These days, remakes, remasters, and re-releases are very common. There comes a point where the sheer quantity of rehashed content can become uncomfortable because it can overshadow the quality of what is being published, as seen in the recent Nintendo Direct. Sometimes, what doesn’t need a remake overshadows what truly deserves this treatment. What does deserve this special attention, a fresh perspective, and careful work is the case of Digital Eclipse’s latest project.
Digital Eclipse is a studio specialized in bringing retro titles to life. They create compilations of games from consoles that are no longer available for sale, but they also work on remasters and reimaginings of titles that have been forgotten or become obsolete for various reasons. Their latest release falls into the latter category, and it happens to be one of the most important games of all time: Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.
Originally published for the Apple II in 1981 by Sir-Tech Software and designed by Andrew Greenberg and Robert Woodhead, it is considered the progenitor of RPGs. One of the most influential games of all time, it shaped the foundations of what we now understand as an RPG.
In early access, Digital Eclipse believes that the full game will be released by the end of 2024. Promising regular updates every two months, this version of Wizardry is built on top of the original Apple II version. This means that with just a key press, you can switch between the original Apple II version and the modernized version, allowing you to compare the changes between both versions in real-time.
If you want to enjoy this absolute classic of video games that has shaped the medium, you can purchase it on both GOG and Steam for €28.99. Furthermore, Digital Eclipse plans to increase the price as the game’s release date approaches, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it while it’s still in early access.
