Wizardry 8

Patience is a virtue, they say, and in the case of Wizardry 8, patience also pays off. Many fellow RPGers and fans of the Wizrardy series had all but given up on Wizardry 8 seeing the light of day - when all of a sudden, like a thief in the night, it stole into the realm of availability. Sir-Tech is back, good friends and gamers, and they haven't forgotten the core RPG values that has given the series such a devoted following.

Wizardry 8 picks up a bit where the series left off, but don't worry, you don't have to have played any of the previous series to enjoy it. If you did though, get those Wizardry VII characters out of storage and get ready to import them! Wizardry 8 has your token fantasy classes such elves, and such, but they also have some more unusual classes such as the Samurai. Overall, there are 11 races and 15 character classes. It can lead to a lot of experimentation, but as many RPGers will know, you can learn a lot more about a character through their numbers than their portraits. Also, because your teams can have such different personalities and abilities, there are a number of (non-linear) paths to follow and different endings to make a substantially long game even longer for the insatiable gamer!

This isn't one of those so-called RPG's where the extent of RPGing is limited to picking up a set of armor or gold coins here and there. It's all about picking your party, building your attributes, and all that fun number crunching you like to do. You'll even see the damage points float above your enemies' heads as you strike them. Combat is turn based, and in case you miss any minor detail, combat history is displayed as it happens in your scrolling text below. Personally, it's kind of nice to have a turn-based battle once in a while. It's sort of a reminder that RPG should really be more like a game of chess rather than a game of rugby. Strategy and order is important - so place those points and players carefully.

Another interesting facet of Wizardry 8 in managing to pull off a blend of traditional fantasy and a sci-fi fantasy while not leaving the gamer feel like either aspect was neglected. I haven't seen that very often in the gaming community - usually the title will learn one way or the other. The familiar Dark Savant returns, or should I say escapes, with a device called the Astral Dominae. Why is this so important? Well, quite simply, it is said to hold the secret of life. You're only one of the parties pursing the Dark Savant, the T'Rang and Umpani are also on the trail. Ultimately, you all seek the same goal, the retrieval of the Astral Dominae. It may sound a bit complicated upon first reading, but once you get into the game - the story flows along nicely.

Graphically, Wizardry 8 is on par with the best 3D RPG's of a couple years ago. Considering the game faced an uncertain future after being in development for about 4 years, this is really nothing to sneeze at. Besides, the graphics are truly clean and well composed, they just seem a tad on the outdated side. Considering most RPGers aren't impressed by eye-candy as much as gameplay (pen-and-paper doesn't have ANY graphics, after all), this shouldn't really dissuade anyone from playing.

But is it fun? That answer is yes, for those of you who love the ins-and-outs of equipping, delegating, arranging, and prioritizing your characters and their abilities. The number of things you can do with your parties and characters seem infinite, and it brings a personal feel to the experience that I haven't experienced in a long time. Once you get the hang of making sure each and every one of your sizeable party has the best goodies as well as are in the optimal placement, it's on to the adventuring. The game is very true to the experience builds "character" formula and it doesn't neglect storyline in the face of number crunching. Enemy AI is also fairly true to the mind of a DM, following a logical and challenging strategy to keep even the veteran gamer on his/her toes.

Replayability? Do I need to even address this issue? With all those character classes, and a game that will take the average gamer an average of 60-80 hours to complete, I don't know that we need to worry about the game-length value of Wizardry 8. However, just in case you've won it and you just can't get enough, there's plenty of different endings and optional side-quests to warrant a replay.

Overall, I believe Wizardry 8 is a dream come true for old-school RPGers, and they will be delighted with a title that gives them many things the industry has been missing. Of course, long time Wizardry fans already knew Sir-Tech had the perfect recipe for a true-blue RPG. Don't blink twice when you open that box and see your game CD's in white paper instead of jewel cases, be happy it's about gameplay and not fancy packaging (if that's not enough, at least be glad paper is biodegradable, you nitpicker!) Let's hope that this isn't the last and that Sir-Tech will remain our favorite dark horse game-maker in years to come!

Install: Easy
Wizardy 8 may take up a bit o' HD space, but it's system specifications allow for a wide range of different computer capabilities.

Gameplay: 9
When all is said and done, Wizardry 8 is probably the closest game to recreating the pen-and-paper RPG experience I've seen in a long time. There's plenty of flexibility to create a diverse and carefully chosen party (and diversity is only one facet that makes Wizardry 8 a class apart). Some newcomers to the genre might find a bit of a learning curve, but overall the control system is set up well for a more complex RPG. It runs fairly smoothly (though Sir-Tech has released a patch for some isolated issues) and the game is well into the 60-80 hour range.

Graphics: 8
The graphics of Wizardy 8 will take you back a couple years. Which is not to say they are bad, and unless you have a stickling for eye-cany, I doubt this will lessen your enjoyment of the game. In the same token, the game is an excellent match to the wide range of computer systems it can be used on.

Sound: 7.5
The sound and voice-overs are pretty average. To be fair, there at least are plenty of different voice types and when scriptwriting comes into play, there is interesting dialogue to follow.

Concept: 8
Wizardry 8 is a pleasing addition to the Wizardry series. It builds on what loyal fans have come to love, and we should all be glad to see Wizardry 8 finally did come to pass.

Overall: 8.5
Wizardry 8 is an old-school RPGer's dream - and for them, I'd give this game a 9.5. You're not going to find a lot of fancy eye candy here - but what you are going to find is an experience that gleans the best from paper-and-pen gaming world geared towards a wide range of system capabilities. Sir-Tech is a game company with a passion for their art and a dedication to their fans!