I keep hearing about Wizardry 8, though I haven't played it yet. I keep hearing that it was the last great old-fashioned CRPG. I have it on my list to play. I really enjoyed the first Wizardry, though never completed it. I'd also like to play the World of Xeen at some point.
Wizardry 8 is on my list too, though I've of course been trying to find a boxed copy. Because it was a relatively limited release, particularly in the US, it commands decent prices on places like eBay, making it prohibitive to acquire unless you're specifically dedicated resources towards it.
Matt Barton wrote:
One downside of CRPGs of course is how long they take to complete. I don't really want to make that huge of an investment unless I know it's worth it (i.e., I'd rather play the finest classics first). If you're going to spend that much time with a game, you want only the best. Even mild irritations in the interface can become so irksome it's difficult to deal with. I know I almost quit KOTOR a few times because of the constant crashing (and yes, I know some people had no issues with it).
I agree about Dragon Age, too. At first I was sold, but gradually lost interest. The battles wouldn't have been so bad, but something about the interface and timing made them too difficult. I felt like I was fighting more with the camera and controls than the actual monsters! That's a game that would have seriously benefited from a true turn-based tactical battle mode. The inventory system was a pain as well.
This is unfortunately quite true. Unlike most genres/game types, it's VERY difficult to simply sample an RPG, particularly if there's character creation involved.
I had a similar "losing interest" experience with the old school style (Wizardry clone), The Dark Spire, for the Nintendo DS. I was gung-ho for its old school style, but, particularly for a portable game, it doesn't hold up well to casual play, particularly with the extremely high difficulty, which are true to its origins. I'm over 7 hours of gameplay time into it, but I haven't touched it in months. Just the prospect of walking through the same dungeon again and again (since you have to walk all the way back to town to heal, resupply, etc.) to progress a little further each time before taking too much damage and having to head back is a bit too much to take after a while, particularly when there are so many other things to play. It's a shame too, because I never (despite now owning most of them), never did play any of the original Wizardry games when they were at the top of the RPG food chain.
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
I keep hearing about Wizardry 8, though I haven't played it yet. I keep hearing that it was the last great old-fashioned CRPG. I have it on my list to play. I really enjoyed the first Wizardry, though never completed it. I'd also like to play the World of Xeen at some point.
Wizardry 8 is on my list too, though I've of course been trying to find a boxed copy. Because it was a relatively limited release, particularly in the US, it commands decent prices on places like eBay, making it prohibitive to acquire unless you're specifically dedicated resources towards it.
One downside of CRPGs of course is how long they take to complete. I don't really want to make that huge of an investment unless I know it's worth it (i.e., I'd rather play the finest classics first). If you're going to spend that much time with a game, you want only the best. Even mild irritations in the interface can become so irksome it's difficult to deal with. I know I almost quit KOTOR a few times because of the constant crashing (and yes, I know some people had no issues with it).
I agree about Dragon Age, too. At first I was sold, but gradually lost interest. The battles wouldn't have been so bad, but something about the interface and timing made them too difficult. I felt like I was fighting more with the camera and controls than the actual monsters! That's a game that would have seriously benefited from a true turn-based tactical battle mode. The inventory system was a pain as well.
This is unfortunately quite true. Unlike most genres/game types, it's VERY difficult to simply sample an RPG, particularly if there's character creation involved.
I had a similar "losing interest" experience with the old school style (Wizardry clone), The Dark Spire, for the Nintendo DS. I was gung-ho for its old school style, but, particularly for a portable game, it doesn't hold up well to casual play, particularly with the extremely high difficulty, which are true to its origins. I'm over 7 hours of gameplay time into it, but I haven't touched it in months. Just the prospect of walking through the same dungeon again and again (since you have to walk all the way back to town to heal, resupply, etc.) to progress a little further each time before taking too much damage and having to head back is a bit too much to take after a while, particularly when there are so many other things to play. It's a shame too, because I never (despite now owning most of them), never did play any of the original Wizardry games when they were at the top of the RPG food chain.
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.