• The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.
  • The Wizards - Dark Times: Screen zum Spiel The Wizards - Dark Times.

Sammlung

Du musst angemeldet sein

Notiz

VR-Headset erforderlich.

Marktplatz
  • Plattform: PC Veröffentlicht: 04.06.2023
24,99€
Zum Shop
Preis Update 19.07.21

Über das Spiel

The Wizards sind mit einem überarbeiteten Zauberspruchsystem auf Gestenbasis wieder da. Es warten neue Umgebungen mit Interaktionsmöglichkeiten, neue spannende Feinde sowie Aurelius auf dich, der stets einen Spruch auf den Lippen hat. Setze dein VR-Headset auf und begib dich auf eine brandneue Reise durch die heimgesuchte Welt von Meliora.

Werde zum Zauberer
Dein Körper ist schwach, doch deine Macht kennt keine Grenzen. Entdecke 11 individuell gestaltete Zaubersprüche mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten und Effekten. Dafür brauchst du keine Tastenkombinationen mehr – du kannst du arkanen Mächte einzig mit deinen Händen steuern, wie ein echter Zauberer!

Ein großes Abenteuer wartet
Eine geheimnisvolle, düstere Seuche ist über Meliora ausgebrochen. Sie verwandelt ihre Bewohner in Wesen voller Hass und Wahn. Verbotene Mächte und abtrünnige Zauberer beherrschen die Welt, und nur du kannst den Weltuntergang noch verhindern. Rase durch den vergessenen Wald, wate durch die giftigen Sümpfe Melioras, steige in die Ruinen einer Nekropolis herab und vieles mehr – magische Barrieren können dich nicht aufhalten!

Rette Meliora
Viele Zauberwesen sind der Seuche zum Opfer gefallen und haben sich in Wesen der Zerstörung und des Todes verwandelt. Es warten neue, herausfordernde Feinde mit eigenen Fähigkeiten und Verhaltensweisen auf dich. Du kannst mit starkem Widerstand rechnen – die Welt endet und sie will dich mit in den Abgrund reißen!

Systemanforderungen

  • Setzt 64-Bit-Prozessor und -Betriebssystem voraus
  • CPU: Intel i7-4790 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or greater (only Oculus Rift, for Vive see Recomended spec)
  • GFX: NVIDIA GTX 1060 or greater (only Oculus Rift, for Vive see Recomended spec)
  • RAM: 8 GB RAM
  • Software: Windows 10
  • HD: 20 GB verfügbarer Speicherplatz
  • Peripherie: Supported Devices: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 1
  • LANG: Englisch, Französisch, Deutsch, Spanisch – Spanien, Russisch, Chinesisch (vereinfacht)
  • Setzt 64-Bit-Prozessor und -Betriebssystem voraus
  • CPU: Intel i7-7700K equivalent or greater
  • GFX: NVIDIA GTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 or greater
  • RAM: 16 GB RAM
  • Software: Windows 10
  • HD: 20 GB verfügbarer Speicherplatz
  • Peripherie: Supported Devices: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 1
  • LANG: Englisch, Französisch, Deutsch, Spanisch – Spanien, Russisch, Chinesisch (vereinfacht)Sprachen mit voller Audiounterstützung

Steam Nutzer-Reviews

323 Produkte im Account
140 Reviews
Empfohlen
391 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 01.03.21 17:27
Zauberhaftes Magierspiel. Man muss eine böse Zauberin beseitigen und dadurch seine Freiheit erlangen. Dafür fuchtelt man mit den Motionkontroller durch die Luft und kontrolliert dadurch Eis, Feuer, Blitz und sogar die Luft. Die Grafik ist manchmal bunt, manchmal dunkel, aber immer sehenswert. Alle Texturen sind scharf und stimmig. Auch die Soundkulisse ist gut abgestimmt und ergänzt den guten Gesamteindruck.
Das Highlight ist jedoch die Gestensteuerung seiner Zaubersprüche. Im Handumdrehen hat man einen Feuerball, einen Eisbogen samt gespannten Pfeil in der Hand oder lässt Blitze aus den Fingerspitzen schießen und so manches mehr geschehen. Funktioniert (mit der Oculus Rift) absolut perfekt.
Mit über 5 Std. Spielzeit und knappen 25 Euro nicht überteuert. Für alle möchtegern Magier fast schon ein „must have“ ;-)
Weiterlesen
1415 Produkte im Account
795 Reviews
Empfohlen
34 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 20.08.20 10:42
Wie schon das Hauptspiel, ein absolut zu empfehlendes VR-Abenteuer. Dies liegt nicht nur an der gelungenen Fantasy-Grafik, sondern vor allem an der unglaublich immersiven VR Steuerung!

Meine Kuratorseite:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/30155555

Meine Steamgruppe:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/voodoode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVSyEXCujQg
Weiterlesen
38 Produkte im Account
16 Reviews
Empfohlen
359 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 17.06.20 13:47
geile story, flüssiges Gameplay und wenn man's erst mal raus hat, ist die Gestensteuerung auch sehr leicht zu bedienen.

