The Ultimate Wizardry Archives

Discount Price: $149.95

Accessories:
PC Gamer (1-year)	Games for Windows: The Official Magazine

Customer Reviews:

They can do better [Posted on 2002-06-27]
I'm one of those people who grew up playing the original Wizardry (Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord) and wanted to have to same thing on my IBM computer. I was really disappointed because the graphics were worse than the old apple version, i can't figure out how they could do that but they did. Overall it was more difficult to use and just didn't have the same mystique that the original apple version possessed. The CD i bought didn't come with any instructions or anything so i didn't figure out how to play the other game so i can't comment there. I wouldn't go looking for this disc unless you liked the entire series. Fortunate for me i still have a working Apple II GS so i can play the original Wizardry.

revolutionary! [Posted on 2004-07-17]
Some players to whom graphics is all important should not bother with this game, with extremely few exceptions, every wall in this game looks the exact same. that can lead to some confusion so the automap feature which was included in wizardry gold was a huge bonus. the neat thing about wiz 7 (the greatest rpg of all time) is that your maps become more detailed as your character's skill in mapping goes up.
these are the most extensive rpg titles ever created. to this day none (well maybe one or two) titles offer the extensiveness of character development offered by wiz 6 and 7. there are plenty of races to choose from, and plenty of proffesions to enter, in the end it offers immense replay value as each party of 6 characters can be compromised of any proffesion you choose. you may choose from fighters, samurai, ninjas, monks, thieves, bards, valkyries, lords, rangers, bishops, alchemists, mages, priests and psionics. each race has different strengths and weaknesses and is more inclined to enter certain proffesions than others. each proffesion also has a plethora of skills to learn, from four classes,weaponry, physical, academic, and personal.
combat is unique, you assign commands to all your party members and then start the round. it requires you to have a strategic mind to be succesful... should i Slow this group and Blinding Flash this one, or the other way around? the spells as well are quite numerous, i beleive there are a total of 96. each spell can have up to six power levels (seven in wiz 7) allowing you to tailor the spell for what size or strength monster you are fighting.
the storyline is nothing short of amazing and highly engrossing, and completely non-linear. it is possible to 'lose' at the grand finale of the game, its also possible to semi-lose or semi-win. i beleive there are 5 endings. if you play through wiz 6 you can import your party into wiz 7 and get a special beggening and i beleive three special endings.
a great feature of the game is that there is no level limit for your characters, even in higher levels the game is still challenging. monsters do not simply get more hp and lower armor class as you go up in levels, they actually get smarter and some may have more special abilities to counter your party's. combat is beautifully balanced out so that it is not too tough, but certainly not too easy! even towards the end there are plenty of extremely (but not impossible) battles to be had.

another of the game's challenges is the acquisition of equipment. you EARN better equipment, for some it may be discouraging how hard it may be to get better equipment but others realize that it is beautifully balanced with how powerful your spellcasters become. when you find a treasure chest it usually contains well earned items, though only after disarming a tricky trap. this is where your thief/ninja/bard comes in. as they gain skill in skuldgerry they make it easier to ID components of traps.
the monsters are extremely numerous, i've played the game since its original release and still haven't encountered all.
the game does have flaws however, though none which marr the gameply much if any. one of the main flaws is that in wiz 6 every wall in the game looked the exact same, even if you were in the middle of a swamp or a castle. this makes it easy to get lost so the strategy guide complete with detailed maps (included in the game) is a MUST have. wiz 7 made a leap by including different wall tiles for different environments. yes, every town looks the exact same but at least trees are actually trees now! the only environmental effect in the game is night/day cycles but don't despair, if something happens or if there is anything out of the ordinary on a wall the game will tell you.
the combat realism of the game may upset some, especially when their level 1 fighter is averaging six misses per hit or when their level five mage attempts a seventh level fireball that backfires and incinerates the party. your characters build up their skill levels through practice and level ups (levels are hard earned and precious!)therefore don't expect combat to be a walk through the park. in your very first fight your mage may very well run out of magic and pick up his stick to start beating some froggy plants senseless.
character creation may very well be a very frustrating for even experienced rpg'ers. you must select a sex and race and then the computer generates a random number of bonus points with wich to boost your initial stats (strength, speed, dexterity, vitality, intelligence, piety, and charisma). if the bonus points don't allow your character to raise his stats to the minimum entrance requirements for a class, your outta luck, try again. you want that felpurr samurai or faerie ninja? hope you got patience...
wizardry is an extremely well balanced and must play game for true rpg'ers. it provides hours and hours and hours of gameplay (just a single title!). the world you are free to explore from day one is immense and offers quite a few surprises which are not included in the game's strategy guide! from a tyrannosaurus rex to hidden treasure, there is plenty to discover. so polish off your breastplate, oil your boots, fork up 30 bucks and get out there and explore!

A true gem, intended for fans of the series [Posted on 2007-01-19]
The Ultimate Wizardry Archives, here on out referred to as UWA, is a collection of Wizardry titles 1-7. Wizardry Gold is also included, but is basically Wizardry 7 with enhanced graphics, 16-bit sound, etc which is designed to run in a windows environment.

Most of the games included are copies of the original disk images, so you get the exact same program that existed back in the 80s in some cases. There is also a utility included that can be used to slow down your computer if the games run to fast (which is often needed).

The real gem here (and also the main reason I purchased UWA) is the inclusion of Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna. This title is not only considered by classic gamers to be the most difficult RPG ever created, but a working original copy of the software is extremely rare. As a matter of fact, the title is so rare that when the project was considered and advertised as "in development", it came to the attention of both Sir-Tech and Interplay that they did not have a hard copy of Wizardry IV available. Screenshots were listed with the exception of one for Wizardry IV, and it was asked that fans which had an original working copy contact the company.

Luckily, a fan sold an original copy to the publisher so that it could be included in UWA, shortly before deadline. The PC-98 version is a little less rare, but it's in Japanese and of course only works on the very uncommon (at least here in the US) PC-98 computer.

In any case, this is a niche collection that will probably only appeal to fans of the original series. If you've not played Wizardry games before, and don't have particular loyalty to the series, save your money because you won't be impressed. For the fans of the series however, this collection is a godsend.

ULTIMATE WIZARDRY PC GAME [Posted on 2007-02-17]
PLAYED THIS WHEN IT FIRST CAM OUT 20 YEARS AGO.
NOW I HAVE THE SERIES AND THEY ARE MORE ENJOYMENT ANYTIME I PLAY

A loyal fan... [Posted on 2007-11-18]
First let me start with saying I'm quite partial to this series. I remember being in highschool when I first saw this available for purchase at a local store. I snatched it up immediately remembering the Nintendo version my mother had bought for my brother and I. Yes, the graphics aren't as good as Nintendo's released version. The first game is literally a maze under a castle made up of nothing but walls of white squares. *BUT* it also includes content I didn't remember seeing in the nintendo version with multiple keys and statues you can find to explore every level. 10 years later I -still- enjoy the mapping of the dungeons. I have later games for PS2 (which put a great unique twist on moving around, combat, and party members), and the last PC release.

So yes, while this game is definately older, and graphics leave something to be desired, it is a MUST for all dungeon fans - and for anyone who gets a kick out of mapping things out as they are explored. Each game in the series gets better graphics and unique additions to game play. You can take characters from one finished game onto the next, or start over with a new party.

Click here for more details and discount information...