Glad to see the series not being ignored

[Taxonomic]

As a fan of the PC & the PS2 one (Forsaken Land) I was happy to see this come out. I was looking at it on RPGfan a couple months ago and thought the chances of it being picked up were almost zero.

Very pleased to see XSeed's interest in Wizardry. Thanks guys.

[veregna]

I'm terribly excited for this game, too! Played the demo from the JP PSN (...assuming I'm thinking of the right game, here) and I really enjoyed it. Horrible at the game, but I do really enjoy the old-school style.

[Lightthrower]

Yeeeees! Wizardry! I tried the demo for the 2nd PSN Wizardry game and i was killed preeetty quickly in the maze :-D! Very happy to see it back in North America. I even ordered the one on PS2, never did play much out of it but i loved it years ago.

Love you Xseed! Continue kicking BACONBACONBACON!

[fates]

I played the first Wizardry on my dad's old Apple IIc (still works!).

It was kind of sad to see the series flourish in Japan but never make it back here until now...

[Unfortunates]

So excited for this game! Thank you, thank you, thank you Xseed for localizing this. I think my wallet is trembling in fear... But since when do I listen to my wallet?!?! =D

[Blue Star Princess]

I've never heard of this series before. *glances around* Though I'll probably check it out.

[kolaces]

Never played a Wizardry game but after The Dark Spire I'm looking forward to this. Thanks a lot!

[Vaaniks]

I remember playing the old Wizardry games back in the day. Of course, there hasn't been a truly good new one released in America in a long, long time. I had assumed this one wouldn't be either, but now that XSEED is...well, now I have something else to look forward to!

[Phoenix_Apollo]

I must admit that I'm not the biggest fan of downloadable games (I'm a HDD space fiend), but since XSEED is doing this, I will make an exception. Plus, it's Wizardry. This series deserves to be popular in America again.

[Vaaniks]

I must admit that I'm not the biggest fan of downloadable games (I'm a HDD space fiend), but since XSEED is doing this, I will make an exception. Plus, it's Wizardry. This series deserves to be popular in America again.

*nods* Precisely! I should've said this, too, but I am also not the biggest fan of downloadable games (or even DLC, for that matter). For this, though, I will, and because XSEED is releasing it.

[Phoenix_Apollo]

I have nothing against Downloadable titles, but I almost get panic attacks whenever games bug me to, or require some sort of, install to the HDD (like you, Gran Turismo 5!). I've tried slowly to get myself up to doing DLC and have downloaded a couple DD games before, and it seems to be working. If all goes well with me and Wizardry, I think I'll be cool with DD titles in general, but we'll see.

[GeeLW]

It's too bad time travel isn't an option here, as there are DOZENS of Wizardry titles developed in Japan in addition to the NA made originals that would be worthy of release/re-release if the PS2 was more of a viable console these days. Although five of the first seven PC games were ported from PC to consoles in the US (NES and SNES with a Game Boy game somewhere in there I believe), it was Japan that ended up with Wizardry VI (on a few systems) and a reworked version of VII for the original PlayStation that was actually better than the PC game in terms of visuals and game speed. Wizardry 8 was the only PC game never ported to anything and that's too bad, as it's a superb finale to the original franchise (that deserves more attention and hopefully, this is the start of a renaissance for the franchise).

It's funny to see folks excited about Labyrinth of Souls because I can recall feeling the same well over 20 years ago when I first saw a Wizardry game and got hooked into those dangerous dungeons. I'm hoping this does really well as a download (and yes, XSEEDs expectations, ha ha) so that we'll hopefully see the follow-up and who knows, maybe one or both of the DS Wizardry games at some point. The market is shifting so quickly that it's hard to say whether "popular" is going to always trump "good" forever, but one can always hope that more people will see how Wizardry has inspired MANY other RPGs since the early 80's...

We shall see...

[Bil]

To think of all the Wizardry games we missed since Forsaken Land (almost 10 years ago)... I can only hope W:LoLs will have good sales so the series won't be japan-exclusive for another decade.

[Ventara]

I must admit that I'm not the biggest fan of downloadable games (I'm a HDD space fiend), but since XSEED is doing this, I will make an exception. Plus, it's Wizardry. This series deserves to be popular in America again.

I don't even know what this game is about, but I'll buy it if it means it'll help XSEED localize other games, namely more Falcom PSP titles.