Headset: Lenovo Explorer
16gb DDR4 Ram
AMD Ryzen 5 3400g (APU)
Weiterlesen
252 Produkte im Account
5 Reviews
Empfohlen
295 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 07.06.20 19:36
Grandioses Spiel! Man fühlt sich, als wäre man ein mächtiger Magier! Die Sprüche gehen super von der Hand, man fetzt durch die Horden von Feinden, verbrennt sie, friert sie ein, elektrisiert sie, schubst sie durch die Gegend... Es ist einfach herrlich! In keinem Star Wars Spiel hatte ich je dieses Gefühl der Macht! Ein Zaubererspiel zeigt uns, wie ein gutes Star Wars Spiel auszusehen hätte!
Nebenbei bemerkt ist die Story geil, die Grafik top, der Sound großartig und das Gegnerdesign herrlich albern. Kaufen, Leute!! KAUFEN!!
Weiterlesen
376 Produkte im Account
41 Reviews
Empfohlen
57 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 04.06.20 18:30
Die Entscheidung hier einen Daumen hoch oder runter zu geben ist mir sehr schwer gefallen!

https://youtu.be/IwOYv4_WuiU

Grundsätzlich schaut das Game recht gut aus. Wenn man Alyx-Verwöhnt ist, ist das natürlich eine sehr hohe Messlatte.
Aber da müssen die nun nachfolgenden Spiele durch.

Etwas enttäuschend fand ich die recht geringe Interaktion mit der Umwelt und den Gegenständen.
Einen Kelch kann man z.B. nur an einer speziellen Stelle festhalten und dieser flippt einem quasi in die richtige Position.
Auch ist die Fortbewegung manchmal etwas stolperig und man landet gelegentlich in irgendwelchen Objekten. Dabei wird dann der Bildschirm schwarz.

Insgesamt sieht man dem Spiel jedoch schon viel Liebe zum Detail an, aber dies leider nicht durchgängig.
Das Zaubern ist ganz gut gelungen. Da z.B. die Feuerbälle ihr Ziel fast von alleine finden, ist es aber auch nicht ganz so immersiv und herausfordernd.

Positiv ist anzumerken, dass der Sound zwar in Englisch ist aber, ähnlich wie bei Alyx, die Übersetzung in Deutsch angezeigt wird. Auch kann man die komplette Menüführung entsprechend umstellen.

Empfehlen kann ich das Spiel also schon, nur täte ich hier auf einen z.B. 30% - 50% Sale warten... dann passt das Preis/Leistungsverhältnis in meinen Augen sehr gut.
Weiterlesen
82 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Empfohlen
212 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 01.04.23 17:58
Overall it was a really nice game. The level design, the art style and the whole ambiance were really good, as well as the combat. The story was ok. It could use a bit more enemy types. The only problem is the spell casting. A lot of times you try to cast a fireball but you end up with a shield.
Weiterlesen
6308 Produkte im Account
1047 Reviews
Empfohlen
197 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 17.03.22 00:00
You won't be a Gandalf screaming 'You Shall Not Pass' but in 'The Wizards Dark Times' you will undoubtedly be another powerful wizard taking on evil goblins and other creatures!

Gameplay: https://youtu.be/unZbvqRAFBk

A wizard is nothing without his spells and this time you will have access to a wide range of 11 powerful spells that will help you get through all or most of the challenges in the game.
The environments sometimes also affect your spells, for example you will go through a level where it is constantly raining and here your fireball will become more or less useless.
Not every spell has the effect of controlling a natural power, some spells also make magical weapons appear which again are a great help in some intense moments.

When we look at the graphical aspects in the game we can also very quickly be convinced that good work and a lot of attention has been paid to the environments, beautiful combinations of raw nature and fantasy flora such as luminous plants undoubtedly bring us in an appropriate magical atmosphere.
The monsters are all worth it from the first to the last, in the beginning they can seem a bit standard but the deeper you go into the game, the more dangerous, deadly and bigger they will appear. It may take a little patience to reach these enemies, so don't judge too quickly when you start the game.
Weiterlesen
315 Produkte im Account
3 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
6 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 15.12.21 15:15
I had to refund, because none of the controls were working for me (Oculus Quest 2). Same goes for the other Carbon Studio products (The Wizards and Tempestfall as well).
Too bad, looked really fun.
Weiterlesen
124 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
16 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 12.12.21 23:03
Can't select anything even from the opening screen. Nothing works from the very beginning, gives me little hope for the rest even if I can get past the selection screen.
Weiterlesen
392 Produkte im Account
58 Reviews
Empfohlen
1706 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 20.11.21 08:56
Great game if you want more of this style of game/story play the newer warhammer game. I played it @ a friends and it pretty good.

i do like the spells in this game far more but Warhammer runs 10x's better please update what ever is tanking frames in this game.

You do feel really op in this game, the skills are awesome and look great to boot. one of them make your hands turn into crystals it really looks better than just crystal hands.

I really want more from this so.. a 3rd game would b3 grand!

Love the Wizard guy and huge swamp trolls that help us out.
Weiterlesen
482 Produkte im Account
34 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
317 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 27.10.21 20:16
Pros:
* Prettier than it's predecessor;
* Cooler skills on paper;
* Boss fight could be cool / interesting.
Cons:
* 50% shorter than predecessor;
* Skillpoints were cut, so no point exploring, unless you want some colors for your virtual gloves;
* Skills are even less tested for usability (takes forever to trigger) and are completely unbalanced - now only self-aiming fireball has enough damage to kill anything... until you get energy beam later and just melt everything. So basically 1 usable skill that gets upgrade later;
* All enemies have ranged skills and only engage in melee when close by. But you don't want to be in mob of enemies - you want cover so entire combat is ranged only;
* Almost nonexistent story with only 1 boss;
* Whole game feels unfinished with lot of content cut (exploration, Interaction with NPC's, length of story, etc.)

