WIELDERS OF THE ESSENCE
WIELDERS OF THE ESSENCE jumped me like a mugger at a dark alley. I was just not ready for it, completely unprepared for the encounter. A cynical side of me, a jaded old man who see corporate greed at every corner would call this game a shameless cash grab. An attempt to maximize profit from existing assets by making a quick and easy filler title - it’s not exactly rocket science to make a Survivor-like horde slayer, right? And, well, it DOES feel like that here and there. But I like to think of myself as a kinder soul, warm and fuzzy, and so believe more that it is more a passion project of fellow dorkmeisters. Of a team of enthusiast in love with the genre who, one bright morning, realized that they can do their own version and make it sing!
I believe that version more because WIELDERS OF THE ESSENCE is just so God damn good. It’s a perfect fit for this blog, really - a small game that is aware of its size, doesn’t try to overstay its welcome by bloating up the pace and still manages to deliver a rapid combo of titillating features that make me go ‘dang, I wish more games had this’. If it is merely a way to make good use of a rich library of assets the little studio have from their great hit that is SONGS OF CONQUEST, they are doing it right.
Now, to the meat the bones. This is, by now, a classic formula. A bullet heaven horde survival with all the usual bits and bobs I am expecting to see. Multiple heroes to guide, a few stages with different biomes and enemies, variety of skills, weapons and tools to craft a build and pre-defined timed runs each time you jump into the fray. What WIELDERS OF THE ESSENCE does a bit different, is adding a base-building incremental meta-progression and a lot of superbly nice systems of flow to each run.
The base building is pretty much just a lovely décor for unlocking new stuff. Spending resources gathered in each run you build dwelling for units, improve magical towers, get your base to a higher tower… It’s a well-known script of spending stuff to get more stuff later. Making sure every following run has a better chance at succeeding due to the growing creep of power level of your champs. And, as usual, it’s just pure fun of a certain kind to see your power level skyrocket, to unleash cascade of powerful spells, filling the screen with shiny lights and lots of damage numbers.
Oh right, spells… So, the game uses its core principles taken from the original material! And the title of the game explains it well. You play as wielders from that funny tribe of Frog-like fellows. Wielder is just a fancy name for a wizard, who taps into the magical essence of living creatures, draw it out and form to cast spells. You also have units following you around, having their own abilities and attacks - as well as being your primary essence batteries, feeding you the energies needed to auto-cast spells. The selection of which is far from vast, with just 3 in 3 schools of magic. But they are all fun to play with and combo well with each other, offering you different tools to fit with your chosen wielder.
Yeah, if you’re reading this and sort of doesn’t feel anything dramatically different to thousand other Survivor-likes out there, I can’t blame you. It’s not a huge game in scope. It’s not terribly innovative in any of its aspects. And yet… Somehow, I cannot put it down. It has its hooks in me, and if I would try to explain why, it would be that LAVAPOTION folks managed to perfect the moment-to-moment of each and every run. There are no dull moments. No slows, no tedium. Map is littered with stuff to pick. Mines and resource spots, beacons of power, arcane totems, treasure chests, shops, blacksmiths… a constant deluge of tiny objectives to rush for. Getting powerful items in shops or chests feels fantastic and can often explode your struggling build into newfound power. Getting a powerful totem boon for 20 seconds can turn a bad situation into an easy save. Finding a Sanctum to bless and level up 3 of your skills is a game-changer - always so coveted to see it.
And after the run is done there’s always something to progress. To improve. To make better. Stronger skills, stronger spells. More troops, upgraded hero. Step by step, bit by bit, you’re scrounging up more and more power, and so every run feels meaningful in its own way. Great stuff.
In short, WIELDERS OF THE ESSENCE has IT. That elusive thing that in older Polish gaming magazines was called ‘miodność’ - honeyness. Playability. Fun Factor. The Spice. The feeling that what you are playing might not be breaking new grounds, might not be robust in scope or wide in gameplay options… And yet is clearly made with obvious passion, vehement love and meticulous attention to details. It is, in fact, Fun as hell and if you’re any kind of fan of this particular genre I would say you’re doing yourself a grave misdeed by not playing this one.
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