Wizardry 8 Review

[baby arm]

The Codex has a lengthy but enjoyable review of Sir-Tech's classic RPG, Wizardry 8.

Of course players are free to disregard statistical complexities and develop characters for flavour (nothing quite like creating a coterie of Gnomish Bards or an all female group and adventuring with them) or just plain fun. Fun, by the by, is present in the game's Personalities. Much like Sir-Tech's Jagged Alliance 2, characters will often speak their minds during a multitude of events, from the standard acknowledgement of orders and enemy sightings, to internal schisms in the party, to party and NPC interactions. While not as indepth as they could have been (ie, the personalities do not dictate what type of interaction will occur, just how party characters will comment on a given event or interaction), they nonetheless provide very amusing reactions. When resurrected, my male Fighter with the Chaotic personality told me all of my dead relatives sent me a big hello, while my Cunning Rogue offered to tell me about the afterlife in exchange for a monetary reward. Each of these personalities has a corresponding soundbite that you can select for a character - two voices for each personality and gender - and most of the voices are pretty good, though a small amount is pretty forgettable.

Read the review here.

[Matri]

I remember playing this. The plot is... a step above what's around now, but it isn't exactly what one would call a cult classic. Character advancement goes beyond experience points, and it's actually not recommended you base your party on their levels. That will just guarantee you a lost game as the lone rat in the beginning dungeon rips your level 99 party into shreds.. And I ain't talking giant, mutant, acid-dripping rat. I'm talking the type you find in pet stores rat. The game scales all encounters based on your character levels so it will always be challenging regardless of what level they are. Your only advantage comes from the individual skills which are raised only by repeated use.

 

That was one of the reasons I couldn't wait to finish it and uninstall it. The other was the ridiculously slow movement speed. On a regular sized map region, it can take anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes to cross, depending on obstacles and not including encounters. Those easily take up to half an hour each.

[FullAuto]

Sounds good! I shall have to give it a crack!

[daredevil]

Wow, if only I had a 5.25" floppy drive to get my Wizardry 7 party off of. My ranger was a crackshot with the Blunderbuss...it'd be a shame not to have him from the start.