Wizardry 8

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 106
  3. Negative: 11 out of 106
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  1. AJH
    Sep 23, 2009
    10
    Sirtech ended with a bang, and a big one. The Wizardry series relates to 80s and 90s games fans through first person view and a small amount of 8-bit graphics and has a secret dungeon that that uses all 8-bit graphics and turn-by-turn movement. I give this a 10/10 for a remarkable story line and exelent gameplay.
  2. Awanka
    May 2, 2021
    9
    A masterpiece. I just finished this game today on 3/31/2021 and many gameplay mechanics are novel even by today's standards. Considering the time it was released, this was a revolutionary RPG. Movement in the game is freeform and real-time while combat is turn-based, reminding me a bit of Might and Magic 6. I love the level of detail that went into all aspects of the game. You can seeA masterpiece. I just finished this game today on 3/31/2021 and many gameplay mechanics are novel even by today's standards. Considering the time it was released, this was a revolutionary RPG. Movement in the game is freeform and real-time while combat is turn-based, reminding me a bit of Might and Magic 6. I love the level of detail that went into all aspects of the game. You can see packs of enemies at a distance, and they act realistically. They're not aware until they see you, and when they spot you, they start heading in your direction. Encounter design is very good. Monsters scale to your level, but it's not the lazy scaling of older Elder Scrolls games. You come across stronger monster types as you level up. The game is quite difficult, and for the first half of the game, I was regularly coming across monsters that would stomp all over me. It made the world feel dangerous and exciting. The dungeons are creative, and excellently designed. They feel organic to your adventure, and not just dungeon_1234. They also make great use of verticality and puzzle-solving.

    Story is "meh."    … Expand
  3. Rastrelly
    Dec 11, 2010
    10
    Wizardry 8 is a last shard of an Era of old-school RPG. In the times, when BioWare was beginning to replace good-old RPG by character-centred ones, Wizardry 8 looks like a relic from the glorious past. And this relic still can do it!

    Really hard fights - especially on high levels (both of characters and gameplay), when you can meet a group of casters and fighters. Such encounters require    Wizardry 8 is a last shard of an Era of old-school RPG. In the times, when BioWare was beginning to replace good-old RPG by character-centred ones, Wizardry 8 looks like a relic from the glorious past. And this relic still can do it!

    Really hard fights - especially on high levels (both of characters and gameplay), when you can meet a group of casters and fighters. Such encounters require a deep understanding of gameplay mechanics, character abilities, weak spots of both your squad and enemies.

    Really epic possibility to create endless set of character combinations (lots of classes, lots of races, and each combo really influences gameplay style): a squad of wizards or fighters, or a mixed dream-team? They all can reach the final, but, possibly, some of them - with MUCH more troubles.

    Stylish! Long time ago forgotten idea of mix of hardcore sci-fi and sword-and-sorcery fantasy (nowadays replaced with Asian idea of "let's draw lots of nice stuff and not even try to explain why the heck this all is lying in one pile") looks brutally elegant. Giant metal constructions and starships of space empires are placed along with giant trees of spiritualist squirrels, monks, fish psionics... Ah, good old sci-fi!

    Elegant ending of epic story. The game everyone must play to see how it was before, and to understand - these games have placed the base for modern concept of RPG. Sometimes I miss such games, their endless replayability and solid foundation.    … Expand
  4. scruggsy
    May 29, 2012
    10
    The swan song of the old-school RPG. Where its peers like Might and Magic and Ultima went out with a whimper, the Wizardry series did it with a triumphant bang. There's a decent story which wraps up the trilogy neatly, but the game's focus is on its rich tactical combat system and deep character customization. The interface is finely polished, the multitude of character races and classesThe swan song of the old-school RPG. Where its peers like Might and Magic and Ultima went out with a whimper, the Wizardry series did it with a triumphant bang. There's a decent story which wraps up the trilogy neatly, but the game's focus is on its rich tactical combat system and deep character customization. The interface is finely polished, the multitude of character races and classes nearly perfectly balanced, and the voice acting by turns quirky, uproarious, and endearing. An absolute classic.… Expand
  5. Rudboy66
    Sep 17, 2013
    9
    If you're a classic CRPG gamer, and you like turn based combat and have tolerance to "dated graphics"..then go out and buy this now! (Steam has it for $9.99) I am a late comer to this title but I picked it up and loaded it and haven't looked back. A great adventure in high fantasy along with GREAT turn based combat system.

    The characters are complex and spending your bonus points    If you're a classic CRPG gamer, and you like turn based combat and have tolerance to "dated graphics"..then go out and buy this now! (Steam has it for $9.99) I am a late comer to this title but I picked it up and loaded it and haven't looked back. A great adventure in high fantasy along with GREAT turn based combat system.