Verdict this is below average so not recommended - get 1st Wizards game or Raw Data.
Multiplayer that's been announced 8 month ago won't save this empty shell unless they rebalance enemies, spells and add a lot more actual content.
Weiterlesen
50 Produkte im Account
13 Reviews
Empfohlen
213 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 14.10.21 03:37
magic
Weiterlesen
59 Produkte im Account
1 Reviews
Empfohlen
167 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 20.09.21 15:31

Much much better than the 1st game with many potentials



I haven't played much spell casting games similar to this one so I can't compare it to the others, but to the 1st one (The Wizard - Enhanced Edition), this is a better game in almost everything (except for the battle theme). While I somehow enjoy my time playing the 1st one as it ticks my itch of being a fireball flinging wizard, and also being Darth Sidious (with Purple Lightning from my fingertip), I can only give it 4.5 out of 10, I have a much easier time giving The Wizard - Dark Times a 8 to 8.5

The main spot, gesture spell casting has been improved (ex: you no longer need to flick your hand to cast Fireball, and the throwing is no longer hit or miss...).

Enemies hit with spell no longer just fall down and die like having a heart attack, they really do fly like being hit by a, well you know, a Shield you just threw really hard at their face. If they are freeze and you use Force Pull, they will shattered into million pieces. That makes me feel much more like a powerful wizard.

The Dev really does put some details and thought into the game, such as under the rain, your Fireball just becomes Dirtball. Also the lever you need to pull or rotate, they all have some kinds of weight. I also like that you can always see your hand holding stuff unlike in the 1st game. The environment is much darker (fit the name), in dark area you'll need to cast spell to be able to see. The world design is amazing for a fantasy theme game.

The thing I don't fancy too much is the battle theme, it sounds boring over and over. Beside, this franchise still has so much potential (I want more destructible environment please).

After finished the 1st one I do not have much expectation, but playing this game, I do feel hooked. This game is really good, not on the level of Bonework, Walking Dead S&S... yet, but with just some more touches it could really become some of the best VR games out there
Weiterlesen
260 Produkte im Account
110 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
273 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 17.08.21 01:48
The casting is a blast and the spells are cool but the enemies never really get difficult to fight. Overall I was unfortunately disappointing with this game, not because it was bad per se but because it could easily have been better. 6/10 The inclusion of Co-op could keep it fresh but we will see.
Weiterlesen
76 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Empfohlen
312 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 22.07.21 21:39
Before I say anything, I would NOT recommend buying the game at full price, wait until a sale, I say this due to the length of the game, at the time of this review, I have completed the game on the intended difficulty.

This game is absolutely amazing, although short. The spell casting method used in this game, being able to cast spells based on hand movements, makes it extremely immersive and fun. Being able to summon a fireball at just the flick of your wrist makes you feel powerful and almost unstoppable.

Although the main story is short, there are other game modes which allow for replayability. These game modes include New Game+, which is the main story with all the spells unlocked at the beginning, and Hardcore, which is the hardest difficulty of the game, made to give the most dedicated and skillful players a challenge. On top of that, there is also a PVE arena mode where you can design waves to best hone your spell casting abilities.

In conclusion (or TLDR): buy the game when it's on sale, the spell casting and combat system is one unlike any other, don't miss out!
Weiterlesen
132 Produkte im Account
4 Reviews
Empfohlen
137 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 06.06.21 22:04
I've been playing for only 1,5 hours, and im hooked! This game is literally my childhood dream coming true. Being a wizard with all sorts of powers... I mean, the mechanics of the game is awesome. Feel great when swinging my arms to cast different spells. Definitely worth the money!
Weiterlesen
327 Produkte im Account
8 Reviews
Empfohlen
799 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 25.03.21 20:12
so much fun with fireballs.
Weiterlesen
394 Produkte im Account
5 Reviews
Empfohlen
157 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 24.03.21 00:27
Heat-seeking ballistic ice swords.
Weiterlesen
157 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Empfohlen
1021 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 10.02.21 06:46
Do you want to feel the full power of magic at your very fingertips.
Then this is the game for you.
The direct sequel to The Wizards, Dark Times takes everything great from the first game and massively improves the experience.
You can control various elements and powers via specific hand gestures and button combinations which fills amazing. The tracking is also very good, rarely did I find myself having issues casting spells.

The story is somewhat simple but exciting none the less. The levels, while rather linear, are vastly different from each other, so you don't feel like you're constantly moving through the same place.

The only downside would be the graphics side of things. it feels very basic in texture rendering and level design. And the enemies aren't very varied.

Replayablity is excellent with the ability to go back and replay levels and find hidden collectables.
Along with an Arena battle mode and an upcoming survival mode the game is definitely worth picking up.

But overall an incredible game that will make you feel like Dr. Strange or Gandalf.
A must buy for any fantasy lover.
Weiterlesen
724 Produkte im Account
72 Reviews
Empfohlen
376 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 10.02.21 05:34
I finished it already and I have to say it was very fun to play.

You will really feel like a powerfull wizard on certain parts.
It also has great fantasy/epic locations to be in VR, and it has a good concept using the spells with VR controller motions.

The cons is that the controls are not 100% perfect yet and you will struggle to pull them correctly on certain high action situations (you may also think this as part of the difficulty in the game)
But, most of the time they do work correctly with minimum practice and they are very fun and rewarding to use.

