Rating: 
Summary: Wiz8 does not run on my Windows XP computer
Review: I had high hopes for Wizardry 8 having played all the previous
Wizardry games and most of the Might and Magic games.
Version 1.2.4Unfortunately I will try and return it to Amazon because it
does not run on my system:
Windows XP
NVidia GeForce 3 with latest drivers
Sound blaster Compatible I tried all the video options including Open GL.
I tried all the audio options including "no audio". The wiz8.exe program crashed before displaying anything
on the screen. The tech support at sir-tech was not helpful.
Their 1.2.3 version on their site was older than the
1.2.4 version I had on disk.
Rating: 
Summary: Wizardry 8 - RPG or not?
Review: Wizardry 8 is a number-cruncher's dream. The sheer array of statistics, modifiers and choice in customising your character is presented in a way that makes it unintimidating, but easy to jump right in and customise your characters in the way that you want. If you like to micro-manage your party, then this is the game for you. The graphics are also quite impressive: yes, they're not perfect, but the engine is tremendously stable, running perfectly at 1024x768 on my ageing P600 with almost no experience of slowdown. Well, after that, it's time for the negatives. To me, this plays like a 3D version of Icewind Dale 2 or a party-based Diablo. It has a story, but the focus of the game is solely upon turning your party into vessels of godlike power - literally, considering the objective of the game is to Ascend to godhood. This means that there's not too much emphasis on actual /role/playing as opposed to rollplaying, so, if you're a Planescape: Torment or Fallout junkie, you might want to consider before buying this one. It's also quite open-ended, but it's not Morrowind. There may be a few multiple paths through certain scenarios and quests, but that's about it. And the combat... well, yes, it can get lethargic at times, but to those who've played Might and Magic on turn-based mode, it's nothing too problematic. However, I truly disliked the "instant kill" abilities that some weapons and monsters possess, giving them a percentile chance to kill in one strike, regardless of damage. I like my games to be challenging, but that game mechanic is far too arbitrary for my liking. As well, some of the random encounters seem very overpowered when considering the average party level, resulting in frequent use of the reload command. The world design in this game is satisfactory, but it doesn't have the element of detail that makes a truly great fantasy or sci-fi setting. It feels at times as though it was slotted together piecemeal, with eastern classes and equipment forced in to an already jumbled mix of lasers and swords. To sum up, if you're a fan of hack-and-slash games, then this is one of the best out there, boasting more numbers and opportunities to personalise your character than you can shake a stick at. However, if you're looking for more story and elements of role-playing, then you'd be better off replaying Fallout or Torment.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic RPG gaming at its finest
Review: This game has details. Lots of details. Apparently there are too many details for some players to handle (e.g., the one reviewer who said managing the inventories of eight characters was too complicated -- something I find a true joy). This isn't Baldur's Gate, or Morrowind, or Icewind Dale. This is what classic RPG games are all about. Yes, the graphisc are dated. But are people so visually oriented that they need some superficial eye-candy to like a game? Come on. When did it stop being about the fun factor, and start being about how many tricks the artists could do in Photoshop? I myself find no problem with the graphics. They're a welcomed addition, but not a necessity, to the Wizardry line. Those who give bad scores to the graphics in this game should be glad that this title has more than the traditional vector graphics and 4 color text that is traditional of Wizardry (which only forced the gamer to focus more on other things, such as character development, which is what RPGs were always about in the first place). Speaking of character development, there's no shortage of it in Wizardry 8. When you're just starting your party, assuming you have 6 characters, there are 990 different possibilities of just race and class. This has nothing whatsoever to do with what stats you raise (which influence your skill bases), what skills you raise, or whether you even have 6 characters at all. This completely neglects any part of the game after initial creation. Want your ninja to be a martial artist, instead of a weaponsmaster? Go ahead. Want your Bishop to not use any spells? Go ahead, but it might not be wise. Want your ranger to fire a musket instead of a more natural bow? No problem. Speaking (literally, in this case) of character development, there are customizable personalities for each character you create and / or recruit. Want your Ninja to sound like a Bronx Italian, devious yet true to his word? Go ahead. But don't be surprised if you start to wonder what his motives really are. The customizable personalities in this game add a myriad helping of flavor to an already delectable treat of RPG goodness. Oh. I forgot to mention. Every bit of text that every character says (in party or not) is spoken, not just written in games like Morrowind. You don't have to read six novels to get through this one (not that I have a problem with that, of course). One minor complaint -- they could have reviewed the script more closely, though there aren't nearly as many errors as there are in Morrowind. There are contrasting opinions of whether this game is truly non-linear or no. From what I've seen thus far, it's in-between. Certain