Wizardry 2: Knight of Diamonds
Reviewed by Weed
Wizardry II: Knight of Diamonds is a role-playing game set is an
underground labyrinth. You control 6 characters that each have
different talents. For example, a thief is good at opening treasure
chests and a mage is good at casting attack spells. You will rely
on your companions as you enter this deep dungeon and search
for the five missing pieces of armor of the Knight of Diamonds.
Each piece of armor must be fought first until it is added to
your inventory. While traveling, you will encounter strange
beasts whom you must find to gain experience and gain gold.
A treasure chest may appear after any battle, and it may be
trapped. You must have your thief inspect and disarm the trap
before claiming what is inside. Prizes inside may be anything,
including a cursed weapon. As you progress through the game,
your clerics and mages will learn new spells, allowing you to fight
stronger enemies. After a while, your characters may gain enough
strength to change their class and become a samurai, lord, or
ninja, which are excellent at fighting and casting spells, except
for the ninja, who is specially trained for combat. You must
collect different items to progress through certain parts of the
game, and you may have to return to the starting point, the City
of Llyngamyn, to heal your characters.
Graphics 5 out of 10
The graphics for this game aren't particularly thrilling. It's dark
in the dungeon, after all. All you really can see are brink walls
and doors. When in battle, you can see the enemy you are fighting,
but many of them aren't very pretty. Most RPG fans would expect
to find a colorful world, however, that is not the case here.
Music and Sound 5 out of 10
Once again, there's not much here, either. There's only 2 or 3 songs
in the whole game, so they repeat often. And since battles occur
frequently, you never really get to hear the whole song. If I
remember correctly, the songs aren't that great, either.
Game Challenge 9.5 out of 10
Whenever I first got this game, I started playing it and then quit.
The game was too hard and I didn't really understand what I was
doing. Then 5 years later or so, after I read the instruction
booklet, I finally learned how to play. You can't just go right into
the dungeon, it really helps if you draw a map on graph paper.
Also, I never used any of my curing spells in battle. That was
kind of a stupid thing to do. I always got lost and could never
find my way back to Llyngamyn. But now that I'm older, I
respect the game and admire the challenge that it offers RPG fans.
Game Play-Fun 10 out of 10
I really enjoyed playing this game. It was fun only after I learned how
to play, though. I was always interested in fighting more enemies and
wondering what new treasures I would gain next. Some of the items
found in the labyrinth are really cool. For example, some of them will
instantly change your class to a better one. Others will improve
your statistics by a point, or cure you of an ailment. Some potions
restore health, while others are used for attacking enemies.
Even some armor found in the dungeon can cast spells repeatedly,
without wasting magic points. It's actually a really fun game,
despite its drab appearance.
Frustration
It's really easy to get mad at this game. You can frequently get
lost and it's kind of easy to die and never be found again by a new party.
Replayability 8 out of 10
It's always fun to pick up a classic and start playing it again. In
the Wizardry series, this is easy to do since the events that
happen each time are totally random. The only thing I don't like
about it is that you might have to delete some characters
to start over.
Game Value 10 out of 10
Since this game really doesn't cost much anymore, it's definitely
worth the price. It's fun and playing it is an experience you will
never forget.
Overall 8 out of 10
This game isn't for everyone, I have to admit that. But if you are
looking for a good week of fun to spend playing a video game, the
Wizardry series is certainly one for you. As I said earlier, the game
is really fun, and you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time
wondering what happens next. It's too bad that you probably won't
find this game in many stores nowadays. If you do, I'd be delighted
to hear about it. Wizardry is a great RPG series. Just play it and
see for yourself!