Wizardry 8 Preview
Our own Desslock takes an early look at the latest entry in this legendary RPG series.
During the 1980s, the RPG genre was dominated by the Ultima, Might and Magic, and Wizardry series. Yet in the early 1990s, each of those legendary series inexplicably stopped production, even though they were creatively and commercially more successful than ever. For years, RPG fans exchanged rumors and theories about the possibilities of new games in these classic series, and eventually that patience was rewarded by more tangible confirmation that each of those series would, in fact, return. The development teams behind the new projects were faced with the unenviable burden of updating the series in a manner that both satisfied existing fans and attracted an even broader audience.
The Might and Magic series was first to respawn with the release of 1998's Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, which was followed by two substantially similar sequels that were each successively less satisfying. In spite of the dated visuals, collectively the games are generally regarded as a largely successful trilogy. RPG fans had to wait longer for the return of the core Ultima series, and most were disappointed with the ironically premature product that was inflicted upon them as Ultima IX: Ascension. While it was disappointing that Ultima IX was initially released in such incomplete, unpolished form, it was even more distressing to veteran fans of the series that the game bore so little resemblance to previous installments.
Now, at last, the Wizardry series is on the verge of being reborn. There are still a few obstacles delaying the game's release including, most notably, the lack of a North American publisher since Sir-Tech Software was closed down several years ago. Developer Sir-tech Canada Ltd. has since inked deals to publish games in its Jagged Alliance series with Take Two and Interplay, but to date a publishing agreement for Wizardry 8 has yet to be announced. The game itself, however, is virtually complete, and the developer has attempted to craft an adventure that is as graphically striking as Ultima IX and yet is as faithful to previous installments in the series as the most recent Might and Magic games have been. Despite those intentions, the extensive period of time the game has spent in development has thwarted the development team's goal of delivering consistently impressive graphics, but Wizardry 8 is definitely very faithful to both the style and the history of the series.
It's actually surprising how extensively the creators of the game have attempted to cater to the veterans of the series. Previous experience with the series isn't required though, and Wizardry newbies should find the game easy to play from the outset because of its excellent interface, but experienced Wizardry players should be particularly impressed by some of this sequel's features. Even though the last core game in the series, Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant, came out as a DOS game in the early 1990s, players are given the option of transferring characters from that game or from its Windows 1995 rerelease, Wizardry Gold. While there may not be many of you who have retained saved games from such a relatively ancient game, the developer has provided some significant incentives, which would make it worthwhile for you to track down your old Wizardry 7 disks. For example, imported characters start the game with additional experience, items, and skills, and the game is customized to reflect the alliances you made during the previous game. While it's not unusual for a role-playing game to feature multiple endings, Wizardry 8 actually features four different beginnings that are dependent upon the faction allegiances formed during Wizardry 7. In order to reward experienced players with a more personalized experience, the developer has admirably gone above and beyond what even veteran fans could reasonably have expected.
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