things are only available at certain times. True, you don't have the complete and absolutely literal "go anywhere" freedom of Morrowind. But in a way, that's a good thing. I've gotten lost in that world quite a bit already. Sure, the Wizardry 8 automap doesn't have any marks by default (but you can add them, of course). Again, be glad you even have a map. Old school Wizardry players remember making maps by hand, toying with whether the square after that teleporter actually existed on the other side, or if it was what was next on the teleporter's destination. So far (I estimate I'm one-third through the game), the plot is verily intriguing. I won't give away any of the details, but let's just say this game has everything from larcenous furrballs to Sir-Tech's version of 'la familia'. There's something here for everyone, from violence to deep-rooted spirituality and history. My only serious gripe (and this is a half-gripe, per se) with this game is the somewhat lethargic combat system. I've fought 30 minute to 1 hour battles, and I'm not even all the way through the game. But let me say this. The longest battle was also the best experience I've ever had in that game. Sure, it'd be nice if there was some discernible plot significance (somewhat higher level players will know of the Sorceress Queen's abode). It was an amazingly difficult battle that truly tested my ability to manage my party's resources -- part of the joy of RPG games. Overall, this is what the RPG has always been, and was always meant to be. If you want to see flashy Photoshop tricks that lose their novelty after a play or two, get some other game. But if you want infinite (or darn close) replayability, get Wizardry.
Rating:
Summary: Wiz8
Review: Wiz8 continues the Wizardry tradition. If you like developing characters and live for the thrill of gaining another level than this game is for you. With the ability to customize up to 8 characters (6 party and 2 NPC's) the options for role-playing are limitless. I find myself wanting to play with several different parties. With so many classes and races the combinations and subsequent strategy needed to play them keeps the game fresh. I think about half the stuff found is random and the other half fixed. So yes you can head straight for a super weapon early. The game balances this with skills. You may have the best sword in the game but if your sword skill is low this uber sword won't help much. In fact it will actually hinder your ability to increase your sword skill. After you have mastered character development you can still challenge yourself by playing with a smaller party. Some people even solo the game. I like being able to develop a party to work in concert with each other strengths and weaknesses. Speaking of strength and weakness. There really is a noticeable difference between classes. For example a fighter class really is the best fighter in the game. The races are just as noticeable in the way some are more suited for a particular class than others.
Rating: 
Summary: A Rewarding, Realistic RPG Experience
Review: This is the first of the Wizardry series I'd played, and I bought it solely on the glowing recommendations of people I don't know, including the other reviewers here. I'm not a very big fan of turn-based RPG, and the only other experiences I've had with them- Wizards & Warriors and Pool of Radiance 2- were less than spectacular. I don't know about the slew of other turn-based RPGs, but Wizardry 8 has to be the best one I've played, and though I'm predisposed towards them, I'd even say it's as good as real-time RPGs like Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights. The game has excellent graphics that require a good deal of PC power to bring out at full detail. The entire world is 3-d and well textured, and monsters have full motion and attack movements. Spellcasting produces beautiful particle effects and each spell looks more or less unique. Probably the only downside to graphics is that it takes a pretty serious video card to run the game smoothly- if you don't have a fast PC and a 64 MB (or better) card, you'll probably have to turn off a lot of the detail to get this performance. Sound is probably the best part of Wizardry 8. You don't see your characters on screen except for their portraits, so their voices are pretty important. Fortunately, the voice acting is superb- enough so that you actually get a personality out of the otherwise typical characters you create. Additionally, the music is good and other noises (spells, combat, etc.) are well done. The character customization is quite extensive, though it's not as complex as pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons (probably a good thing). There are seven primary stats: Str, Int, Dex, Speed, Piety, Senses, and Vitality. There's also a respectable lineup of weapon proficiencies and spell schools, and a huge list of spells and other class-specific and expert skills. Additionally (the best part) you can choose personalities for your characters. These run the gamut from aggressive to eccentric. You can choose voices and portraits to match, or NOT to match if you wish, and both sets are extensive. There are 15 distinct classes and 11 races, all of which grant you different stat bonuses, resistances, or abilities. They're all quite balanced, so you shouldn't have problems experimenting. All in all, you'll probably never make the same character twice. Gameplay is pretty straightforward and remarkably easy to learn. I would warn that it does start out a bit slow, but this is primarily to acquaint new players with the system. At the start you form a party of 6 characters, and can get up to 2 additional recruits in the game. You travel in a first person perspective in real-time with a somewhat reduced