Single Player Campaign feels somehow short but it is certainly worthy.
It has a Campaign+ mode to re-play it with all the spells unlocked and harder combat encounters (I just started playing this mode)

Visually the game looks great in many aspects, the sense of scale of different locations is a joy to watch.
The levels have very good diversity with specific twists.

There are not too many enemy types but there is a good variation to put the player on certain challenges, also of course certain spells work better for certain enemies and you will learn this with practice as well.

I believe the game has still a much stronger potential with harder difficulty and maybe I would have asked for 2 or 3 more bosses/levels.
There are puzzles but very easy to complete, to be honest I would have preferred more combat sequences instead of those puzzles :P

For me this game was like an 8/10.

Here is some gameplay video I recorded:
https://youtu.be/KWfvY66QWYE

I didn't tried the Arena mode but I will update the review later for this.
Weiterlesen
12 Produkte im Account
2 Reviews
Empfohlen
569 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 28.01.21 04:57
The spell casting in this game is fantastic, and the interactivity and graphics are so much better than the first Wizards, but i do have a few issues: IMO the shields were difficult to cast (Rift controllers) as you now have to use the triggers rather than the grip buttons, I always found myself desperately trying to shield but instead casting a fireball. Sound design isn't great, can hear alot of weird noises and noise bugs, spells dont sound as bassy and powerful as they should. Story was quite short and the ending fight was incredibly underwhelming and glitched out a lot for me. The continuous cycle of the same enemies got a bit boring as well, similar to the last game. I really enjoyed unlocking the new spells, but they were a bit difficult to find sometimes. I have a lot of gripes with it and it felt a bit unpolished but overall I don't regret my purchase, and was still very fun. Definitely recommend buying
Weiterlesen
486 Produkte im Account
15 Reviews
Empfohlen
305 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 07.01.21 03:06
The hub music is already 25€ worth, so i have completed the game in 5 hours while i have carefully explored the world. Graphics is beatiful, gameplay is something new, the story and storytelling is so naah.
Weiterlesen
137 Produkte im Account
3 Reviews
Empfohlen
265 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 30.11.20 19:23
A very interesting and unique sequel to an already good vr game. The spells are interesting, and it gives something I thought vr was lacking, a good wizard game. 8/10
Weiterlesen
194 Produkte im Account
11 Reviews
Empfohlen
133 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 30.11.20 15:27
They really polished the gameplay a lot, the gesture casting is way more precise as it was in the previous game.

i love the gameplay and the story!
Weiterlesen
1208 Produkte im Account
28 Reviews
Empfohlen
231 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 26.11.20 22:09
An improvement over the original which was already very good. I'll be keeping on eye on this developer and I hope they continue the series.
Weiterlesen
225 Produkte im Account
10 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
202 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 13.11.20 15:41
Overall I feel disappointed. Game movement felt nauseating, fights were almost identical throughout the game. Additionally the game was very short. The story is fit within a single long dialog of characters with no physical model. End boss felt trivial and only a combination of enemies already encountered on the way.

Spells felt nice. Troll is friendly.
Weiterlesen
37 Produkte im Account
28 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
78 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 09.11.20 16:55
went trough a random portal. couldn't find my way back to were i was. the only door would take me way behind where i was. but during my 70m this is what i thought.

This is a prime example of what's wrong with VR games.
it's like a lot of these games start this way. one person thoughts of a cool mechanic in VR. designs it and then designs something around it.

the gesture spells work most of the time well enough. sometimes a bit buggy but good enough.
and they're a nice way to cast spells in VR

but that's about it.

it has repetitive enemies. Dumb AI. bad gameplay. The combat isn't thoughtful and nice at all. enemies either just shoot arrows at you while standing still. or follow you and get super close to your face which feels bad in VR.

a lot of times you're just spamming some spells or your arrow and then using one spell to shatter them. the combat isn't fun whatsoever.

The environments are kinda beautiful. I give them that!
The graphics are meh But I don't care about graphics much
the plot is eh. the dialogue is silly.

there's just not much to this game. it's like the game is an excuse to try out one mechanic. it fails all the other checkboxes of a good game.

oh and those screenshots definitely have filters or something. the actual game looked nowhere near as good for me in VR. maybe it's just that the textures are being scaled to a higher res bigger size. but I don't care about this one issue

when there's so many other good games i just feel bad playing this

but then again considering that VR is kinda lacking in games it has right now, I do recommend a try when it goes on sale. maybe? for me the re-starting from the champter was enough to make me refund it. but i'm VERY picky about the kind of games i play

Weiterlesen
10 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Empfohlen
573 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 31.10.20 16:30
best power game ever!
Weiterlesen
31 Produkte im Account
3 Reviews
Empfohlen
381 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 28.10.20 14:40
it doesnt get boring and I love the way you should cast your spells
Weiterlesen
2666 Produkte im Account
575 Reviews
Empfohlen
252 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 17.08.20 06:37
Zitat:


The Wizards - Dark Times:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My name is Aurelius, your humble narrator. I am going to get straight to the point for you, young Wizard . . .the staff has hit the fan rather badly in the realm of Meliora. The witch Abigail has cast a grim spell over the realm, and I have chosen you to eliminate her for good. So, you do remember how to create spells, don’t you? Yes! That’s great, because you’ll need to master them to beat her. My dear apprentice, it’s time to write your story, in the Wizards – Dark Times!

