By Em Stonham And Others Em Stonham And Others,Emma Flint

Copyright escapistmagazine

There is never a dull moment in Folly of the Wizards. Developed by UpFox Labs, this roguelike title packs a joyous punch. From its unique enemies to its charming characters, there’s a lot to love about this 2D experience. And to be frustrated by. Like most roguelike games, failure will happen more often than you’d like.

The indie games market has been flooded with roguelike titles in recent years, which might have you wondering what this new adventure has to offer. Will it be any different from the rest? Yes and no. To find out if this Numskull Games title is for you, make sure to continue reading The Escapist’s Folly of the Wizards review.

The Escapist recaps

Folly of the Wizards’ release date has arrived; released on 19 September, this action-packed roguelike comes from UpFox Labs and Numskull Games. Mayhem is the name of the game in Folly of the Wizards. Prepare to think fast in order to survive. To do otherwise will result in permadeath and send you back to the beginning. Procedurally generated levels ensure that even when you inevitably fail, no two experiences will be the same. It dramatically increases the title’s replayability. The Folly of Wizards game isn’t without a few drawbacks, though. With counterintuitive controls, executing every move just right to stay alive proves tricky in the beginning. Although Folly of the Wizards has a clear story, it’s not the main reason for playing the title. For players who favour strong narratives, you might feel slightly underwhelmed.

Lighthearted fun that’ll have you hooked

As popular as deep, emotive games are, there’s nothing like the simple pleasure of discovering an unapologetically joyous title. Folly of the Wizards doesn’t explore the complexities of life, but it doesn’t need to – it offers fast-paced, high-energy fun that immediately pulls you in. Even if you struggle to play roguelike games, it’s all too easy to find yourself having “one more go”.

It isn’t just the variation of levels and enemies that keeps you coming back for more, it’s the whimsical comedy of the game itself. The title never takes itself too seriously, allowing its players to shape the world around them either by being kind or by making quick-witted quips. You won’t be roaring with laughter, yet the subtle comedic tone will provoke a smile or two.

This isn’t mindless entertainment – you have to stay on your toes lest you die and return to the beginning – but nor is it a chore to play. Players may feel tense trying to make it through unscathed, however, that’s part of Folly of the Wizards’ charm.

Embrace failure and the unknown

Saving the world from demons isn’t an easy job, so it makes sense that failure isn’t just an option, it’s a guarantee. In Folly of the Wizards, permadeath is waiting to kill the clumsy hero and send you right back to the beginning. Well, one of several beginnings thanks to the procedural generation of its dungeons.

It’s a lie to pretend that this isn’t frustrating. However, it also makes the game the entertaining delight it is. What is more, due to its variety across the board, having to start from scratch doesn’t feel like such a kick in the teeth. When one type of enemy proves difficult, you might get lucky and face a different, slightly easier type of enemy during your next run.

There are several biomes to fight your way through, each with its own quirky set of enemies. Some tunnel underground before taking you by surprise, while other enemies will fly about shooting fireballs – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

At least when you clash with these foes, the game will make a note of the monsters you’ve encountered so far, and their weaknesses. For example, some creatures will be weak to water while others are resistant, like in Pokémon.

All of this trial and error also allows you to better understand how combining elements affects your spells. Instead of being limited to one kind of element, you can collect them, with the potential to make a whole new element entirely. Sometimes the combination won’t work, but at least you’ll know for next time.

The way in which Folly of the Wizards slightly changes each time, whether due to the abilities you amass or the character you choose to play as, is yet another string to its bow.

Captivating despite its flaws

Even though there’s a lot to like about this title, it’s not without its faults. This review can’t speak to the Folly of the Wizards Switch controls because a PS5 copy was reviewed; however, the PS5 ones proved difficult to adapt to.

Many games use the X or O button to jump, yet in Folly of the Wizards’ PS5 version, players have to use L1. Perhaps if you’re a veteran roguelike gamer, unlike this reviewer, that button won’t feel so unnatural. Combined with this questionable button choice, the aim sensitivity feels too high; an issue that can’t be changed in the settings.

Accessibility would be vastly improved if players could change the control loadout. Whether that would make it easier to play remains to be seen, though it’s unlikely. Even after you’ve mastered the controls (a term used loosely in this case), the mayhem of Folly of the Wizards ensures you don’t feel like a winner for long.

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