Dungeon crawlers rejoice. One of the longest running role-playing series in the history of computer gaming has arrived on Steam. Blurring the line between Dungeons & Dragons and science fiction, Wizardry is the very first game to introduce a sci-fi theme to the genre. The Steam Edition of Wizardry includes Pain of the Cosmic Forge, Crusaders of the Dark Servant and the last Wizardry ever made, Wizardry 8.
The Steam Edition offers an additional bonus – Crusaders of the Dark Servant includes the remastered Gold Edition which was released during the early 90’s for Windows 95. The Gold Edition has remastered SVGA graphics, narrated speech and updated sound effects. This is a step up from the old DOS version, which was released sometime before. This collection is phenomenal; it allows the player to see the progression of the series from its infamous DOS days to its transition to the more modern Windows versions.
Aside from the Gold Edition of Crusaders of the Dark Servant, the other releases run in DOS Box on any version of Windows. The only drawback to the Wizardry Collection is the lack of achievements. I realize this is virtually impossible while using DOS Box, but it would be nice to see an update that would allow these classics to run without it.
Despite the age of these titles, the Wizardry Collection is a great way for gamers to experience the series. The atmosphere and dungeon environments are still unrivaled even to this day. The game contains scripted stories, randomized encounters and battles that you will remember forever.
The Wizardry series has always followed the rules of D&D. For example: instead of being a long-range class like in modern role-playing games, the rogue class actually disarms traps and chests for your party. They can be formidable foes in combat, but their HP is typically limited. Even spellcasters have their limitations and they must stand behind fighters and other melee classes to survive.
The gameplay is a lot different from modern RPGs. Nowadays, role-playing games are about hacking and slashing your way to victory. This is not the case with the Wizardry Collection. It plays by old-school rules and requires more than just a heavy hand with a sword in order to accomplish tasks.
With the Steam Edition of Wizardry finally here, can gamers expect to see Wizardry I, II, III and IV released in the near future to make the Steam Edition the ‘ultimate’ collection of Wizardry? This is definitely something that is on the minds of all Wizardry fans, and hopefully it will happen soon.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Graphics: 3D graphics card or or onboard graphics compatible with DirectX 9.0c
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Hard Drive: 768 MB available space
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 9 compatible card or onboard sound
Developer: Sir-Tech
Publisher: Night Dive Studios
ESRB: N/A
Price: $14.99
Wizardry Steam Edition’s Official Page
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| The classic graphics still look good after all these years (even though some Wizardry games are not true VGA or SVGA). | |
| Sound | |
| While not remastered and very much retro, the sounds are still unique and bring back a lot of memories. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Simply fantastic; turn-based gameplay the way a role-playing game based on Dungeons & Dragons should be. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| This is one collection you should absolutely own. | |
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