The Wizards – Dark Times is a first-person VR/action-adventure game developed and self-published by Carbon Studio on the 5th of June 2020 on the Steam platform. I played this game with the HTC Vive Cosmos headset.

As you launch the game for the first time, you’ll be prompted to choose the Story or the Adventure mode. In the Story Mode, you’ll be basically invisible, while in the Adventure mode, you’ll have a bit of a challenge throughout the game. There is also a hardcore mode, but I haven’t been able to unlock it at this stage.

It’s the first game that I’ve had the pleasure of playing where you have to cast spells, and I must say that I had a pretty good time learning and playing the game. It’s a pretty linear layout in terms of the levels, but you do have to use your spells to move forward. For example, you will need to use your Fireballs spell to burn tree roots, your Shield spell to cut ropes and your Frozen Arrow to freeze burning roots on a wall, and your Push Force to break down rocks. You’ll learn additional spells as you move forward in the game. I must say that I really like the electric spell and as I am a fan of Star Wars since I was a tadpole, and I always wanted to know and see what an electric spell would do to an enemy when activated. I used it as much as I could when it was at my disposal, and it is brilliant.

As you move through the levels, you’ll find chests as well as levitating symbols (they are not frequent and are your new spells). The chests contain collectable items when you open them. These chests are usually hidden in a room or cavity and the way to open them is to use specific spells on glowing symbols that are somewhere on the walls around the area. Regarding the levitating symbols, when you grab them, it will either give you an additional spell or upgrade a current spell.

As soon as you pick one up, a short tutorial will appear to show you how to cast it and then you’ll be able to turn off the tutorial. Some of these symbols can be found within a level and others after a fight with a mini-boss at the end of a level.
There are not too many different types of enemy in this game, but some are quite fun. The poisonous walking mushroom is my favourite, but these buggers are quite fast and will explode near you if you don’t manage to kill them quickly; you’ll be poisoned, and your vision will be blurry for a short while, which is not ideal when you’re fighting many enemies at once.

I find it easy to cast a spell while fighting a couple of enemies at once, but it’s a lot more difficult when there are several enemies coming at you together; you have to cast spells in rapid succession, and you might want different spells on both of your hands, and it seems not to register properly every so often. Interestingly, that doesn’t occur if you cast a Super Spell (using both your hands to create one) such as the Fire Blast! It’s a bit annoying because these fights are fun but pretty challenging, to say the least, and I can imagine growing frustration for players who decide to play the game in the Adventure mode when each successful hit from an enemy will inflict damage on your Wizard. You can try to dodge the incoming projectiles or move backwards on melee units, but it is challenging already while playing the Story mode; you’ll be hit frequently.

The graphics and the atmosphere are just fabulous in this game! The narration between Aurelius and Abigail is well done. Aurelius is a bit witty while Abigail is really stern and creepy. I must say that I enjoy the game and casting spells. I do feel there is something not quite right when you fight a large number of enemies at once. I also think the teleportation is a bit short, but that is a personal preference. Apart from that, it’s pretty good.

Positives:
~~~~~~~
+ Fabulous visuals
+ The dark atmosphere is well portrayed
+ Short tutorial each time you either acquire a new skill or upgrade a spell
+ Great narration
+ Easy to cast spells
+ Challenging gameplay
+ Achievements

Negatives:
~~~~~~~~

- Seems to be difficult to cast spells in rapid succession while fighting a large number of enemies
- The teleportation is too short, in my opinion.
- No trading cards as yet

The fate of Meloria depends on you and your spell-casting skills! You must defeat the witch Abigail in the Wizards – Dark Times!

8/10

Key provided by the developer/publisher for review purposes. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own!

Zitat:
Weiterlesen
54 Produkte im Account
13 Reviews
Empfohlen
137 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 03.08.20 22:38
Keep playing! I have to say the first half hour of this game makes a pretty mediocre first impression. The graphics resemble at the very least the color palette of Quake 2 but if you keep playing it actually becomes somewhat of a next gen Hexen 2.

The level design is inventive and the cheeky Portal reference did not go unnoticed either.

That said, I have a few things that irk me:

- The game, just like most Unreal Engine titles, is a bit blurry to me. I think I tweaked it via the ini files by disabling Anti Aliasing but I shouldn't have to.

- Most of your spells lack impact, and I think this is due to the sound design. I'd appreciate it if the devs could give this another pass. The Ice Bow and the Ice Daggers are the main offenders until now.

- The shield-throwing gesture is a bit finnicky, I think I have it down now but I feel like it could use being a little more forgiving.

If you can live with these shortcomings I think you too will have a great time.

Weiterlesen
47 Produkte im Account
13 Reviews
Empfohlen
85 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 01.08.20 04:27
Pretty cool! I like it a lot. Really fun to use your powers to blast enemies. Makes me feel like Dr. Strange. The graphics are amazing, but the frame rate is a bit janky on the Quest.
Weiterlesen
3625 Produkte im Account
67 Reviews
Empfohlen
307 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 30.07.20 19:44
Gesture based spell invoking with super tight index controls + an absolute arsenal of offensive spells to the point where it's overwhelming in a given combat situation as there's multiple ways to slaughter fools + one of the better body and environment physics engines I've seen in VR + somewhat weak and campy start but the environments get really incredible towards the end of the game with some good looking dark gothic architecture and quarter mile high ceilings = The Wizards: Dark Times

Also the game is a bit broken in that [spoiler] once you get access to Arcane Blast in the last 1/3 or so of the game, you can just smoke enemies and mini-bosses with extreme ease but honestly I thought this was fun in a power trippy kind of way [/spoiler]. Not a knock against the game, just something to keep in mind if players get frustrated at the enemy layouts towards the end.

