDIO / PLATFORM: PC, PSVR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
