PC Games – Wizardry

Unless you’ve been around for a while, you’ve most likely forgotten this PC game series. And what a series it was. Spanning an entire eight editions, this was one of the most ground breaking games ever made. Sir-Tech software came up with a real winner when they created the first Wizardry adventure game. At the time it was just a big gamble. Nobody could foresee what was about to come of it.

The game itself was created by Andrew Greenberg and Robert Woodhead. The first in the series was entitled “Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord”. The story itself was interesting enough to have been made into a movie, even if the graphics of this early PC game were crude by today’s standards. In short, the game involved the search for an amulet that has been missing for five years. Your characters are to venture into the maze of the game to find it. Simple enough, until you run into all the obstacles thrown your way.

“Knight Of The Diamonds” was the second in the series. In this game it is a staff that was stolen. Without the staff the city is defenseless. So once again, your warriors are called on to begin their search for the stolen staff. The graphics in this game were slightly better than the first one.

The next one in the series was “Legacy of Llylgamyn” In this edition, it’s been a generation since the staff was recovered. But now there is a mystical orb called the Orb Of Earithin that you are after. In order to get it, you have to defeat the mighty dragon named L’Kbreth. Not an easy feat by any means.

The Wizardry series kept rolling along with the fourth installment called “The Return Of Werdna”. In this edition, it is five years since the mystical amulet was captured. But the amulet has not revealed any of its secrets. Just when it seemed something would be revealed the amulet is stolen once again. It’s off to retrieve it once more.

In Wizardry V, called “Heart of the Maelstrom”, ages have passed in the kingdom. The heroes are long dead and buried. The story of this edition is way too complex to get into detail here. Ultimately, the new adventurers have to find G’bli Gedook, the guardian of the orb. Afterwards they have to battle The Sorn and whatever is thrown at them. This entry in the series was by far the best to date.

Wizardry VI, “Bane Of The Cosmic Forge”, pretty much picked up where five left off. The kingdom has fallen. In this edition the adventurers have to find an artifact called The Cosmic Forge, which is a magical pen of great power. No one knows what happened to the king who originally discovered it or the pen itself. The search through the castle begins.

“Crusaders Of The Dark Savant” was the seventh entry in the series. The Cosmic Forge is gone. In this edition the heroes are searching for The Astral Dominae, an artifact that dates back to the prior millennium. This was the most complex in the entire series to this point and also graphically the most elaborate.

The last of the series was simply titled Wizardry 8. Sadly, this was a pale followup to Savant and the series itself died while going out with a whimper.

The Wizardry series, however, was one of the greatest experiences PC game players had in the relatively short history of PC games.

There may never be another like it.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to PC Games