Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant

About

In "Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant" , players can import characters from a previous game or create a new party to explore an alien world and search for a powerful secret. The game features a full soundtrack, point-and-click mouse interface, and auto-mapping, as well as multiple starting points and a vast, non-linear world. The player's actions and choices will determine how the story unfolds, making for a unique and engaging role-playing experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant screenshot

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 304 reviews

story26 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

Wizardry 7 offers deep character customization with a variety of races and classes, providing a rich RPG experience.
The game is challenging and rewarding, requiring strategic thinking and perseverance, reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers.
It features a unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi elements, creating an engaging and immersive world for exploration.

The game has aged poorly, with dated graphics and frustrating controls that may deter modern players.
It lacks quality-of-life features such as an automap, quest log, and autosave, making navigation and progression cumbersome.
The difficulty can be overwhelming, with many players finding it unplayable without extensive grinding and character preparation.

story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The story in Wizardry VII is praised for its depth and engaging writing, building on the narrative established in previous installments while offering a rich world filled with memorable NPCs. However, players note that the story can become convoluted and difficult to track without modern conveniences like quest logs or maps, leading to confusion about objectives. Overall, while the storytelling is considered strong and intricate, it requires players to actively engage and remember details to fully appreciate the experience.
- “Overall, this is a wonderful game with a fun story and brilliant writing.”
- “This member of the classic Wizardry series is perhaps the most amazing RPG story ever told on so little space.”
- “The seventh game continues that trajectory not only offering an intriguing story with a lot of characters, but also letting the player explore a huge and beautiful open world full of dangers and secrets.”
- “There is a story that is explained at length in the introduction, but has so little to do with a large portion of the game that it is very easy to forget what the objective is.”
- “Indeed, possibly the biggest flaw in Wizardry VII is that it is almost impossible to keep track of what is going on and what you need to do if you stop playing for a while. Despite finishing both Wizardry VI and VIII, I never did make it all the way through VII because I lost track of which NPC had stolen some of the items you need to progress the story, and also where that NPC even would be hanging out if I knew who it was.”
- “You need a tight story: the main story is vague and is told in a piecemeal fashion similar to Dark Souls.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its age of over 30 years, with many reviewers noting that they were once considered cutting-edge but now feel hard to endure. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and improvements over previous titles in the franchise, others find the visuals and character designs unappealing. Despite the graphical shortcomings, many players emphasize that the engaging story and gameplay compensate for the outdated visuals.
- “Now with improved graphics and UI, a massive game world and a lot of customization.”
- “Anyway, beautiful VGA graphics, wonderful MIDI soundtrack, enjoyable character building, fascinating world, excellent rare title where you can both import a party from the previous game and will be able to export your party to the following game.”
- “The seventh game continues that trajectory not only offering an intriguing story with a lot of characters, but also letting the player explore a huge and beautiful open world full of dangers and secrets (the graphics were great for the early 90s).”
- “As Wiz 6 hasn't aged well, the interface and graphics are just too hard to swallow or endure.”
- “The game was considered cutting edge back then, but now the graphics are dated and the controls are frustrating most of the time.”
- “Graphics are what you would expect from a game that old (terrible), but the story and puzzles far make up for them.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
61%
22%
The gameplay of Wizardry 7 is heavily focused on tactical combat, complemented by challenging riddles and intricate dungeon mechanics that can lead to extensive playtime, often requiring 750 to 1000 hours for first-time players without a walkthrough. While the game features classic RPG mechanics and some diplomacy elements, players have noted frustrating save mechanics and the need for manual mapping due to the complexity of the dungeons. Overall, the game offers a deep and engaging experience for those who enjoy strategic combat and puzzle-solving.
- “Classic RPG with great game mechanics.”
- “Wizardry 7 features diplomacy mechanics, but you're going to spend a lot of time in combat.”
- “The core of the gameplay is combat, especially if you enjoy tactical CRPG combat.”
- “The riddles and dungeon mechanics are so hard that I think if you play this game the first time without consulting a walkthrough, you probably end up with 750 - 1000 hours of gameplay.”
- “Additionally, there are plenty of dungeons and they have some of the most annoying mechanics I've ever seen, which requires some map drawings even if you have the minimap.”
- “Stupid save mechanics.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, often describing it as tedious and essential for progression, particularly in the early game. While some appreciate the complexity and rewards of party construction and combat, many express frustration with the excessive grinding required, especially due to high RNG elements. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making the experience feel joyless at times.
- “The early game is utterly joyless and after 3 hours I don't have the patience to keep grinding just for one paltry level up.”
- “Only downside is it can be grindy sometimes.”
- “- RNG is a bit on the high side, thus lots of grinding and save/reloading.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as absolutely hilarious and absurd, with a strong emphasis on tongue-in-cheek comedy. Players appreciate the intentionally bad voice-acting and clever narration, which contribute to an immersive experience filled with laugh-out-loud moments, such as the memorable waterslide puzzle. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the enjoyment of the game.
- “Absolutely hilarious and ridiculous-- and I didn't even mention the waterslide puzzle.”
- “The game world is huge and immersive, and the humor is perfectly tongue-in-cheek.”
- “I've played 'Gold' some 20 years ago (as part of the 'Ultimate RPG Archives' box), so the narration (which was decent) and the hilariously bad voice acting was funny to listen to again.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, attributing it to its challenging difficulty, deep character customization, and the impactful nature of player choices, which can lead to unexpected outcomes. This combination encourages multiple playthroughs, making it a standout title in terms of replay value.
- “Add in deep character customization and actions that actually have long-term (and sometimes surprising, unintended consequences), and you've got a gem with some true replay value.”
- “Good difficulty and replay value.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is praised for its beautiful MIDI soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience alongside the graphics and character building. However, some players express a desire to have the option to turn off the battle music.
- “Beautiful VGA graphics, wonderful MIDI soundtrack, enjoyable character building, fascinating world, excellent rare title where you can both import a party from the previous game and will be able to export your party to the following game.”
- “And turn off the fight music.”
- “And turn off the fight music.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, noting that it evokes nostalgic feelings reminiscent of their high school experiences. This sense of nostalgia significantly enhances their overall enjoyment and engagement with the game.
- “Made me feel the same as when I played it back in high school.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Many users feel that modern RPGs have neglected the depth of character development, particularly in terms of classes, races, and progression systems, which were more prominent in earlier titles.
- “The classes, races, and progression of character development is an element lost in most modern RPGs.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly without any noticeable glitches or lag, reminiscent of classic RPGs.
- “Truly a gem of old school RPG, runs smoothly; I have found no glitches or lag.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its stability, with users reporting a smooth experience free of glitches or lag, highlighting its reliability as a classic RPG.
- “Truly a gem of old school RPG, runs smoothly; I have found no glitches or lag.”