Wizorb
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''Wizorb'' is a video game created and published by
Tribute Games Tribute Games is an Independent video game, independent video game development studio located in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded on 9 May 2011 by former Ubisoft employees Jonathan Lavigne, Jean-Francois Major and Justin Cyr who, amongst other ga ...
. It was released on the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
Xbox Live Marketplace Xbox Games Store (formerly Xbox Live Marketplace) was a digital distribution platform previously used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and formerly by the Xbox One. The service allowed users to download or purchase video games (including both Xbox Live Ar ...
on September 29, 2011. The gameplay is a cross between a ''Breakout'' clone and a
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
. ''Wizorb'' was ported to
Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
Mac OS X macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
, and
Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
. It was released for Windows through
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
on March 14, 2012, with added achievements and cloud storage. Upon release, ''Wizorb'' saw favorable reviews from critics, with ''
VentureBeat ''VentureBeat'' is an American technology website headquartered in San Francisco, California. ''VentureBeat'' is a tech news source that publishes news, analysis, long-form features, interviews, and videos. The ''VentureBeat'' company was fou ...
''s Jacob Siegal listing it as one of the top 10 independent video games of 2011.


Gameplay

''Wizorb'' is a cross between ''Breakout'' and a role-playing game. The core of the game takes place in a ''Breakout'' clone where the player can use magic to control the ball and help destroy the bricks and enemies. The RPG elements concern rebuilding a town, restoring its citizens and leadership, and fighting mini-bosses and bosses within the primary block-breaking gameplay.


Development

''Wizorb'' was developed by
Tribute Games Tribute Games is an Independent video game, independent video game development studio located in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded on 9 May 2011 by former Ubisoft employees Jonathan Lavigne, Jean-Francois Major and Justin Cyr who, amongst other ga ...
and first released for the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
through the
Xbox Live Marketplace Xbox Games Store (formerly Xbox Live Marketplace) was a digital distribution platform previously used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and formerly by the Xbox One. The service allowed users to download or purchase video games (including both Xbox Live Ar ...
's
Xbox Live Indie Games Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG; previously called Xbox Live Community Games, XBLCG) were video games created by individual developers or small teams of developers released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games were develop ...
section on September 29, 2011. The game is the first title by the independent developer
Tribute Games Tribute Games is an Independent video game, independent video game development studio located in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded on 9 May 2011 by former Ubisoft employees Jonathan Lavigne, Jean-Francois Major and Justin Cyr who, amongst other ga ...
. ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...
''s Jordan Devore noted that high quality Xbox 360 indie games are often ported to the PC, saying that "''Wizorb'' is one such game". A
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
for Microsoft Windows was released on November 7 of the same year, through the
digital distribution Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of information or materials through digital platforms. The distribution of digital ...
website
GamersGate GamersGate AB (formerly Gamer's Gate) is a Sweden-based online video game store offering electronic strategy guides and games for Windows, macOS, and Linux via direct download. It is a competitor to online video game services such as Steam, GO ...
. The computer version can be controlled by a gamepad, keyboard, or mouse. The entire game can be played using only a mouse, and the developer recommends this method as it "makes ''Wizorb'' rely even more on reflexes which feels great and makes the game a tad easier". Even before the Windows release, the developers were working on porting the game to
Mac OS X macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
and
Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
. The developers considered porting the game to a
smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
platform. Using the
MonoGame MonoGame is a free and open source C# framework used by game developers to make games for multiple platforms and other systems. It is also used to make Windows and Windows Phone games run on other systems. It supports iOS, iPadOS, Android, m ...
programming library, ports were released for OS X and Linux. The Windows version was made available through the
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
digital distribution platform on March 14, 2012. The game was later released for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
on October 6, 2022.


Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms according to the
review aggregation A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. The Xbox 360 and PC versions were rated as one of the top 10 independent video games of 2011 by ''
VentureBeat ''VentureBeat'' is an American technology website headquartered in San Francisco, California. ''VentureBeat'' is a tech news source that publishes news, analysis, long-form features, interviews, and videos. The ''VentureBeat'' company was fou ...
''s Jacob Siegal.


Legacy

Cyrus was supposed to appear as a playable cameo character in the then-upcoming
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...
and PC game '' Hex Heroes'', before the Wii U version was canceled, and there is no indication that the game will ever be completed.


References


External links


Official website
* {{moby game, id=/wizorb 2011 video games Breakout clones Indie games IOS games Linux games MacOS games Microsoft XNA games Nintendo Switch games Ouya games PlayStation Network games PlayStation Portable games PlayStation Vita games Retro-style video games Single-player video games Tribute Games games Video games developed in Canada Windows games Xbox 360 games Xbox 360 Live Indie games