    The characters are complex and spending your bonus points correctly requires some research and reading, but the gameplay is just so rewarding. If you like classic RPG gaming then this is a no brainer!    … Expand
  6. CoSm1c_gAm3r
    Apr 6, 2015
    10
    I think that it is the best RPG turn based game EVER!
    It was fun to play and I may be wrong but this is first game that had iron made mode. At least for me it was first game with this feature :)
    To bad that this company is not making more games :(
    Jagged Alliance creators come back!!!! :D
  7. Lecundra
    Jun 21, 2014
    9
    Truly amazing and well-polished old school RPG. While Might and Magic went the way of FPS-styled RPG, Wizardry stayed true to the format and delivered a game that is well-designed and engaging.
  8. Ogbek
    May 25, 2015
    7
    There are a lot of good things about Wizardry 8. It allows you to create up to 6 core party members. (You have two more slots for NPCs.) It has a lot of variety of races and classes. The spell list is extensive and the tactical combat is fairly deep. It is an old series, built upon a very free-wheeling mixture of science fiction and fantasy -- strangely refreshing in comparison to theThere are a lot of good things about Wizardry 8. It allows you to create up to 6 core party members. (You have two more slots for NPCs.) It has a lot of variety of races and classes. The spell list is extensive and the tactical combat is fairly deep. It is an old series, built upon a very free-wheeling mixture of science fiction and fantasy -- strangely refreshing in comparison to the narrower tropes of many of today's RPGs. The high-level plot isn't terribly deep, but it does not compare unfavorably to more modern RPGs.

    It is a hard game -- brutally hard on "normal", and not remotely easy on "novice". "Save early, save often" is the mantra to live by with this game. Whether that is bad or good depends on what you are looking for, but you want to go in with your eyes wide open. Wizardry is not forgiving of mistakes.

    Depth is a double-edged sword. Unless you research extensively, you _will_ make mistakes in your initial party design. Depending on how big those mistakes are, you may later be frustrated. The difficulty is made worse by the Wizardry's depth -- the ideal party for the beginning of the game will not be ideal in mid-game, and the ideal party for the end will again be different.

    So, that's the good. The bad: There are continuously wandering monsters in many zones (especially initially, but they _do_ respawn). These fights are hard, and you can easily go from one fight to another, depleted, with no hope of winning it. Sometimes you can run away, but that isn't always an option. At times, it feels like an endless grind. The story is often lost in the mix -- Wizardry relies heavily on this mechanic, and the gameplay can be extremely repetitive. It can get boring.

    If Wizardry is old-school in a lot of good ways, it's also old-school in some bad ways. The parties of wandering monsters you face often make no sense. There is no sense of story there, no explanation of how this fits into a bigger picture. You can loot NPCs' chests without consequences. Unlike more modern RPGs, there is comparatively little sense of character, of interpersonal story. It's a game built around tactical combat with a thin leavening of plot.

    In the end, the repetitive game-play and paper-thin characterization make it hard for me to give it more than a 7. If these aren't problems for you, you may enjoy it more.    … Expand
  9. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    9
    I was eagerly awaiting this game. I still consider its precedessor (Wizardry 7) to be one of the best RPGs ever made if not the best. Wizardry 8 brought me countless hours of immersive and fun game-play. I did fell for the turn-based RPGs of this style because of how much it resembled pen&paper gameplay and because of the strategy element. I played it recently and it was still good. TheI was eagerly awaiting this game. I still consider its precedessor (Wizardry 7) to be one of the best RPGs ever made if not the best. Wizardry 8 brought me countless hours of immersive and fun game-play. I did fell for the turn-based RPGs of this style because of how much it resembled pen&paper gameplay and because of the strategy element. I played it recently and it was still good. The story was nice, the atmosphere was still there. It also had a very good difficulty curve. The game had few problems resulting from the combat design, but there haven't been very much significant. I still think this game is one of the best in the genre.… Expand
  10. AdamG.
    Jan 1, 2006
    1
    This game was far too linear. Combat was so bad it was nearly broken, hordes and hordes of unavoidable monsters in long drawn out turn based combats, some of which took up to half an hour, seriously!. I also don't like sci fi in my rpgs.
  11. Amig
    Jun 19, 2012
    9
    A truly unique game combining good ole school dungeon crawling and phase-based combat with modern 3D graphics and sound. Everything in this game, from the (huge!) world design to the voice acting is top notch, and to this day it remains one of the best cRPGs in video game history. It's just too bad it went by so unnoticed, and that there's no hope for a sequel.
  12. Topfpflanze
    Feb 3, 2020
    4
    If you play it today it's so terrible old school you can only watch in terror. Every fight or action has to be prepared, everyone takes his best weapons for the fight, the people in background prepare their buffs, the wizards learn their spells, and voila, the single level 1 cockroach is dead. Or the chest is opened without touching it, it took only 20 nights resting. When you start theIf you play it today it's so terrible old school you can only watch in terror. Every fight or action has to be prepared, everyone takes his best weapons for the fight, the people in background prepare their buffs, the wizards learn their spells, and voila, the single level 1 cockroach is dead. Or the chest is opened without touching it, it took only 20 nights resting. When you start the game it looks hard but promising, but after a while you find out it remains like that: It's a battle between the player and the rules, and the rules don't like you having fun.… Expand
  13. night4
    Nov 1, 2016
    10
    While it's true that the graphics are sub-optimal, everything else is amazing and makes it a 10. What other game has so many great unique classes (ninja, samurai, bishop, gadgeteer, etc)?