The story is your typical fantasy 101 stuff and at the end when [spoiler] when the final boss just decided to be chill out of nowhere and be on my team and then roll credits 5 seconds later, i had no clue what happened [/spoiler]. But I imagine if you're playing a spell based slaughter-thon in VR, then a slappin story probably isn't high on the list of must haves.

An easy pick up for VR rascals.
Weiterlesen
45 Produkte im Account
2 Reviews
Empfohlen
246 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 23.07.20 17:45
its a very good game if you like magic then this game will be for you it is very fun it didnt take a very long time to play it but it still was very very fun
Weiterlesen
1030 Produkte im Account
16 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
245 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 09.07.20 16:03
The wizards; Dark times could end up to be one of the best VR games to play. However, currently it is not.

The core idea of this game is to let hand movement determine what spell you are casting and how powerfull that spell is. This is the best magic gameplay I have ever played. The spells are well made and even more fun than in Carbon Studios previous game The Wizards.
The levels are original and well made (even if it is rather linear) and the narration as you progress is a nice touch.

Great as these are, the games has some problems. A lot of rocks, tree's and mushroom have large invisible hitboxes. Trying to shoot arrows between tree's and from behind rocks will not do. You will only hit these hitboxes. The stairs and ramps have collison issues where you can not walk up the stairs normaly and need to take a step back to walk around the center of the stairs. Some levels have clipping ussues and flying models like mushrooms and rocks.
The enemies in this game are very simple, they have one or two attacks and thats it. They wont dodge or hide. To make the game more challenging as you progress the game will simply throw in more enemies. Once you get a decent area of impact spell the game becomes a walk in the park. Or you take a shield in one hand and spam throw with the other, that works as well.

The game is still being worked on and can become one of the best, but at this moment I can not recommend it.
Weiterlesen
72 Produkte im Account
3 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
252 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 06.07.20 17:19
Glitches and makes you get stuck so you have to start from the beginning. Unless you dont mind playing the same thing over and over save your money
Weiterlesen
27 Produkte im Account
1 Reviews
Empfohlen
416 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 24.06.20 04:42
So, I loved the first game and admittedly a large portion of that was bias: I was THRILLED to be able to play out the fantasy of being a spell-slinging Wizard! That being said, it was clearly a concept in its infancy, even if it was a lot of fun and the gesture-based spellcasting (or Somatic Components for TTRPG nerds like me ;P) was already quite good!

Enter the sequel, Dark Times. Where it was already strong, they further improved, and where it was lacking in many areas it leaped forward significantly! The graphics are -way- better and more immersive, especially in regards to the spells! Creature design was rich and interesting, albeit lacking in variety, and the environments were much more varied and interesting than the first game!

I also -loved- the increased emphasis of puzzles and problem-solving! And the new climbing mechanic, while graphically clumsy, is a solid addition =3

Couple of weak points, though: while this game does work harder to introduce lore and a backstory to the world of Meliora, it's still rather basic and lacking for story-enthusiasts like myself. A step in the right direction, but they needed to take a few more to make it really shine.

Then there's the lack of improving the spells themselves like you could in the first one. There was certainly a wider breadth of spells, and the way the elemental effects play off of one another is really cool, but there's a certain lack of depth. I really enjoyed upgrading my spells in the first Wizards game and improving them with unique effects. It'd be really nice to see a return of that system in future, if possible.

And without spoiling anything, the ending was very... Abrupt. After a very brief and ambiguous cutscene following the final fight that leaves many questions unanswered, it just goes straight to the credits. Oddly it felt there was even less closure than was provided in the first game, so that to me was a misstep. Hopefully with additional content, they might follow some unfinished plot lines =]

Trying to be as objective as possible with the aforementioned shortcomings in mind, I'd give this game a score of 7/10 to the typical gamer. It's a lot of fun, though short and lacking in story and more classic RPG tropes like leveling spells and such. However, the interplay between all of the different spells is quite deep and rewards clever synergy and practice! If you like the sound of throwing around spells and using your wits to overcome obstacles, absolutely get this game!

For me personally, this is easily 9/10. In the vast majority of ways it is a massive improvement to a game I already loved, and I am absolutely confident that given time they can make it even better, or make a new entry in the series that blows me away as much as Dark Times did after The Wizards =3
Weiterlesen
89 Produkte im Account
5 Reviews
Empfohlen
75 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 23.06.20 12:48
Very pretty game, enjoyed playing it. Really intuitive and simple spell casting system, learning how to play takes literally 5 minutes. Would recommend & looking forward to future updates.
Weiterlesen
146 Produkte im Account
6 Reviews
Empfohlen
234 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 19.06.20 20:14
One of the most well-made VR games I've played. Before playing I was skeptic about gesture-based spellcasting but the game proved to be very fun to play.

