GameBanshee Feature: Wizardry 8 Preview

We’ve got a special lengthy peek at the RPG that I believe is RPG-of-the-year material, Wizardry 8, written by both myself and Flagg. Though numerous sites have previewed the game from the press release demo, we tried to give you as much information as we could about what kind of experience you will be having when it’s released. There are 12 new screens that show off the different areas included in our three-page page detailed look at Wizardry 8. Some dirt:

The Spell System – A constructive past time for the melee challenged

Both an important element to the art of combat as well as a boon to reconnaissance and travel is the magic system. Wizardry 8 features six different schools of magic and many of the classes are able to use at least one of them during their lives. There is of course the usual array of offensive, defensive and healing spells, but along with those come the non-combat charm spells, travel spells such as light, and buffing spells to enhance protection and efficiency during combat.

A great feature compared to many other games with spell systems is the ability to determine the intensity of a certain spell, maximizing mana with power against a specific target. Not only can you pick out the type of spell, but as your character gains levels, he or she can choose the appropriate multiplier, doing that many times in power compared with the original 1st level spell. There is, of course, the risk that a higher intensity will cause your spell to backfire especially if the character’s skill is not very high. It can be a very shocking experience to expect your level 4 whipping rocks spell to lash out at the small horde of enemies, and instead backfire and do damage to every member of your party. We’ll just label those mishaps as negative buffs.

For much more, sashay over to the preview.