Wizardry VIII
           (ROLE PLAYING)                                   


   Somewhere in the shadowed, chaotic recesses of my mind, there lies an
   oaken door. Haphazardly hung by a rusty nail, a weathered wooden sign
   rests. The sign reads, in sharpened Old English calligraphy, "Ye Grand
   Olde Games of Yore."
                                      
   If you were to open that door, you'd find a couple of kids sitting in
   front of a very sleek new 486, possibly the sexiest machine on the
   market. One of those two debutante RPG addicts is a younger, somewhat
   less stable (if possible) version of myself. The other is equally
   disturbed, and ended up programming for Microsoft. Pouring glowingly
   forth from the sparkling VGA screen, utterly enveloping both eager
   adventurers is the ambiance, no, the spirit, of my favorite RPG of all
   time. The series was Wizardry, the chapter was seven, and the name was
   Crusaders of the Dark Savant.
                                      
   Wizardry VII was, and still is, a perfect role playing game. It's a
   damn bold statement, I know. But all the elements were flawless, and I
   came out feeling as if I'd read an epic novel, yet was able to
   actually participate and manipulate. 'Twas glorious. The storyline was
   the pristine, multi-leveled spinal column of the title, as vital to
   the gameplay as your characters themselves. Fantasy threads such as a
   tiered elemental magic system and phased melee combat were weaved
   seamlessly alongside muskets and spacecraft. Players could even make
   allies or enemies of the various political and racial factions that
   inhabited Lost Guardia, the ultimate fantasy planet. To top it off,
   you could bloody well summon allied monsters in combat. 
                                      
   Finally, after the seemingly endless interim from hell, all the
   dedicated Crusaders out there can see the approaching end to their
   quest. Yes, that's right...Wizardry VIII will have the breath of life
   imbued upon it in the Fall. Blessedly, it appears as if the wait was
   worthy. All of the above elements are merely the foundation upon which
   the team is building Wizardry VIII. Inlay that with a true 3D accelerated
   engine and vastly expanded character personalies, and you have what
   looks to be another celestial milestone in the world of role playing.
                                      
   In regards to actual game technology, the population of hardcore RPG
   purists will have never seen such an advanced 3D engine gracing the
   hallowed halls of their complex but rewarding genre. Everything within
   the world you now explore will be represented in actual 3D space.
   It's ambitious, to say the least, but most encouraging.
                                      
   Also in the area of the software avant-garde, the W8 team appears to
   have their minds wrapped around an intriguing new way of setting up a
   fantasy world; that is, a closed virtual environment. The game itself
   is ordered around an epic storyline. The stakes are of the highest
   order, quite literally a conflict on a universal scale. But unlike
   many of the completely sequence-driven adventures of the past, where
   the only real independent power in the world was your own party; this
   time, you've got competition. Fans of the previous title will be
   comfortably familiar with our old friends the T'Rang and the Umpani,
   who have their respective appendages in the present mix of power just
   as you do. 

   In all Wizardry VIII certainly seems like it will live upto it's
   prequels with an added advantage in it's graphics. Definitely a `must buy'
   for all RPG loyalists.