An argument can be made saying that true roleplaying is not Final Fantasy. The FF franchise has taken the term "RPG" and bent the genre to such an extreme that many have forgotten what it's supposed to be all about. They paint every picture for us, show us how we're supposed to think, and character progress is completely pre-determined. Considering the popularity of the series, we seem to like it.
In a similar vein, one might hear a complaint about the new Lord of the Rings movies. People say that the movies have completely ruined Tolkien's books for them, because they used to read the books and had a completely different picture in their heads of how everything looked. Now, the movie has stepped in and stamped into their brains how everything is "supposed" to look.
The PS2 roleplaying game called WIZARDRY is at first disappointing because it is a game that forces you to use your imagination. When you first begin to play, you might say, "Where are my pictures? Where are my gorgeous computer generated movies? What's up with all of this text?" You see, we have been spoiled in our modern day gaming and cinema, and don't want to use our own brains anymore.
However, you might step back and look at the Final Fantasy series, look at the Lord of Rings movies, and suddenly have the good old fashioned desire to create your own world. You might wish to appreciate the beauty of written text, descriptive writing, the freedom the author gives every reader to interpret his ideas anyway you wish.
Then again, you might not.
Therein lies the first difficulty of playing WIZARDRY. It is either too old-fashioned and seemingly lazy compared to what we're used to today, or a call to a higher train of thought. For those who are convinced of the latter, welcome to a game which, despite added problems and difficulties, should wind up being a rewarding experience.
Hold on, though. Please don't build the impression that this game is just a dark screen with a long list of words to read, where you have to answer multiple choice questions to advance. The game does, indeed, show very beautiful graphics when it chooses to.
It is a game based on a single dungeon, a fact that might turn many away before they realize that this dungeon is very large and varied. In fact, the word "dungeon" can only be used in the loosest sense, because some of the levels therein are extremely creative. For instance, the graphical beauty of the game is shown in one level where there is a giant, winding path circling a shining waterfall. Or a spooky Blair Witch Hunt-like cellar where thick, massive cobwebs cover the walls.
And no, you don't have to imagine the monsters that you meet in the dungeons. WIZARDRY contains one of the best bestiaries in any game. Unlike FFX, where it is possible to fight the same group and format of monsters three or four times in a row, the creatures you face in WIZARDRY come in many different shapes, sizes, and numbers. Their design is also rather genius, looking original and somehow making it feel as if it is an honor to fight them. They are smart as well, especially the bosses, where it is impossible to close your eyes and just keep pressing the attack button to win a fight.
This leads to WIZARDRY's amazing combat system, which is perhaps that very best part of this game. Oh yes, it's turn-based, but turn-based revised. You are, with your potentially six-man team, capable of performing offensive and defensive "allied actions" that might remind one of a game of American football. For instance, there are techniques where you can wait for an opponent to strike one of your teammates, then jump behind his back and stab him from behind. Or moves where a member can distract a foe while the others get an easy shot. Or even, and this will certainly be a favorite, the ability to wait for an opponent to raise his hand, talon, or claw to strike and then have the members of the back row hit him with projectiles at that exact moment. He will then be stunned in mid-attack, ending his offensive. These are only a few of the "allied actions" that can be performed in this game, and doing them is a terribly pleasurable thing to do.
However, the dungeons, the enemies, and the combat work against you at a difficulty level that many will not be able to withstand. It is quite easy to permanently lose a teammate, no matter how important he or she might seem. No phoenix down tossing here! The dungeons are designed very well, and in a very challenging way. You will face irritating pitfalls that can only be found AFTER you've fallen through them, dungeons that change their format every time you enter them, and then there's the annoying Grim Reaper. Yes, if you stay in a dungeon too long, this unbeatable force will chase you down and possess one of your teammates. This teammate will then be more vulnerable to attacks, and will be extremely easy to lose permanently.
All of the above is wrapped together in a story line that, as stated in the beginning, is totally written down for you. If you meet people in these dungeons, there is a generic, immovable potrait of the gent, dame, or creature, and that's it(outside of battle, because those you meet in battle are quite animated). However, it must be said that the writing is profound, and does almost make up for the lack of special effects. This reviewer is a reader and writer of books, and it should be known that this game contains some of the best writing in any videogame.
"So? I don't buy a game to read a book!" you might say, and you certainly have the right to such an opinion. For others who complain about lack of a story, however, this game gives it to you in a major dose.
However, there are other problems to this game that simply cannot be excused under the light of opinion. For instance, there are often glaring errors in grammar and spelling within the text and, incredibly enough, the menus.
There are not many weapons to choose from. In fact, the weapon shop owner will only sell back to you what you've sold to him from your findings in the dungeons. That makes little sense, especially if it is supposed to be a weapon shop.
Every character has a good, neutral, or evil status. However, these statuses are jokingly trivial, as they have no bearing on the story and change simply by choosing to attack friendly creatures or not. Seriously, it is hard to see why this is even included in the game.
You have to be prepared to walk through the same paths over and over again, even though the game will eventually provide you with shortcuts to get to the deeper parts of the dungeons. Is it to provide a more realistic experience, or is it just a waste of time? This reviewer opts for the latter.
In the end, though, if you are willing to deal with the differences and difficulties contained in this game, it should be worth your time. The story line is one of beauty, containing a slew of continuing mini-stories, and you have to figure out for yourself how it all looks. You don't even know how the main character looks in the game. The magic-system is in-depth and addicting, if not particularly special.
You see, Final Fantasy changed the world of role playing, arguably for the better. It's really not a bad thing to be spoiled by it. WIZARDRY manages to show, if barely, the benefits of role-playing in a more traditional way. Perhaps if the producers of WIZARDRY, Atlus, decide to make a sequel, they can improve upon the unnecessary difficulties of this game and start a new wave to the older style of playing.
