Sling spells, collect artifacts, and overcome the Chaos Trials in ‘Wizard of Legend’

I’ve always had a thing for magic. The conjuring of spells, the elements brought forth by the simple flick of a wrist, the elaborate displays of Arcana that flow forth with beauty and grace. It’s for this reason that I pick the Wizard or Mage in a lot of RPGs. Sure, it’s fun to pick up a sword and shield, or slice through your opponents with the speed of a dagger — but there is something special about how magic looks and feels. Thankfully, there are others out there that feel the same way I do about the wonders of the spells. Take, for example, the developers over at Contingent99, who have jam packed their appreciation for the arcane arts into an upcoming release titled Wizard of Legend.

Currently in Kickstarter form, Wizard of Legend is a fast-paced, high-action, spell-slinging dungeon crawler with RPG-like elements and a lot of customization. The title takes place during an event known as Chaos Trials. This spectacular contest takes place in the city of Lanova, where the Council of Magic holds their yearly tournament in hopes of discovering the next Wizard of Legend. You’ll take control of an aspiring spellcaster and enter the Chaos Trials in the hopes of becoming the next legendary wizard. The trials are filled with benevolent enemies, dangerous obstacles, and powerful artifacts. Each section of the Chaos Trials is divided among the current Council of Magic members. Because of this, each subsection of the overall dungeon includes certain personality traits from each master. Different enemy types, traps, and an overall elemental feel will help to differentiate which master’s trial you are currently undertaking.

The dungeon itself is procedurally generated, featuring randomized rooms with each playthrough. There are still pre-crafted events in some instances, and developers do note that the masters do have a penchant for adding in some of their favorite hallways or trap-filled areas upon each attempt. There is also a mysterious council member who is said to leave unique ability-enhancing artifacts hidden deep within each dungeon. These artifacts can be very helpful and give you enhancements that will allow you to better navigate the trials and defeat your enemies. The Hummingbird Feather, for example, allows you to temporarily hover over deadly pits, and Rudra’s Fan acts as an arcing ability that pushes back enemy projectiles. There are even some artifacts that can give you game-changing powers, although some of them come at a hefty price to pay. The Vampire Fangs are one such artifact, allowing you to gain health from every single enemy you defeat, but draining your overall health pool to fifty percent of what it once was in the process. These specialized items can be found in chests, or sometimes purchased from vendors. They manage to add a lot of depth to the release, giving you new and unique play styles to master with each trial attempt.

The combat for Wizard of Legend is very fast paced, and you’ll need to make use of swift dodges and spell combos to quickly eliminate your opponents. Enemies can arrive in impressive numbers, and there are rarely times in which you will find yourself engaging one foe at a time. For this reason, you’ll need to use quick reflexes to gain a positional advantage over enemies, and it is very important to learn how to combo certain magical spells to keep yourself out of harm’s way. Add in the danger of traps, projectiles, and pits, and it’s easy to understand how a small battle can quickly overwhelm you. Enemies will even grow stronger as you do. They will learn new ways to attack, come in greater numbers, and use room advantages to put an end to your journey. The wizard you choose will have heavy influence on what types of spells you have at your disposal. Each aspiring mage has access to a specific element at the start of each trial. As you progress, you’ll find many more impressive spells to add to your arsenal. It is up to you to decide which spells to equip, and which combos you will use. With so many spells to collect, artifacts to gain, and randomly changing trials to overcome, there is a ton of replayability to be found in Wizard of Legend.

Pixelated graphics and a top-down view give this future release a SNES-style appearance, but immense detail work and impressive animations help to bring it visually into the modern age. There is a lot to look at when you enter each aspect of the Chaos Trials, and thanks to a seamless exploration system, you’ll get to experience the dungeon without any load times or breaks in the action. What truly stands out for Wizard of Legend are the impressive particle effects, sprite animations, and spell visuals. There are a wide variety of animations to see, and each one moves fluidly within combat. This helps to create a spell-slinging experience that possesses a lot of grace in movement. On top of the beautifully crafted eye candy lie custom sound effects and musical scores to help set the mood for your important journey.

Developers were seeking $50,000 from Kickstarter to make Wizard of Legend a reality. As of this article, the group has managed to meet their goal and exceed it by $22,681 — meaning this game is on its way to becoming available. The finished product promises to be a large-scale game with tons of items, spells, and characters to unlock. It will also feature a local cooperative mode where you can tackle the Chaos Trials with a friend. There will even be a small PVP element that allows you to duke it out against others in a small arena setting. There are currently no plans to add online multiplayer functionality, but who knows what developers may decide now that they’ve managed to exceed their goals during the funding process.

If you’re interested in getting more information regarding this release, be sure to head to the dedicated website here. You can also follow the developers on Twitter, Facebook, and IndieDB, for any applicable news and upcoming features regarding the project.