shooter control system, and when combat begins it switches to turn-based. Now, I have heard people complaining about combat taking too long and equating it to battles in Pool of Radiance 2. Let me assure you that it's a WHOLE LOT better than that game (I played through the entire thing, so trust me), though impatient people might find it a bit slow. You get experience depending on the difficulty of the encounter, and monsters will respawn if you leave the area for a certain time, camp, or go to another map and then return. Talking to NPCs in this game is crucial if you want to know what you're supposed to be doing. Unlike other RPGs, the plot isn't paved out for you to follow, and you can wind up truly bewildered and stranded if you don't ask for directions or information on your objectives. If there's something you don't understand, do as you would in real life and ASK, and you'll probably get an answer (albeit sometimes only for a pretty sum in gold). Occasionally you'll find someone who's willing to join you for one reason or another (e.g. payment). Don't expect them to follow you everywhere, though. They'll rebel if you do things they don't like, or go places they don't want to go. Although the game in general is excellent, there are some flaws with the system. Wizardry 8 does an excellent job of creating a realistic, believable world. Unfortunately, many RPG gamers simply aren't used to this, and will be discouraged when they run into impossible encounters. This is very easy to do, because you can go literally anywhere, even places you probably shouldn't be going. Other than turning the difficulty down, the best thing to do in such an encounter is to not start it in the first place. Needless to say, saving frequently is a must (I recommend turning autosave on) and getting a priest to learn resurrect is pretty crucial if you want to buy anything besides resurrection powder from merchants. I must say, though, that even some of the 'typical' encounters are very, very difficult. If you're an experienced Wizardry player, it'll probably be easier, especially since you can import your characters and start at a high level. For beginners, it might be prudent to sneak past large groups of enemies or take the long way around them. Combat also has a big luck factor involved, so replaying a battle might yield much more desirable results. I remember in particular a single Battering Hogar wiping me out just outside Trynton, and then reloading and getting an instant kill on him on the second round. Aside from battle difficulties, the maps themselves can be confusing. It's advisable you look at them often, as they aren't labeled and there seems to be a scarcity of signs on Dominus. Your vision range is also not too great, so even large things might not appear until you come close. Sometimes I walked right past a place I was looking for several times before realizing it was right there. The good thing about this is, when you finally do get there it's quite a relief. Wizardry 8 is probably the most realistic RPG I've played, and the game excels in nearly every important factor of a successful RPG. It might start out slow, but if you stick with it becomes a truly rewarding experience.
Rating:
Summary: Just A Few Comments, Not A Review
Review: I won't pretend Wizardry 8's gameplay mechanics haven't been already been well detailed (either to praise or scorn them). I just wanted to comment: a)SLOW COMBAT - Yes, combat is definitely not a fast and furious affair. Battling several low-level opponents, say rats or bats or crabs, can be quite tedious. WINFAST (I believe that's the name, check on a forum site) can be downloaded and speeds this sort of combat up significantly. Try it. Whether you despise or love Wizardry 8, you have to deal with the combat system because you're going to use it ALOT! I have found satisfaction in anticipating what combatants and skills I'll need as well as enjoyment in thoughtfully responding to an enemy with just the right weapon. However, more than a few people apparently dread combat. This isn't a good sign or a small issue given that you'll be getting into battles everywhere. b) STRATEGY GUIDE - I rarely buy them (they generally repeat too much simple statistical info already known to you or contained in the game manual) but the guide for this one is extremely helpful if you're lost, confused, don't want to accidently miss a valuable item 'cause you were in a hurry, or just want to "get on with it." I greatly recommend the guide (if you're already moderately enthused with the game). c) ATTITUDE - Know what you're looking for out of Wizardry 8. I hate to be patronizing (or sound snobbish) but this isn't, in my opinion, a game to be purchased for quick play or casual gaming. I'm not saying it requires geeklike dedication or initiation to some weird online RPG cult, but it is old-school, slowpaced, and (for many of us) very, very interesting. There's a big world in here, with much to explore and a lot to do, it takes time to dig it out though. It's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I have to be honest, I'm a newcomer to the Wizardry series, and I'd heard about it from my RPG-nut friend Daniel. He had played Wizardry Gold and had quite a few complaints about the game, for instance the sort of useless and annoying skills like 'swim' and the annoying skills like 'karma' or 'charisma' or whatever it's called. Sirtech managed to totally revamp the interface on this, the 'last' installment of the series. Now it's got a snazzy 3d combat and movement system, very simplified (yet still quite complex) stats, magic and skills screens, and a bunch of great NPC voice acting. This game is a blast, and anyone even remotely interested in playing a turn-based heavy-thinking RPG should try this one out.