    This is one of the best party creation RPG's ever made, if that's what you're looking for.
  14. D.M.
    Mar 14, 2002
    10
    It's fantastic!
  15. RogerB.
    Aug 15, 2007
    10
    This an ultimate labor of love from defunct Sir-Tech. It's one of the best statistics RPG ever. The world is huge, the settings interesting and the sheer amount of depth provided by a great time-tested class system is amazing (Wizardry had time to develop a very solid system in the past 20 years!). A must have!
  16. DannyC.
    Sep 16, 2007
    10
    One of my all time favorite RPGs. The character creation is very well made with lots of classes, skills and customization allowing lots of replay value. That combined with tactical combat makes this game a real pleasure to fight monsters. I was impressed at the amaount of voice acting this game has, all characters scrips are voiced! The atmosphere and NPCs add a unique taste to the game One of my all time favorite RPGs. The character creation is very well made with lots of classes, skills and customization allowing lots of replay value. That combined with tactical combat makes this game a real pleasure to fight monsters. I was impressed at the amaount of voice acting this game has, all characters scrips are voiced! The atmosphere and NPCs add a unique taste to the game making it interesting to expolre the world of Wizardry 8. Too bad Sir-tech went bankrunpt after leaving this wonderful game.… Expand
  17. Joe
    Nov 22, 2002
    10
    The first RPG series ever! First game was released in 1980 for the Apple II computer. So, it really isn't strange that this is the best RPG ever.
  18. Suicide
    Apr 12, 2002
    10
    Not only worth the wait, but I am hoping that this is not the last hurrah for the series! A true masterpiece for even the Werdna fans!
  19. hwanin
    Sep 17, 2021
    9
    I played it long years ago, and I played it many years after its initial release, but I remember it as a good title. I never played the previous episodes of this game though.
    There are not so many games I played through more than 1 time and this is one of those few.
    Considering its age, its game mechanics are still great and the graphics are alright (3D). The whole game is    I played it long years ago, and I played it many years after its initial release, but I remember it as a good title. I never played the previous episodes of this game though.
    There are not so many games I played through more than 1 time and this is one of those few.

    Considering its age, its game mechanics are still great and the graphics are alright (3D).

    The whole game is turn-based, but between fights, it's unlocked as far as I can remember.
    The problem occurs when you don't want to engage someone and the opponents presence locks the game to the strict turn-based state and it can be annoying.

    Cleverly placed save-games help a lot...    … Expand
  20. atomlord
    Jan 1, 2020
    9
    Не стареющая классика, к ознакомлению всем кто не обращает внимания на устарелую графику. Потрясающая ролевая система, десятки часов геймплея. Из минусов - встречаются баги, утомляюще затянуты сражения со спавнящимися противниками.Не стареющая классика, к ознакомлению всем кто не обращает внимания на устарелую графику. Потрясающая ролевая система, десятки часов геймплея. Из минусов - встречаются баги, утомляюще затянуты сражения со спавнящимися противниками.
  21. nibbaplz
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    10/10 will play again. truly a industry-defining gaming up there with the best.
  22. folmas
    Aug 14, 2023
    7
    the first game that introduced me to the world of old school RPGs. Quite original.
  23. BrutalPlayer
    May 12, 2022
    10
    I played this game thru some time ago. Destroying Dark Savant was not pleasurable because he kinda died too fast. But this is like the only downside. The game was a masterpiece in every possible way. Music was great, atmosphere was great, combat was engaging (TURN BASED!), story was fun too.

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PC Game of 2001
29
#29 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
30
#30 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Computer Games Magazine
    90
    One of the most enjoyable parts of the game lies in crafting and later developing your party.
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  2. Adrenaline Vault
    80
    Even the most jaded fans of the series should be delighted with the enormous strides in quality Sir-Tech took with this title.
    Read full review
  3. Gamezilla!
    78
    The game in many ways is an anachronism, with gameplay little changed from earlier versions of Wizardry, and marred by some truly awful 2D/3D renderings.
    Read full review
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