Wizardry 8

If you enjoy traditional RPGs, this is a truly exceptional game. Graphics will be dated, but Wiz8 is one of the handful of games where story, combat, strategy, challenges, and concept totally override any lack in graphics. This is simply a great party-based RPG. Nonetheless, don't waste a dime if you are a casual RPGer and like linear, scripted games in the Arcania Dungeon Siege 3, or Diablo 3 variety. First of all, there are no pretty bubbles telling you what to loot or where to go. Most of all, you will not survive the combat with the first spiders in the basement, and when you hit the Arnika road you will be WAY over your head. Wiz8 has very tough combat that makes you really think through your strategy and tactics. If you survive Arnika, you will give up totally when you discover the Tanto wasps! :-) There are several mods for Wiz8. Most are not needed. There is one worth tracking down that fixes an annoying glitch in end-of-combat flagging that is worth chasing down. Given turn-based combat, if an enemy is retreating, you can have times it takes 5 minutes for them to get out of range enough for you to exit combat and continue. But if you like a beautifully designed RPG challenge, plan on keeping track of things, remembering quest dialogs, and solving some fun puzzles. This is a game that you will love!

There are only a very few game I carry over to every new pc I own, and Wizardry is amongst them. For me, this game is the pinacle of the rpg genre, a desing masterpiece both in its mechanics and story. Every year or two, when I have fed up with the "modern" rpgs which feature health mana and identical special abilities, I return to this game and rediscover how much better it is than any other game I ever met. From my holy trinity of Baldur gate, Might and Magic and Wizardry this is my favorite for its outstanding skill and spell system and very tactical combat. If you managed to finish this truely epic game, I highly recommend to check out its mods, which adds a lot to the gameplay and hosted by a small but very helpfull community. If you manage to beat the game with two characters on Ironman mode you will find real challanges with Dodd's mod and if you are looking for dozens of hours of new gameplay try reforged 1.1 mod. If you love turn based rpgs and epic stories I guarantee you will not even start any other game for several months.

The biggest problem that does exist is the combat speed (search "Wiz8fast" problem fixed). 11 races & 15 classes to choose from provides more options than your traditional RPG's of the past/present. Some compare this to Might & Magic, but Wiz8 keeps my attention far more than any M&M has. To debunk some misconceptions of other reviews: 1. There are more NPCs out there than people have led on to believe 2. Reading/Exploration/Searching is key (any oldschool CRPG). How somebody was unable to move the main quest w/o looking it up is ??? 3. The game doesn't hold your hand. But you won't need a walkthru. A quest journal is provided for a reason (see #2). Any newer CRPG players out there, just use your head, not the internet; it'll be much more enjoyable/satisfying 4. The only grind I found w/ the game is acquiring gold to buy from Antone 5. Monsters do scale as you level. IMHO, this keeps the game challenging. Arnika Road is tough after completing the Monastery. Stay clear of the Hogar! You can pick & choose your battles; running/hiding isn't cowardly. Use the terrain to your advantage...it can turn the tide of a difficult battle 6. Respawning monsters can be cumbersome, but a necessary evil 7. Free-roam for the most part 8. Characters transfer Wiz6-->Wiz7-->Wiz8. Your decisions in the previous game, determines the start in the next 9. Voice acting, character development, music are all great! Choosing a personality & voice for your characters is a breath of fresh air

Is it to complete the game? is it to fight? Is it to just get the game over with? If so, this game isn't for you. This is a really, really good game which sometimes takes a beating from those who play games to complete them or to play and quickly move on to the next game. This game should be played day after day, explored, worked out, figured out, and absorbed. It's not to be played with a walk-through in your lap. It is something else.

This one continues and concludes the trilogy started with Wizardry 6. There are also a few good mods available for this game. Make sure you google for *Cosmic Forge* editor and Wizardry forum on postcount dot net!