The Wizardry series and its Japanese spinoffs

[biffthestiff]

Any Wizardry wizards around? What's your perspective on the series?

I only ever played Wizardry 8 and put a few hours in a PS2 one, so I'm not really familiar with the series. It seems like the Wizardry name is used for two mostly unrelated lines of games:

1. Western Wizardry, i.e. Wizardry 1-8. The last title was 8 in 2001. It's dead.

2. Japanese Wizardry. Apparently Japan got obsessed with Wizardry in the 80s and kept making their own games. They released about a lot of spinoff titles, and now Steam is being hit with modern releases of old PS2/3 games. Also there's more titles in Wizardry "clones" such as the Elminage seroes.

What games should a curious but modern RPG fan play. Keep in mind they're probably not interested in playing DOS games (yet). What gives the most polished Wizardry experience?

 

[grimer]

Keep in mind they're probably not interested in playing DOS games (yet)

idk what to tell you since there's only 1 game in the entire series that isn't a dos game and you've already played it. i guess you're more interested in knowing if any of the "modern" japanese games are worth playing? personally, i wouldn't even bother with them unless you really really like wizardry 1 because from what i've seen theyre just the exact same game from 1981 but with different levels. no new races/classes, no skill system, no extended weapons, no npcs/factions/quests, same boring setting. i'm surprised they're not still using wireframe graphics. wizardry 6 and 7, despite being dos games, are far more complex than any other wizardry title with the sole exception of 8 and i highly recommend you play through that trilogy instead, importing your party along the way. then you can try the spiritual successors such as wizards & warriors, grimoire and the search for maphaldo which is releasing this year i think.

 

[vitellus]

this is wizardry 1 remade to modern standards.

or download the first five results here and get a drink and read this

 

[BruceVC]

this is wizardry 1 remade to modern standards.

or download the first five results here and get a drink and read this

Is this the same as W1 but in 3D, it looks great but I want to make sure its the same as the original around the map design and narrative because its obviously different around graphics?

 

[d1r]

PLAY BUSIN 0 WIZARDRY ALTERNATE NEO!

 

[TheDeveloperDude]

It seems like the Wizardry name is used for two mostly unrelated lines of games:
1. Western Wizardry, i.e. Wizardry 1-8. The last title was 8 in 2001. It's dead.
2. Japanese Wizardry.

No, you could group this way them:

1. Wizardry 1-5 and the japanese Wizardry(ies)
2. Wizardry 6-7-8

The japanese ones are faithfully copying the Wiz1 line.

*Wiz4 is somehow different experience.

 

[Butter]

The Japanese games are utterly pointless. They're just Wizardry 1 clones with anime avatars. The pinnacle of the series was 6 and 7.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Elminage is the only series that feels as engaging as Wizardry was. Same devs from Japanese projects. Original is on Steam, Gothic is too. Gothic is more difficult (and a better game, for many other reasons).

The rest are mostly 1-2-3 copycats with few gimmicks added in. Stranger of Sword City is a 7-like of sorts but nowhere as engaging.

 

[vitellus]

this is wizardry 1 remade to modern standards.

or download the first five results here and get a drink and read this

Is this the same as W1 but in 3D, it looks great but I want to make sure its the same as the original around the map design and narrative because its obviously different around graphics?

from everything i've read and the version i played when i did have it, it was same map layout, it the same game, just updated, which was one of my gripes. they even have a little window in the bottom right of the game screen that shows the original wireframe.

 

[mondblut]

What games should a curious but modern RPG fan play. Keep in mind they're probably not interested in playing DOS games (yet).

Then Grimoire.

Wizardry peaked with 7. All japanese wizardries are the same game.

 

[BruceVC]

this is wizardry 1 remade to modern standards.

or download the first five results here and get a drink and read this

Is this the same as W1 but in 3D, it looks great but I want to make sure its the same as the original around the map design and narrative because its obviously different around graphics?

from everything i've read and the version i played when i did have it, it was same map layout, it the same game, just updated, which was one of my gripes. they even have a little window in the bottom right of the game screen that shows the original wireframe.

I have never played any Wizardry games but this looks really good. I dont expect modern day graphics and I have played many older games from 1990's onwards but not games as old as Wizardry 1-3

This game could become the start of my Wizardry experience

 

[octavius]

The Japanese games are utterly pointless. They're just Wizardry 1 clones with anime avatars.

I take it you haven't played Wizardry Chronicle?

 

[BruceVC]

The Japanese games are utterly pointless. They're just Wizardry 1 clones with anime avatars.

I take it you haven't played Wizardry Chronicle?

Can I ask you a favor, when you guys have these interesting discussions do you mind using links for those people following the debate so we can reference what you mean?

I normally do my own searches afterwards but it makes more sense for the informed person to post the link because you know exactly what you talking about

 

[octavius]

The Japanese games are utterly pointless. They're just Wizardry 1 clones with anime avatars.

I take it you haven't played Wizardry Chronicle?

Can I ask you a favor, when you guys have these interesting discussions do you mind using links for those people following the debate so we can reference what you mean?

