Wizordum

Wizordum is a brilliant return to the golden age of 90s FPS games, paying homage to the classics without ever losing its own identity. It combines frantic action, striking visuals, clever puzzles and delightful secrets, delivering an experience that feels both nostalgic and modern at the same time. It’s a game made with genuine love for the genre — one that rewards the curious, challenges veterans and welcomes new players. For anyone who grew up with Heretic, Hexen and other icons of the past, Wizordum is a gift and an adventure that truly deserves to be experienced.

Wizordum is a worthy successor to the ’90s Heretic/Hexen-style shooters. The visuals are pleasing, the level environments are varied, and the music beautifully complements the atmosphere. Another plus is the wide selection of weapons, spells, and gear. The maps are full of traps, hidden rooms, and interactive objects. The levels gradually increase in difficulty, and toward the end, it can be challenging to find your way through the unnecessarily complicated mazes. Quests that require you to search vast environments for switches or other items can sometimes be frustrating. Ultimately, though, Wizordum is a charming throwback to the past that I recommend to all fans of retro games.

Wizordum is a nostalgic throwback that still feels new and exciting to play. It’s a great step into high fantasy while being true to its inspirations.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t shake the feeling that if Wizordum halved its runtime, adding interactive environments that complemented the various weapons and spells, there could’ve been something special here. But as it stands Wizordum provides little more than what a 90’s shooter could, thirty odd years ago.

Make no mistake, by no means is Wizordrum a bad game. The game features some good level design, and it’s simply impossible to mess up a gameplay loop inspired by Heretic and old-school Doom. But this is the issue: it’s just a very derivative game, whose main appeal (it being heavily inspired by Heretic) feels less impactful after the release of Nightdive’s Heretic remaster collection.

Fun old-school retro-style fantasy FPS on PS5

Wizordum has all the trappings of an early 90s first-person shooter, expertly looking and playing the part well. But Emberheart Games has gone the extra mile to incorporate modern flair, creating more than just homage.

Progression also feels a little flat. Each individual level is well made but I rarely felt like they were getting harder or more complex as I went. This is a solid and well made first-person-shooter, if not a revolutionary one.

Wizordum is a magic-fueled shooter that casts a powerful spell—until it occasionally trips over its own robes. It nails the look, the feel, and the pace of a 90s fantasy FPS, and it comes packed with just enough modern convenience (like a level editor and leaderboard challenges) to keep it relevant. The combat is consistently fun, the secrets are satisfying, and the world is worth exploring. But cluttered inventory systems, uneven pacing, and a few too many "gotcha" moments drag down what could otherwise be a near-perfect spell-slinging romp. If you're here to blast skeletons, soak in some pixel-art charm, and unleash hellfire with your fingertips, Wizordum absolutely delivers—just don’t expect perfection in every spell.

Wizordum brings back the classic charm of first-person shooters—something I didn’t realize I missed until I jumped into this game. It rewards exploration, with plenty of secrets to uncover and treasure to find, and the end-of-level score system gives it a satisfying arcade feel that encourages replaying levels. I did experience some motion sickness while playing on my PC and Steam Deck, which eased up when I switched to playing on a TV—so that might be something to keep in mind if you’re prone to motion sickness. That aside, Wizordum scratched a nostalgic itch I didn’t even know I had—and I’m glad I got to experience this game.