Developer: TopCog
Publisher: Ultimate Games
Platform: Switch, iOS, Android, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Tested on: Switch
Tap Wizard 2 – Review
The original Tap Wizard: Idle Magic Quest flew under our radar when TopCog released it on Android and iOS back in 2018. The same almost happened with its sequel, Tap Wizard 2, when it debuted on those same platforms as well as Steam in May of 2024. Almost, because Ultimate Games decided to port the idle game to Switch and Xbox. Now, historically speaking, games ported by Ultimate Games tend to be hit or miss. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by them before, so we’re hoping that Tap Wizard 2 falls in the ‘hit’ category. Was the game able to cast its spell on us or did we tap out?
Story
We didn’t play the original Tap Wizard, so we’re not entirely sure if and how Tap Wizard 2 ties into the story of that first game. It’s not a big deal either way, as there is very little story to be found here in the first place. Players take control of a wizard that is trying to obtain the Chronosphere, a device that allows the user to rewind time. Our hero is able to secure this trinket, but this unleashes hell as waves upon waves of monsters try to stop the wizard. Right before he dies, the wizard rewinds time, allowing him another chance to fight his way past his enemies. This is, in a nutshell, the plot of Tap Wizard 2, conveniently serving as an explanation of how and why the wizard returns whenever he meets his demise. There is more depth to the lore, as new entries in the bestiary are unlocked throughout the game. It’s a surprisingly fleshed-out world for how simple of a game Tap Wizard 2 is.
Graphics
One of the biggest issues we had with Tap Wizard 2’s visuals was that the game wasn’t very readable at a glance. That’s an issue for a game where the entire point is to watch numbers go up. For some baffling reason, relevant in-game information isn’t visible by default, and you’ll need to go out of your way in the game’s settings to enable seeing things like damage output and the like. Instead, the default settings simply show the wizard fighting his foes without any menus whatsoever. Now, this already looks chaotic, and frankly, the very basic pixel art did very little to impress us. If you can get past the hurdles and have the game display relevant information, you’ll find that icons often look very similar and are still needlessly difficult to distinguish from one another. The only positive thing we have to say about Tap Wizard 2’s visuals is that the performance is good, with no notable frame rate issues.
Sound
Somehow, Tap Wizard 2’s audio is even more underwhelming than the game’s visuals. The sound effects are as generic as they get. When it comes to the soundtrack, however, things are downright annoying. The music is upbeat, but the loop is incredibly short, meaning you’ll have to listen to the same tune over and over again unless you turn off the audio. We understand the reasoning behind this, as the vast majority of players will be running Tap Wizard 2 in the background and will turn the audio off anyway.
Gameplay
The roots of Tap Wizard 2 are unmistakably those of a mobile game. Its gameplay is designed to be as accessible and simple to understand as possible, while also trying to hook players with an addictive gameplay loop. Tap Wizard 2’s concept can be summarized as Vampire Survivors meets idle games, which, on paper at least, sounds like a match made in heaven. In practice, things are less well executed, with the gameplay heavily skewing towards its idle aspects. For a pure mobile game, that’s fine. The idle genre has seen enduring popularity for several decades with good reason. However, we’re looking at a console port of a mobile game here, and the idle formula is far less suited for platforms where actually getting to grips with what’s happening on screen is so fundamental.
As with other idle games, the idea is that Tap Wizard 2 basically plays itself, and that you check in from time to time to see how the titular wizard is getting on as he automatically moves and shoots. Actual interaction with the game is limited by nature, with the vast majority of your time playing being spent on purchasing upgrades. To Tap Wizard 2’s credit, you can actually take direct control of the wizard, although the difference between moving him or simply watching things happen feels negligible. The idea is that the experience and items the wizard picks up in a run are reinvested in future runs, allowing him to survive longer. While Tap Wizard 2 is entertaining for a good couple of minutes, it ultimately feels like a pointless experience, and it left us wondering why we didn’t simply play an actual fleshed-out game instead.
It doesn’t help that the transition from touch-based controls to a controller wasn’t executed particularly well. Instead of being able to navigate the game’s plethora of menus by scrolling or clicking through, in the way most video games handle this, you’re instead forced to use a ridiculously slow cursor. This harms Tap Wizard 2’s already limited interactivity, as the game keeps going while you’re struggling to close the three different menus that just popped up. The idea of an idle game is that you leave it on while you’re doing something else, and that’s fine. However, if the few moments where you actually get to do something turn out to be a chore, then it becomes difficult to care about the 90% of the game where your involvement doesn’t even matter. Things probably fare better when playing with either an actual mouse on PC or on a mobile device. Bafflingly, the Switch port of Tap Wizard 2 doesn’t support touchscreen input. The only reason to pick the game up on a console is that you’re only paying for it once instead of having to tie your progress to microtransactions. Given that you’re getting an inferior version of a free-to-play title, however, we’re inclined to advise you to try it on your phone instead.
Conclusion
As far as idle games go, Tap Wizard 2 isn’t inherently terrible, but it simply isn’t suited for consoles. The poor implementation of controller support is the biggest offender here, but even if that wasn’t an issue, we can’t imagine anyone “playing” this one on a platform that is much better suited for actual gaming, especially when their phone is right there. Our score reflects the nature of this specific port, so take it with a grain of salt. If you’re an idle game fan, you might find more satisfaction with Tap Wizard 2 on mobile or even PC. Even then though, the game doesn’t rise above mediocrity.
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