Wizards & Warriors

 PC
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
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  1. IGN
    84
    Comes about as close to tabletop RPGing as any computer RPG we've ever played.
  2. PC Gameworld
    81
    The game does revolutionize the genre by bringing it into 3D successfully. It also offers over 150 hours of alternate reality, to help you escape the doldrums of everyday life. In that, the game is a winner.
  3. Happy Puppy
    80
    It's an addictive game that'll have you hacking away at brigands, toad men, evil priests, and even the occasional minor gaming bug.
  5. Gamer's Pulse
    78
    It's a good idea for a story but it has been overdone to death.
  6. Gamezilla!
    78
    The extra time it took to get it to market makes it look and feel outdated. It also suffers from technical problems with its 3D graphics support.
  7. Armchair Empire
    75
    The visuals are just too dated and will be tough for some to swallow and the unintuitive controls can be a real pain.
  8. Daily Radar
    75
    Its lack of originality only adds to its charm.
    All this publication's reviews
  9. GameZone
    75
    The gamer interface is awkward and does not allow for, initially, a quick grasp of the program.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best PC Game of 2000
88
#88 Most Discussed PC Game of 2000

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
  1. AnonymousMC
    Aug 22, 2008
    2
    Even for its time, Wizards & Warriors was horribly sub-par in virtually every respect. Problems during development were never ironed out, evenEven for its time, Wizards & Warriors was horribly sub-par in virtually every respect. Problems during development were never ironed out, even over the 4 years it took for the game to finally see a release.

    The first thing of note is the very old graphics and graphic style of the game. You might be thinking, well, that's what games looked like in 2000. You'd be wrong and the lackluster visual aspect of the game was a major complaint by most even at the time of release. The game had taken so long to develop, and had such a poor and archaic visual style even from the beginning, that it simply never was revised and updated to become competitive in a market with RPG's such as Baulder's Gate. Not even close.

    The game play, combined with an equally archaic interface, was and is tedious right from the start. The game lingered between wanting real-time and turn-based game play, even offering the option for to the player to choose as they like; unfortunately, they failed to successfully deliver on either format, causing combat to be convoluted and as uninteresting as the mechanics that went with it.

    Once released, many were literally shocked at the horrible game that DW Bradley had directed from the doors of Heuristic Park. In hindsight, with the later example Dungeon Lords to further cement both Bradley and HR as incapable of producing a quality game, it isn't quite as surprising as it was back in the day. That it received the marks that it did from the press is a testament to the media's willingness to be lenient to Bradley, at least in 2000.

    In all, there is really nothing to lend a positive note about regarding Wizards & Warriors. Despite some reviewers waxing how "close to tabletop" this game is supposed to be, it even failed miserably in that respect, paled by competitors and the designers own failures alike. Now, as then, the game is best avoided (especially as its horrible graphic issues are only compounded on modern machines and operating systems). There are worse games, but not many.    … Full Review »
  2. darxiv
    Aug 11, 2023
    7
    Playing this in 2023 is just for the nostalgia. Anyone saying this game is one of the worst is greatly exaggerating. It's not great, but itPlaying this in 2023 is just for the nostalgia. Anyone saying this game is one of the worst is greatly exaggerating. It's not great, but it does do some interesting things for RPGs like allowing a bit of freedom in customizing a class. It is a bit generic in its story and never gets more than average in most aspects. But I still enjoy it for what it is.… Full Review »
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