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- Sony Online Entertainment
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- Sony Online Entertainment
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- Sony Online Entertainment
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- Sony Online Entertainment
Wizardry Online
Released On: Jan 16, 2013
59
5.6
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
59
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
59
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
There's thus a decent and unique game hiding in Wizardry Online, but the failures of its presentation may prove impenetrable for many gamers.
Will the thrill provided by permadeath be enough to keep people playing this new Wizardry that is not really a Wizardry? [CD-Action 04/2013, p.72]
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 52 User Ratings
5.6
48% Positive
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
12% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
40% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 52 User Ratings
5.6
48% Positive
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
12% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
40% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
Wizardry Online is my favorite fictional piece of work ever. Nothing really comes even close to its atmosphere. Although it was shut down years ago nowadays there's a project run by dedicated fans trying to recreate the game as a private server. However it really deserves a spiritual successor.
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PC
This is one of the best MMOs I have yet found. It has amazing graphics, a great combat system, and some good storylines. All of this is needed for a truly good MMORPG. Though there are some unneeded cutscenes (which can easily be skipped), the actual game makes up for that. This is a truly amazing MMORPG.
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PC
When the opening credits for a game are more dramatic and compelling than the game itself, that’s a problem. With a company as large and well known as SOE, I have certain expectations, few of which were met in this game. Maybe they’ll improve WO in time with the help of developer Gamepot. They certainly seem to be working on it. Unfortunately, I’m just not inclined to wait around to find out.
Wizardry Online is jagged around the edges, but manages to pull off a few interesting tricks.
Even though it carries a venerable name and promotes hardcore mechanics Wizardry Online is just a very ordinary frumpy roleplaying game.
If you want an easy fancy looking game go and play WoW. If you want to experience something truly unique and hardcore I suggest you give wizardry a try.
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PC
Malheureusement, si on y porte un regard panoramique, Wizardry Online reste une véritable déception qui gâche des idées et un concept intéressant cause de maladresses dans la réalisation, sans compter quelques étonnants choix de gameplay. Son aspect free-to-play reste un appel du pied aux joueurs qui devraient toutefois l'essayer juste au cas où, même s'il est fort possible que beaucoup en reviennent rapidement.
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PC
I can't give this one anything more than a lukewarm rating. I like the fact that the game doesn't hold your hand in anything, from character creation to combat. However, the presentation of every element in the game is pure 1990s. Even the game's resolution cannot be changed until _after_ a player has created her/his first character. What's more, after changing from 1024*768, you have to exit _all the way out of the game_ to apply it. Then after basic "tutorial quests" that involve _running back and forth_ to a handful of NPCs and hit the "Enter" key several times, you're thrown into a tutorial dungeon where monsters die after a few hits. OK, fair enough. But once the tutorial is done, you immediately receive a quest to visit the first real dungeon, wherein you are faced with zombies and beetles that take _literally 20 or 30 hits each to kill_. The _beetle_ has twice or three times as many HP as you do. Fortunately, though, it only hits for 1 HP of damage. So the first real combat in the entire game involves facing off against bags of hit points, who do almost no damage but take forever to kill. Lest this be seen as too easy (albeit boring), the zombies in the same dungeon hit for 10-20% of your max HP each time.
Face it, even if you appreciate the "hardcore" elements in the game, even if you are happy knowing that your stats might _decrease_ each time you level (yes, you read that right), there seems to be little _enjoyment_ built into the experience. Might it open up and become more fun at higher levels? Possibly. I'd even keep my fingers crossed for it. But who would willingly _waste their time_ fighting through the early levels to get there?
I wish the game the best of luck. For what it's worth, the game was almost immediately removed from Steam- by the publisher- because of its buggy release. That was over two weeks prior to this review- yet the game is still not deemed worthy of being put back on Steam. And, again, that was the _publisher's_ decision.
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PC
It's kind of funny that I recognize the people giving the positive ratings below me. And they're friends too. Interesting, huh?
Anyway. The problem with Wizardry Online is that it is NOT a Wizardry game. It doesn't even come close to actual Wizardry. Pick up an emulator, try any Wizardry between 1 and 5, and you'll realize these games were very unforgiving. You would find yourself very surprised if more than 5 people beat Wiz 5 without cheating or save states.
During the PS2 era, Wizardry began to be adopted by a different group altogether: the Japanese. While Wizardry: Tale of a Forsaken Land (PS2) was difficult, it was not exactly unforgiving as you were allowed to do things like.. save. Over the years, Japanese Wizardry developers became more and more forgiving, and what you have now is Wizardry Online. And it ****.
Notable differences between just about every other Wiz game and Wiz Online:
- Permadeath was a high chance. You could easily lose your characters trying to resurrect them. And if your whole party died in the labyrinth, they were going to lay there in corpses; you would actually have to make another party and find them later. In Wizardry Online, you have to be a moron to lose your character. It's almost impossible.
- First person view. This is non-negotiable, and definitely should been the only way of seeing things in Wizardry Online.
- ONE LABYRINTH. PERIOD. There shouldn't be a lot of dungeons, especially when this game boasts PvP! Pay attention, silly developers! THE MORE AREAS YOU ADD, THE LESS PVP WILL OCCUR. Especially when each dungeon has ~20 channels that you can choose from. Make ONE big dungeon that should be nearly impossible to get to the lowest levels.
- And finally, if you're going to make a Wizardry MMO focused on PvP... do not make it with stupid RPG elements like skill-trees. Actual skill should be necessary. If you're an archer, aim your arrows. Mage? Aim your fireballs. Why would a thief be able to stab someone's back better than a masculine manly man with a great big sword? Here's a thought. Make the thief STEAL THINGS. lol. Like the staff out of a mage's hands when he's trying to cast a spell. Something!
Anyway, in summation, the devs failed and the player base enabled this failure. Knock it off, and make them go back to the drawing board and create a real Wizardry game.
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PC
