Wizardry Online

 PC
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 52
  3. Negative: 21 out of 52

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  1. Kyrgsh
    Feb 18, 2013
    4
    I can't give this one anything more than a lukewarm rating. I like the fact that the game doesn't hold your hand in anything, from character creation to combat. However, the presentation of every element in the game is pure 1990s. Even the game's resolution cannot be changed until _after_ a player has created her/his first character. What's more, after changing from 1024*768, you have toI can't give this one anything more than a lukewarm rating. I like the fact that the game doesn't hold your hand in anything, from character creation to combat. However, the presentation of every element in the game is pure 1990s. Even the game's resolution cannot be changed until _after_ a player has created her/his first character. What's more, after changing from 1024*768, you have to exit _all the way out of the game_ to apply it. Then after basic "tutorial quests" that involve _running back and forth_ to a handful of NPCs and hit the "Enter" key several times, you're thrown into a tutorial dungeon where monsters die after a few hits. OK, fair enough. But once the tutorial is done, you immediately receive a quest to visit the first real dungeon, wherein you are faced with zombies and beetles that take _literally 20 or 30 hits each to kill_. The _beetle_ has twice or three times as many HP as you do. Fortunately, though, it only hits for 1 HP of damage. So the first real combat in the entire game involves facing off against bags of hit points, who do almost no damage but take forever to kill. Lest this be seen as too easy (albeit boring), the zombies in the same dungeon hit for 10-20% of your max HP each time.

    Face it, even if you appreciate the "hardcore" elements in the game, even if you are happy knowing that your stats might _decrease_ each time you level (yes, you read that right), there seems to be little _enjoyment_ built into the experience. Might it open up and become more fun at higher levels? Possibly. I'd even keep my fingers crossed for it. But who would willingly _waste their time_ fighting through the early levels to get there?

    I wish the game the best of luck. For what it's worth, the game was almost immediately removed from Steam- by the publisher- because of its buggy release. That was over two weeks prior to this review- yet the game is still not deemed worthy of being put back on Steam. And, again, that was the _publisher's_ decision.    … Expand
  2. JamieLee
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    When the game works it doesn't. Permadeath is a lie, Hardcore is a lie. PVP is a joke. Fighter simply pulls out spear and spams attack button. Mage just levels earthquake and kills people at the AH. All the while guards walk by oblivous. Then you buy an item on the AH only to not recieve it but lose the money. Too many hacks, bots, cheats in a game with only a few thousand players and soWhen the game works it doesn't. Permadeath is a lie, Hardcore is a lie. PVP is a joke. Fighter simply pulls out spear and spams attack button. Mage just levels earthquake and kills people at the AH. All the while guards walk by oblivous. Then you buy an item on the AH only to not recieve it but lose the money. Too many hacks, bots, cheats in a game with only a few thousand players and so many bugs and broken/missing components. These idiots can't even refine the language filter on a game that is rated M. I can say "piss" in game but not "but its" aka it reads it as "bu* **s". It doesn't even deserve any more depth than what i have given.… Expand
  3. RockFrozenKoala
    Apr 13, 2013
    0
    Blast from the past, but terribad game. Lolz at cash shop. Asian game charging us 5 times the price of stuff compared to their local version? Shame Sony, Shame.
  4. Mordread
    Feb 18, 2013
    0
    The game feels like an alpha version, the controls feel a little sluggish, the graphics are awful and the game feels incomplete. The game has some pretty cool concepts unfortunately I was unable to even try any out. The rubber-banding or warping makes the game unplayable, my character teleports around like crazy. The game feels like a game from the previous century. Its a shame as thisThe game feels like an alpha version, the controls feel a little sluggish, the graphics are awful and the game feels incomplete. The game has some pretty cool concepts unfortunately I was unable to even try any out. The rubber-banding or warping makes the game unplayable, my character teleports around like crazy. The game feels like a game from the previous century. Its a shame as this could possibly be worth playing if done properly. I played for about 10 minutes and subsequently deleted the game. I have tried many free MMOs and this is unfortunately the worst.

    There are also connection issues where logging in can take up to 30 minutes.    … Expand
  5. RoniYiu
    Apr 13, 2013
    0
    Pros: Anime style RPG, Wizardry franchise.

    Cons: Dated graphics, clunky controls, Permadeath is not possible unless you choose to terminate yourself permanently. Definately not "hardcore" as advertised. P2W with healing potions that heal you to 80% full health instantly, only purchasable with cash, no in game alternative. The worst thing is the US version cashshop charges around 4    Pros: Anime style RPG, Wizardry franchise.

    Cons: Dated graphics, clunky controls, Permadeath is not possible unless you choose to terminate yourself permanently. Definately not "hardcore" as advertised. P2W with healing potions that heal you to 80% full health instantly, only purchasable with cash, no in game alternative.

    The worst thing is the US version cashshop charges around 4 times the price for the same items compared to the Jap version. This has turned many people away.

    Forums is a ghost town, EU server is dead, and US server capacity always under 5% of total.

    To be fair, Sony make some great games, but this is a embarassment to their list.

    I dislike writing such a negative review, but this has been a disappointment to almost all but the most die hard fans of the Wizardry series.

    Gl hf, whichever game you play!    … Expand
  6. Mutantpanda
    Apr 13, 2013
    0
    Regret downloading this rubbish. Recently there seems to have been a trend in reviving old game games, but most of the ones revived have been nothing more than bad games trying to milk fans nostalgia love of that franchise. Wizardry stands out among these as the possibly most mediocre of the lot to date.

