What’s better than a game with wizards? A game with wizards using guns, and this is exactly what the aptly named Wizard with a Gun delivers. Devolver Digital shoots another zany game our way alongside developer Galvanic Games sometime later this year, but we don’t need to wait for a sneak peek – there’s a single-player demo available on Steam right now!
Wizard with a Gun is an odd one to categorise: a 2D isometric rouge-lite action-adventure sandbox with a shooter and crafting elements that can be played single or with up to 4 players in online co-op.

It’s a lot to take in, but that’s exactly why it works. From the moment the glorious opening cutscene started, I knew I was in for a good time. Animations are dynamic, vibrant, and stylized with exactly the right amount of cartoon charm. The Last Bard dons his guitar and sings a morbidly delightful recount of the collapse. Fusing Wild Western, Sci-fi, and a smattering of Post-Apocalyptic grittiness, Wizard with a Gun does hybrid genres justice in every way.

My outlaw started with nothing but a wizard hat and the snazzy cowboy threads I chose during character creation from a lovely wardrobe selection. Once suitably attired, I wound up in The Shatter, a world devastated by chaos, and it’s pretty clear I arrived at the right time. A local gives the rundown and decides, “Heck, let’s give that wizard a gun.” Thus, my gun-totin’ wizard set off blasting many a crate, barrel, and hostile until I arrived home sweet home.

The Tower lies in-between realms – a dimension where time stands still and is seemingly safe from chaos. This space is the base of operations for building, crafting, and upgrading. The place needed some sprucing up, so after a quick squiz of various damaged bits and bobs using the “First Edition”, a handy guidebook, I became acquainted with the Chronomancer’s Wheel.

This mechanism is the key to putting the world back together again, turning back time temporarily resets the worlds beyond the gateways to their former glory. Using this gateway, I set swiftly off into the wilderness beyond in search of a way to put the world back together.

Wizard with a Gun’s 2D isometric view massively helped during exploration, giving me a decent overhead view of my surroundings. The wilds are populated with pretty basic things – trees, rocks, and the occasional small campsite or ruins. In the demo, I was only able to visit forest zones, but on release, each run is a randomised biome, including snow, grass, and desert regions. The remains of the world remind me of Bastion, by Supergiant Games, with incomplete tiled ground seemingly breaking off into some kind of void space.

Likewise, it’s somehow able to be falling apart and still oddly stunning. The world and its inhabitants are cute and have this strange gloomy charm that stands out – even the trees look whimsical. Colours are vivid but in deeper tones. Luckily, everything is defined with heavy black outlines, and some fireplaces and glowing plants provided subtle and effective mood lighting.

My goal in this forest was simple: brave the dangerous wilds, gather resources, spells, and crafting recipes, and return to base before time runs out. Crafting is key to progression. From making outfits that are fashionable and functional, providing perks and resistances, to making weapons, ammo, and furnishings. By some bizarre form of wizardry, I even crafted the Worldbuilder, a gun that literally builds ground tiles to walk on, but unfortunately for the demo, I didn’t get to fully test its powers.

On the topic of power, guns are the most valuable asset, being the only way to combat enemies and destroy objects holding valuable crafting resources. Ammo requires thoughtful resource management in order to get in and out alive and supplied within the 5-minute time limit. Arcana and guns create a potent mix of magical and lethal when faced with rift fiends and bandits. Combat is fun and requires a decent amount of focus on attack patterns and dodging, but what I was really there for was the bullet types. I enjoy a good AOE attack, so making multiple types of ammo to alter trajectory, radius, and effect fed my chaotic nature. I can only imagine how glorious it will feel with a full-on loadout of guns and ammo.

I enjoyed my time as a lone wanderer, especially thanks to the calming, western-inspired guitar riffs accompanying my travels. Once an enemy had me in their sights, the music weaved seamlessly into intense drumming before falling back into a lull when it was all clear. There were no issues mastering my gunslinger – keybindings are intuitive and responsive. Everything ran smoothly and load times were minimal, leaving more time to enjoy the game in relative solitude.

Easy to pick up and hard to put down, Wizard with a Gun is something to look forward to. The demo was just a glimpse of what was to come, taking me around an hour to complete the preview’s boss. I got the basic gist of the gameplay loop but I was left wanting to see more of the crafting mechanics – especially base building. I had fun playing solo, but for me, this seems like a game best played with friends. There are still a lot of unknowns of what lies ahead, and I’m keen to see where it goes.

While a release date is yet to be revealed, Wizard with a Gun will be released sometime this year on PC, Xbox X/S, and PS5, and I can’t wait to get back to it – and next time, I’ll be bringing my wizard crew with me.

Written by: Yasmin Noble