The game is more gameplay oriented than story, and it's kinda short to be honest. But it is a quite unique experience and I'm not aware of any other game to even compare this to. (The previous game from the same studio is said to be similar but I haven't played it yet)
Weiterlesen
78 Produkte im Account
13 Reviews
Empfohlen
257 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 15.06.20 08:10
WOW, this may be the best single player VR game on the market. It takes advantage of every VR mechanic i can think of. Its got amazing graphics and amazing gameplay. Truly feels like im a mage from skyrim

Update: just finished the game and wow the initial shock never wore off. this game is straight fire up until the very end. Ive never seen such polished animations, graphics, or gameplay in any single player story game other than lone echo

DLC PLEASE!!!!! i want more!!
Weiterlesen
46 Produkte im Account
3 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
135 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 15.06.20 05:23
First off I'll start with the positives:

-The spell-casting mechanics are spot on. The gestures for each spell are quite simple and distinct, they flow into one another allowing for quick combos, and are impressively reliable. Many spells have a homing effect on enemies which gives a lot of room for error, something that is advantageous for a system such as this. More powerful spells require more steps to perform and generally more precision to use, combine this that they are generally two handed forcing you to forego the ability to use your shield, and you have a fantastic risk reward system for combat.

-The environments, whilst simplistic, are carried by the game's solid art direction and distinct visual style. Animations across the board are fantastic, and in some moments are absolutely captivating. This also applies to your spells, which are all pure eye candy.

-The narrator really lifts up the lulls between combat, providing engaging commentary and organically delivering information about the world and it's lore. Don't come in expecting Stanley Parable levels of witty writing, but he more then serves his purpose.

What I want to make clear is that this game has a LOT of great qualities, and the praise it receives is certainly justified.
However, a game is a full package, and the best mechanics can go to waste if the rest isn't up to snuff, and unfortunately I believe that to be the case here.

The Negatives:

-The movement in this game is terrible.

This is by far the worst point, because it effects every part of the game. The game was seemingly designed around teleportation, which is fine, it's too shortranged and has too much trouble navigating inclines and step ups, but it works okay. However teleportation alone is hardly sufficient for the game's combat scenarios, in which enemies use almost exclusively ranged attacks. This is what the shield is for you might think, but then you can't perform any two handed spells. good cover is also a rarity in most arenas. This is where continuous movement comes into play, and where the whole system begins to fall apart.
Continuous movement allows you to dodge enemy attacks, and thus be more aggressive, sounds ideal! Until, you run into an ankle high step up, or an invisible piece of level geometry, or get within 3 feet of a wall. At which point you stop dead in your tracks, get stuck, and have to use teleportation to get out. This happens constantly and in most cases I had no idea what I could possibly be stuck on.

-The enemies are utter jokes

Each one has maybe 1 or 2 behaviors, and seeing as there are so few of them combat gets stale really, really fast. Enemies don't really respond to getting hit, they don't try to go for cover, or move to dodge you, they just stand there lobbing ranged attacks until you kill them. The only reason these fights are difficult at all is because of the sheer number that are thrown at you, but even this goes away as you unlock more powerful AOE spells.
There are powerful elemental enemies that are actually challenging to fight one on one, not because they have more complex AI, no they have all the same issues I listed previously. Rather, it's because they fire a barrage of projectiles that are impossible to dodge with the game's sluggish and janky movement, and can break your shields in seconds. They also take in inane amount of damage causing their fights to drag on. As with many elements of this game they are cool at first, but become an absolute chore in all subsequent encounters.

-Sound design.

There is none. Barely anything makes sound in this game, to the point of being quite awkward. In the middle of what should be a tense combat encounter they'll just be utter silence occasionally broken by an enemy drawing their bow or you throwing a spell. This is made worse by the fact that what few sound effects are in the game are just of poor quality. The fire ball spell is decent, and the shield is alright, but just about every other spell sounds very generic. What's worse is how quiet many of them are, at one point you're given an upgraded fire spell that is charactized by the narrator as being incredible powerful. However, when you perform the spell the sound is so utterly tame and quiet to the point of being inaudible, that it completely removes whatever punch the spell was supposed to have.

-Music

Similar story here really, there is a very small selection, including a whole 1 battle theme. Some of them are decent, like the environmental music. Others, like the single battle theme are forgettable. You hear them so often that they just become white noise that only serves to drown out the meager sound of your spells.

-Level design

Utterly confusing. the game is completely linear, with nothing in the way or collectables or branching paths. Yet there are countless offshoots and corridors along your path, and nearly every one of them lead to a dead end. A few quickly circle back onto the main path, not that you'll notice right away as every part of the environment is so same-y you won't even realize that you've been there before. In summation, they serve no purpose but to waste your time.

-Performance

This is a minor point, I'll just warn that this game needs a very high end PC to run well. In my mind this isn't relevant to the quality of the game design. But it's none the less important to bring up for people with more mid-range machines. Even for a VR game this runs extremely poorly. Unless you have well above the recommended specs, don't expect the game to look nearly as pretty as it does in the promotional material, or be prepared to endure atrocious frame rates.

Bringing it all together:

This game has an incredible confusing mix of great and terrible game design on every level. For every great mechanic there is another that's equally bad, and for every engrossing atmospheric element there's another that rips you out of it.

Many feel that these flaws can be forgiven for the game's genuinely fantastic features. I personally think every element of the game is important, and that one bad apple (or in this case, many) can spoil the rest of the experience.