However, I do have a few complaints with the game. First of all, the PC voices are very annoying and repetitive. Most of the time I just turn off the volume. If you play for more than an hour or two (and believe me, you will) they drive you insane. Secondly, the pictures of certain races are light on the variation. That's a minor problem, but it is a bit annoying for replay value. Thirdly, the female voices are a whole lot more annoying than the male voices. What can I say, I like my parties balanced. Fourthly, and this is my biggest problem with the game: The sllllloooooooooooooooooowwwwwwww battles. Yes, what you've heard is true. You CAN sit there for almost a minute and a half while ten swarming wasps defend, rush you, attack you, or whatever. This would not be a problem if it wasn't so easy to die. You can take almost four or five minutes out of your life to fight, have one of your characters die, then have to reload and fight all over again! It gets annoying. Fifthly, the game is so big that it's easy to get lost. Even with the strategy guide (BUY IT WHILE IT'S STILL IN PRINT!!! YOU WILL NEED IT!!!!!!) it's hard to get around. I once spent almost three hours trying to find this one area on the map so I could continue with the plot. However, these drawbacks are not that big of a deal when compared to how amazingly robust and full this game is. In conclusion: Buy this game, buy the strategy guide, and read both in great detail. And have fun, while you're at it.
Rating:
Summary: Wizardry 8
Review: This review is more for the rpg players out there. A current trend in a lot of rpg games is to become more Diablo-like. It has action that pulls you in, but becomes lackluster after finding beating the snot out of a goblin while you are at level 2 is very similar to beating the snot out of a goblin when you are level 12. This brings many of us back to a simple truth. A rpg should be a role playing game. There should be depth, player development, and an interesting storeline. Wizardry 8 succeeds in these categories thanks to the long (very long) history of the game. Compared to many of the rpgs out here (including neverwinter and baldur's gate), I'll just say I have gone back and played from Wizardry 6 forward to 8 (importing my characters along the way) just to watch the whole story play out again with different decisions and different characters. Though playablity is very good thanks to extensive beta testing the game has a slow combat speed. There are downloads for WizFast that will speed this up and keep you smiling. A little history, despite being one of the oldest rpg games on the market, Wizardry was also the first rpg with a first person view. In Wizardry 1, it was little more then a wire frame but the unique perspective will make you feel much more a part of the game then a Baldur's Gate or Dungeon Siege point of view. Wizardry 8 is destined to be a classic. Sadly, may other rpgs on the market will be forgotten when a newer sleaker version of itself comes out. However Wizardry 8 will have 7 other classics to keep it company. ;)
Rating:
Summary: BEST GAME EVER
Review: This is by far my favorite game. Wicked graphics and really cool monster desins. Now i have never played Diablo so i hate it when people reffer to it as a similie to Wizardry 8, But so far this is by far my favorite game. I highly reccomend it to anyone into combat game.(with some very amusing detail).
Rating:
Summary: Good RPG not as good as the Baldur's Gate Series
Review: I just finished Wizardry 8 and it was a very solid RPG. Character creation has TONS of options and is a lot of fun. Graphics and sound were phenomenal. I loved the music score in the Rapax Rift. However, if you're a fan of the BGs you might find the pacing a little slow. There are not many side quests. Combat takes forever. I found myself running around trying to avoid it at all costs. I love the fact that ranged weaponry is modeled accurately, but when you run into a group of 10 ranged weapon enemies you'll just love (Sarcasm) watching all those seconds add up watching their arrows fly by or into you as you charge them. The ending(s) were just plain lame. I'm not going to reveal them, but couldn't they have created some cut scenes ALA: the BGs or Diablos (Diablo 2 IMHO had the best Cut Scenes I had ever seen). Overall, solid RPG nice Tide me Over until Morrowind comes out.
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