The first party-based RPG video game ever released, Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord was a direct inspiration to series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

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 groups of challenging enemies, avoid hidden traps, and make your way deeper into the dungeon as you prepare for the ultimate battle: Facing Werdna himself.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord is built directly on top of the original 1981 game's code. Although it looks all new, underneath the hood is the authentic game. You can even view the original Apple II interface as you play.

While the well-known difficulty of the enemies has not been altered, quality-of-life improvements have been added in every area. Party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat have all been significantly enhanced.

If you're just discovering the legendary Wizardry franchise, Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord is the perfect jumping-in point for new players. Series veterans will love the gorgeous new graphics and sound, and the streamlined interface.

In 1981, SirTech released the first game in what would soon become a legendary RPG series -- Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord for the Apple II. As the very first party-based dungeon crawler, it was one of the key games that launched the role-playing genre, directly inspiring enduring series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Demon's Souls.

Digital Eclipse has now licensed the registered Wizardry trademark from Drecom and the copyrights to Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord from SirTech, in order to develop a new version built directly on top of the original Apple II code base. Digital Eclipse's revival preserves the appeal of the classic, with many upgrades for modern role-playing game fans.

The PC version of Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord has been available via Early Access (Steam and GOG) since September 2023, and enthusiastic player feedback contributed to numerous improvements in the final game, including:

• 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 Philips, 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.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC (Steam and GOG) on May 23, 2024.