    Avoid this. Thank me later.

    Guaranteed contender for worst games of 2013.
  7. Airyfairy
    Apr 13, 2013
    0
    Lesson learned. If my friends say it's bad, but review sites say give it the benefit of the doubt; listen to my friends next time. Complaints reg game in their forums and everywhere else are valid. Not worth the download if you have a quota on your internet.

    Review sites give it around 50%, They were being over generous out of respect to Sony imo.
  8. TheUnbeholden
    May 2, 2013
    1
    Worst most boring tutorial I've ever seen. A little hint to the devs, the best tutorial are the ones that explain stuff quickly & summarised way as you play the game. Not have this long drawn out dialogue and lots of cutscenes that you can't skip & then go into a little tedious story quest that tells us nothing., hand holding warnings so you don't accidentally walk into a room with traps.Worst most boring tutorial I've ever seen. A little hint to the devs, the best tutorial are the ones that explain stuff quickly & summarised way as you play the game. Not have this long drawn out dialogue and lots of cutscenes that you can't skip & then go into a little tedious story quest that tells us nothing., hand holding warnings so you don't accidentally walk into a room with traps. It took literally 26 minutes to get to any actual fighting.. imagine how long it would have taken if I had read all 40+ text boxes that spammed me on the way there! The combat so far is mediocre.
    The banter/dialogue is amateurish and actually immersion breaking.

    Saying that there is no voice acting is almost nitpicky compared to how terrible the actual game is. It makes other MMO's look amazing in comparison. Which is sad considering that most are terrible.
    good things to say about it... it looks half-way decent    … Expand
  9. Eslake
    Sep 18, 2013
    1
    Simply put, this game is a perfect example of how to fail at game creation.
    Shoddy animations (looks like something from the 90s), very limited character customization, NPC text that looks like a 3rd grader wrote it, rehashed mechanics from games that failed over a decade ago, ...

    Honestly, I have seen better quality games from Individual Amateurs using free game engines.
  10. HandsomeThief
    Nov 30, 2013
    1
    It's kind of funny that I recognize the people giving the positive ratings below me. And they're friends too. Interesting, huh?
    Anyway. The problem with Wizardry Online is that it is NOT a Wizardry game. It doesn't even come close to actual Wizardry. Pick up an emulator, try any Wizardry between 1 and 5, and you'll realize these games were very unforgiving. You would find yourself very    It's kind of funny that I recognize the people giving the positive ratings below me. And they're friends too. Interesting, huh?
    Anyway. The problem with Wizardry Online is that it is NOT a Wizardry game. It doesn't even come close to actual Wizardry. Pick up an emulator, try any Wizardry between 1 and 5, and you'll realize these games were very unforgiving. You would find yourself very surprised if more than 5 people beat Wiz 5 without cheating or save states.
    During the PS2 era, Wizardry began to be adopted by a different group altogether: the Japanese. While Wizardry: Tale of a Forsaken Land (PS2) was difficult, it was not exactly unforgiving as you were allowed to do things like.. save. Over the years, Japanese Wizardry developers became more and more forgiving, and what you have now is Wizardry Online. And it SUCKS.

    Notable differences between just about every other Wiz game and Wiz Online:

    - Permadeath was a high chance. You could easily lose your characters trying to resurrect them. And if your whole party died in the labyrinth, they were going to lay there in corpses; you would actually have to make another party and find them later. In Wizardry Online, you have to be a moron to lose your character. It's almost impossible.
    - First person view. This is non-negotiable, and definitely should been the only way of seeing things in Wizardry Online.
    - ONE LABYRINTH. PERIOD. There shouldn't be a lot of dungeons, especially when this game boasts PvP! Pay attention, silly developers! THE MORE AREAS YOU ADD, THE LESS PVP WILL OCCUR. Especially when each dungeon has ~20 channels that you can choose from. Make ONE big dungeon that should be nearly impossible to get to the lowest levels.
    - And finally, if you're going to make a Wizardry MMO focused on PvP... do not make it with stupid RPG elements like skill-trees. Actual skill should be necessary. If you're an archer, aim your arrows. Mage? Aim your fireballs. Why would a thief be able to stab someone's back better than a masculine manly man with a great big sword? Here's a thought. Make the thief STEAL THINGS. lol. Like the staff out of a mage's hands when he's trying to cast a spell. Something!

    Anyway, in summation, the devs failed and the player base enabled this failure. Knock it off, and make them go back to the drawing board and create a real Wizardry game.    … Expand
  11. Dartflght
    Apr 10, 2014
    0
    The thing with this game is... its fckin **** Graphics outdated, Horrible dialogues and the worst AI I´ve ever seen in my entire life. To everyone expecting this game to be "Hardcore", well it kinda is hardcore to play this game longer then 30min without getting cancer. Its a disgrace for every game claiming to be hardcore. Eventhough it is free to play its not worth a single mb on anyones HDD.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. CD-Action
    Apr 5, 2013
    60
    Will the thrill provided by permadeath be enough to keep people playing this new Wizardry that is not really a Wizardry? [CD-Action 04/2013, p.72]
  2. GameSpot
    Mar 14, 2013
    55
    Wizardry Online is jagged around the edges, but manages to pull off a few interesting tricks.
    Read full review
  3. 4P.de
    Feb 22, 2013
    55
    Even though it carries a venerable name and promotes hardcore mechanics Wizardry Online is just a very ordinary frumpy roleplaying game.
    Read full review
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