TL:DR
It's neat if rather poorly executed, wait for a sale if you really want to try it (And keep a refund in mind).
Weiterlesen
255 Produkte im Account
15 Reviews
Nicht Empfohlen
51 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 15.06.20 00:07
maybe its just not for me but I hate these blanket empty storys. its a 12 minute story stretched to I'm guessing 2 hours, I didn't even want to finish it. Nothing was really happening I just went into the same small easy fights and exploring this world that felt like it was just repeating itself.
the spells with the gestures feel great, sound could be better, maybe louder make the spells feel more intense through the sounds.
Overall I do NOT like these, no choice, invincible games, I just go through it plowing through enemies because I have these overpowered spells, and even if they just unload on me the game babies me and I can't die ever. there are no choices, its just one route and everyone gets through it exactly the same, maybe you favor one spell over the other but thats as far as your individuality goes playing this game.

I'd say if these spells were a bit more polished in a game with a real story, and difficulty to it it would be AWESOME, but as of now, unless its like 99 cents I wouldn't recommend it
Weiterlesen
231 Produkte im Account
15 Reviews
Empfohlen
148 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 08.06.20 00:39
Overall an amazing title and I can't wait for the release of the planned extra game modes. The spell mechanics are intuitive once you get used to them and feel appropriately OP. The post launch content will probably satisfy those looking for a more intense challenge as the game is currently quite easy.
Regarding performance, I personally have only encountered one small bug which I quickly found a fix for. I'm using a WMR HMD and controllers and the game didn't recognize them immediately, but adding a few lines to a particular .ini file was all it took to resolve that issue (details should be pinned in discussions). As far as game performance goes I fall somewhere in between the minimum and recommended specs and have had zero issues.
8th gen i5, gtx 1060(6gb ver.), installed on an NVME(but that should only affect loading times), and played with a Lenovo Explorer WMR set.
Weiterlesen
113 Produkte im Account
4 Reviews
Empfohlen
61 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 07.06.20 18:43
Well executed gesture-based magic system, exciting combat, beautiful graphic design, engaging gameplay loop breaks.
A must-play for any VR fan.
Weiterlesen
25 Produkte im Account
1 Reviews
Empfohlen
1300 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 07.06.20 02:31
So i have played and beat this game twice now, i love it. I just want more. The spell casting is amazing, and i bet a multiplayer pvp would be amazing. Also what about an arena mode, or big boss only mode? The game is amazing.
Weiterlesen
131 Produkte im Account
5 Reviews
Empfohlen
202 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 07.06.20 02:04
The only game I have ever played where the swamp section was the best section.

Not enough content to justify the current price, though- breezed through the story and most of the collectibles in 3 hours or so. Wait for a sale, 25% or more.
Weiterlesen
121 Produkte im Account
4 Reviews
Empfohlen
255 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 04.06.20 19:43
First game was good mechanically, but felt a little rough around the edges, This time the visuals are so much better: environments are beautiful, animations are improved greatly, spell casting visualy is just eye candy, especially in darker areas. When it comes to spell mechanics, this is the best spell casting power fantasy out there. Spell gestures are easy to learn and extremely satisfying to use. The targeting system has been improved so much it's illegal how satisfying it is, combined with gorgeous spell visuals. Story is nothing outworldly but it is more than enough to keep you going just to see places and get new spells.
This game definately scratched the itch the first game gave me, where the original game was promising, Dark Times delivers. So worth the wait.
Weiterlesen
130 Produkte im Account
31 Reviews
Empfohlen
419 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 04.06.20 19:17
Took me around 4 hour to finish and i must say, i'm impressed. The atmosphere and combat and graphic is on point. It's a bit buggy sometimes and some places killing the FPS but still i did not regret that i brought it because its just feels good to play it and i know they will fix the problems soon and add more content so i will love it in the future even more.
Weiterlesen
58 Produkte im Account
15 Reviews
Empfohlen
431 Std. insgesamt
Verfasst: 04.06.20 16:03
I've been playtesting this game for a while now, and now that it's out I can give my thoughts.

First off, the main part of the game, the spellcasting. The first game had really good spellcasting and it's even better this time. I really, really like the spells in this game, they're so much fun to use, I really feel like an epic battlemage in this game, using spells makes you feel so powerful. The upgrade system from the first game is gone, but I don't really mind that. There are also new spells which are some of my favorites, they are so much fun to use. As well, all the spells have been overhauled visually and look amazing now.

The story - I felt like it was a but short (shorter than the wizards) but as a playtester I had to replay it a lot and it was still fun replaying it, so that's good. The story is solidly good as well, but I'd say the spellcasting is more of the strong suit for this game.

General gameplay - They've added climbing in this game which I like, and also made it possible to play without ever teleporting which is also cool. I like the new enemies and there are some hidden collectables and stuff as well which I like.

Definitely a great game, best magic game I've ever played, the spellcasting is so much fun and my favorite part. Also I think this is the first review so that's cool lol
Weiterlesen
Logo for The Wizards - Dark Times
Rating auf Steam Sehr positiv
81.85% 230 51
Release:04.06.2023 Genre: Action-Adventure Entwickler: Carbon Studio Vertrieb: Carbon Studio Engine:keine Infos Kopierschutz:keine Infos Franchise:keine Infos
Einzelspieler Mehrspieler Koop
0 Prisoner haben dieses Spiel schon
Kein Prisoner hat oder wartet auf das Spiel
30 Steam-Errungenschaften
Plattform
Handbuch
Kein Handbuch vorhanden
Social Links
Website XFacebookYoutubeTwitchInstagramFanseiteWikiDiscord
Unterstützt VR Headset
HTC ViveOculus RiftPlayStation VRHololensMixed RealityValve IndexMeta QuestPicoPimaxVarjoStarVR