Wizardry: The Forsaken Land Preview
We get a hands-on look at Atlus' upcoming RPG.
Sirtech's Wizardry series can definitely be counted among the seminal computer RPG series of the 20th century. It's seen a large number of installments on the PC platform, and some versions of it were even ported to the NES in the early '90s. However, its popularity on console systems was never as strong here as it was in Japan. Its latest incarnation comes courtesy of Japanese developer Racdym, and, in truth, it's more of a long homage to the series than a genuine installment.
Wizardry games have always been strongly built around pen-and-paper fantasy RPG conventions. The characters you play as are based on familiar archetypes, as are the items you use and the monsters you fight. The idea of customization also plays a major role, much more than typical console RPGs allow for. In Wizardry: The Forsaken Land, you can build your main character from the ground up--you can select its race, class, gender, and alignment, as well as distribute points among its attributes. So far as race goes, you have your typical D&D assortment: elves, dwarves, humans, and halflings (or hobbits, as it were). Each race has classes for which it is ideally suited, though you don't have to heed these if you so choose. The classes are also cast from the D&D mold. You have fighters, mages, thieves, and priests at the outset, though as you progress, variations on these become available--classes such as ninjas and bishops. You can also change your class at your leisure and eventually come to acquire a healthy portfolio of professions. Clearly, the game's system is pretty in-depth. It might be a little difficult for fans of console RPGs to get into Wizardry, though, given its notable lack of frills.
The game's story, at any rate, is in keeping with the sorts of things that RPG fans have come to expect. One day, fire begins to rain from the sky, wholly razing the prosperous land of Ruhan. After the Armageddon, an eternal winter ensues, seriously compromising the livelihood of its people. With disaster and famine come monsters, as logic would dictate, and after them (and their treasures) come adventurers. Next thing the world knows, Ruhan is a haven for adventurers seeking to stake their fortunes. The city even has a neighboring labyrinth, which, incidentally, is where you'll spend the bulk of your time in Wizardry. Your character is a new arrival at the game's outset, and you're greeted by a grizzled (but great) swordsman who bears some rather interesting news. As it happens, you fit the description of the hero destined to return Luhan to its former glory. Skeptical as he may be, the warrior realizes he's not one to question the mandate of fate and sets you on your path anyway. You're to assemble a group of similarly valiant heroes, he tells you, and delve into the Ruhan labyrinth to rid the world of the horror that dwells in its depths. You're on it immediately.
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- GameSpot Score8.5great
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- Atlus Co.
- Racdym
- Computer Role-Playing
- Release: Dec 19, 2001 »
- ESRB: Teen
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