I normally do my own searches afterwards but it makes more sense for the informed person to post the link because you know exactly what you talking about

Sure, Brucey baby.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

81 Hours. Less enemy variety than DD1. Some of the new monsters are incredibly rare, only found each once (medusa and dalahan or whatever). Open world is basically Cyclops + Troll galore.

They brought back the limited ferrystone system despite essentially doing away with it in DDDA lol. Jesus.

wrong thread?

 

[unseeingeye]

I have never played any Wizardry games but this looks really good. I dont expect modern day graphics and I have played many older games from 1990's onwards but not games as old as Wizardry 1-3

This game could become the start of my Wizardry experience

You should at least try Wizardry 7, Bruce.
I like all of them, but 6 and 7 are my favorites. They can be a lot to take in and are not games you can just jump into and expect to sail through, but they reward the effort it takes to comprehend them well enough to finish. I consider Wizardry 7 among the greatest video games ever made, for what its worth.

 

[BruceVC]

I have never played any Wizardry games but this looks really good. I dont expect modern day graphics and I have played many older games from 1990's onwards but not games as old as Wizardry 1-3

This game could become the start of my Wizardry experience

You should at least try Wizardry 7, Bruce.
I like all of them, but 6 and 7 are my favorites. They can be a lot to take in and are not games you can just jump into and expect to sail through, but they reward the effort it takes to comprehend them well enough to finish. I consider Wizardry 7 among the greatest video games ever made, for what its worth.

Definitely but I will start with 1 and work my way through the series

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I have never played any Wizardry games but this looks really good. I dont expect modern day graphics and I have played many older games from 1990's onwards but not games as old as Wizardry 1-3

This game could become the start of my Wizardry experience

You should at least try Wizardry 7, Bruce.
I like all of them, but 6 and 7 are my favorites. They can be a lot to take in and are not games you can just jump into and expect to sail through, but they reward the effort it takes to comprehend them well enough to finish. I consider Wizardry 7 among the greatest video games ever made, for what its worth.

Definitely but I will start with 1 and work my way through the series

This is a smart move. The SNES ports are good enough as are the Play Station ones. The issue is that the old DOS games had a lot of bugs, especially when considering stat changing after levelups.

 

[Grauken]

What games should a curious but modern RPG fan play. Keep in mind they're probably not interested in playing DOS games (yet). What gives the most polished Wizardry experience?

As others have said, if you don't want to play DOS games, you're out of luck since the best ones are on DOS (W6 and W7), with W8 quite different from pretty much any other Wizardry game. Wizardry 6 and 7 present an evolution of the early dungeon crawler-only games in the series, with W6 having an expansive castle with outside areas to explore and W7 tops that with an entire world, but both games still have really well-designed dungeons. W8 is unique in that it's just a world with on the surface no dungeons (there are some hidden away, but more a bonus for old fans of the series and they aren't good).

The Japanese ones are variations on a theme, the early dungeon-only crawlers of 1-3 and 5, if you happen to like that there are plenty of good ones (and unlike what some commenters have said, the visual art direction for many of the Japanese Wizardry is Western and not anime, though some have it).

If you want to play something beginner-friendly that is inspired by the Wizardry tradition but much more modern, I would recommend something like Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, though this one has anime visuals. But it is big, has lots of unique dungeons, and some interesting mechanics.

 

[luj1]

What games should a curious but modern RPG fan play

Wizardry 6-8 + Wizards & Warriors + Grimoire

 

[Dorateen]

And keep an eye out for "The Search for Maphaldo"

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2513200/Mystic_Land_The_Search_for_Maphaldo/

 

[Deimos]

I would say if you are just looking for a good old-school adventure to start with 6.

1 through 5 is a different beast and best enjoyed by playing them a certain way. People back in the day didn't look everything up and only had the manual. The experiences will be richest if you draw your own maps, make your own bestiary( noting abilities and spells monsters use on you, spells that work on them, ect.) Even going out and testing new weapons on b1 monsters to see how they fare (weapon stats weren't in the manual). Also, not loading on party death but making a recovery party ready to rescue party members that have fallen in the dungeon.

Of course only do as much as your palate can handle. There are maps online, a bestiary, and weapon stats. One can even back up their characters so party recovery isn't needed, but this will all detract from the experience. 1 through 5 aren't good games if you have a game farther down in your backlog you're looking forward too, or if you're just wanting to Beat them and move on. They are dungeon Crawling in the purest sense, meant to be taken slowly while paying close attention to every detail, all while soaking in the tense atmosphere created solely by gameplay.

Lastly, if any of you decide to play 4, it's funnest to use your bestiary notes from the 1st game (plus 2 and 3 if you decide to play them, but not needed) so that you know what creatures do what, adding to the notes as you learn more

 

[Old Hans]

What games should a curious but modern RPG fan play.

Wizardry Tales of the Forsaken Land is the best one. it was originally for the ps2 and NOW it can be all yours with a ps2 emulator

 

[Galios]

Elminage is the only series that feels as engaging as Wizardry was. Same devs from Japanese projects. Original is on Steam, Gothic is too. Gothic is more difficult (and a better game, for many other reasons).

The rest are mostly 1-2-3 copycats with few gimmicks added in. Stranger of Sword City is a 7-like of sorts but nowhere as engaging.

Just saw the news that Starfish went defunct in 2023, so no new Elminage. Fuck.