Games

Published on May 24th, 2024 | by Andrew Bistak

Digital Eclipse’s “Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord” 3D remaster now available on consoles & PC

Adventure awaits in Digital Eclipse’s full 3D remaster of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord — now available worldwide on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and GOG.

The Game That Inspired a Genre…
When it debuted on the Apple II in 1981, SirTech’s Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord was the first game to recreate a pen-and-paper, Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing game for home computers. As the first party-based RPG, it directly inspired enduring series such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Demon’s Souls.



 

SirTech published seven Wizardry sequels over the next two decades. In the years since, the series’ popularity has persisted in Japan, with a number of additional sequels and spin-off games released only in that market. As of 2024, the Wizardry franchise encompasses more than forty titles.

…Like You’ve Never Seen It Before
Digital Eclipse, a studio dedicated to the historical preservation of video games, has licensed the registered Wizardry trademark from Japanese entertainment company Drecom and the copyrights to Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord from publisher SirTech, to develop a new version built directly on top of the original Apple II code base.

Digital Eclipse’s remaster preserves 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.

Craft your own party of adventurers and head into the labyrinth at the behest of the mad overlord Trebor, in search of the amulet stolen by the evil wizard Werdna. Battle challenging monsters, avoid hidden traps, and find your way through the dungeon for the ultimate showdown with Werdna himself.

New Key Art by Jun Suemi
To commemorate and celebrate the first new release of the original Wizardry game in over twenty years, we commissioned legendary artist Jun Suemi to create a new key art illustration, which we’re happy to reveal today for the first time. Long-time Wizardry fans know Suemi-sensei for his wonderful character designs that have graced numerous Wizardry titles over the years, including the Famicom conversion of the very first Wizardry. Upon submitting the completed piece, Suemi commented, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to illustrate for Wizardry, and working on this piece brought many wonderful memories flooding back.”

Key Features

  • Beautiful new graphics & animations for a game that, by necessity, only offered rudimentary visuals, now with the power of Unreal Engine.
  • User-selectable options that allow players to tailor the gameplay to their liking, including popular options from the console editions of the game. Players can also choose no new options at all to experience the original, more challenging, gameplay.
  • An in-game Bestiary that records key information on enemies as they’re encountered and offers strategic advice on their strengths and weaknesses.
  • A lush musical soundtrack from composer Winifred Phillips, including some fan-favorite themes from Wizardry history.
  • A controller-friendly interface, with a one-button shortcut for fast combat choices.
  • Fully localized into English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and German.

ABOUT SIRTECH
SirTech is committed to acquiring and licensing iconic IP with the mission of bringing them to current day audiences. SirTech has entered into a remastering agreement for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord with Digital Eclipse, and retains the exclusive license for the first five Wizardry games.

ABOUT DIGITAL ECLIPSE
Digital Eclipse is a game development studio originally founded in 1992, focused on the digital restoration of classic video games. With every new project, we strive to set the gold standard for classic game re-releases. We treat them with care and respect, preserving gaming history for future generations. Learn more at: http://digitaleclipse.com

ABOUT DRECOM
Drecom Co., Ltd. is a global provider of IP and technology-centric entertainment content with the mission of “with entertainment — surpassing one’s expectations.” We have more than 10 years of achievements in the IP content business, including games, and from 2022, we have been developing businesses to create and nurture IPs, including publishing and merchandising. We provide new value that attracts users by broadening the scope of entertainment utilizing Web3 and generative AI technologies, and our B2B business leveraging our expertise in large-scale mobile game development and operation. For more information about Drecom Co., Ltd., please visit https://drecom.co.jp/en/.

In 2020, Drecom acquired the copyrights to Wizardry 6, Wizardry 7, Wizardry 8, and Wizardry Gold, as well as the domestic and international registered trademarks to the series title Wizardry.

Wizardry™ is a registered trademark of Drecom Co., Ltd. Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Copyright © (1981-2024) by FRPG Corporation. All rights reserved. Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a copyrighted program licensed to SirTech Entertainment Corp by FRPG Corporation. Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord has been licensed to Digital Eclipse Entertainment Partners Co., by SirTech Entertainment Corp.


About the Author

When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.


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