[GeeLW]

Two references for you curious folks to pore over on the history of this series (get ready to be surprised if you're a fan of Etrian Odyssey, The Dark Spire, Shining in the Darkness/Shining the Holy Ark and other similar games):

http://www.tk421.net/wizardry/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizardry

in addition to ports of Wizardry I-VII (and Nemesis: A Wizardry Adventure) for different consoles, Japanese developers have cooked up many new games using the Wizardry name that take place in different lands with the majority sharing that classic tough dungeon crawling gameplay that's a hallmark of the franchise.

[Zeta]

As an old fan of Wizardry, Shining in the Darkness, Dragon Master Silk, and a fan of more recent games in the genre like The Dark Spire and especially Etrian Odyssey, hearing of a new Wizardry making it's was overseas was a certainly a pleasant surprise.

[WoottWinds]

Never played a Wizardry game, though I'm very excited for its release so I can try it out. Go XSEED!

[Shizuka]

I'm excited to see XSEED trying out PS3 games now. Maybe this, and a possible Rune Factory Oceans, they could start being a PS3 JRPG localization powerhouse.

[Hero]

while i am a fan of owning and collecting physical media, i have nothing against downloadable games. i've purchased tons of downloadable games and if downloads are the only way a publisher is able to bring us some games then so be it, i'll support them all the same.

with that said, i can't wait to play Wizardry. i've never played a Wizardry game before, but this one looks like it might be running on the Class of Heroes engine and i'm a big fan of those games.

[drunkninja]

^Same for me. Never played Wizardry before, but this looks sick! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

And yeah, part of me wishes this had a disc release, but I can do with this.

[Darth-Paper-Boy]

I was pretty surprised to see an ad for a Wizardry game show up in my in-box. I haven't messed with these since 3 and I gotta say, it makes my intent to get a PS3 sometime in the next few months a bit more interesting. Though the lack of a physical release is a bummer.

[GeeLW]

As noted above, Wizardry is actually the inspiration for games like Class of Heroes (and many others) and I think as far as engines go, I'd gather Acquire might be using their own or an updated one from one of the many PS2 Wizardry games (but not the Busin games). Still, I'm glad people are referencing their favorite JRPG here (as long as they check out the history in the process - even Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy were inspired by Wizardry to some extent - DQ more than FF, but it's definitely there)...

[Ryos]

I played the first Wizardry on my dad's old Apple IIc (still works!).

It was kind of sad to see the series flourish in Japan but never make it back here until now...

I don't know what in the world happened to dungeon crawlers out here. Other than the Diablo clones, they've more or less disappeared. It's a shame too because Wizardry does such a great job. Can't wait for this (and hopefully more Wizardry)!

[Shizuka]

I wonder if we're getting a retail release with the second game, just like Acquire is doing in Japan.

[GeeLW]

I don't know what in the world happened to dungeon crawlers out here. Other than the Diablo clones, they've more or less disappeared. It's a shame too because Wizardry does such a great job. Can't wait for this (and hopefully more Wizardry)!

Most of the better (interesting/quirky) dungeon crawlers out there are indie games from many different small to medium-sized studios. Avernum, Geneforge, Desktop Dungeons, Epic Dungeon, Eschalon, Siege of Avalon, Driftmoon (still in progress), Lost Legends (unfinished) and many, many more have been floating around the web as paid or free titles that are equal to or better than some of today's titles. Still, there's no substitution for Wizardry as the granddaddy that got almost everyone else off the ground...

g.

[GeeLW]

Shizuka - this should answer your question:

http://fanboydestroy.blogspot.com/2011/04/update-xseed-still-loves-you-wizardry.html

[Wyrdwad]

with that said, i can't wait to play Wizardry. i've never played a Wizardry game before, but this one looks like it might be running on the Class of Heroes engine and i'm a big fan of those games.

As GeeLW noted, Wizardry was actually an inspiration for Class of Heroes -- but even more than that, as I understand it, Class of Heroes basically IS a Wizardry game, just reskinned with new art.

I don't know the whole story, but I do know that some fans out there have even gone so far as to boycott the Class of Heroes series for ripping off Wizardry (maps and all) without authorization from the license-holder.

Again, I'm not familiar with the whole story, so I can't verify how true ANY of this is -- but that's what other fans have told me. And having played the first Class of Heroes game briefly, as well as Wizardry: LoLS, I can tell you with certainty that the gameplay is virtually identical -- so if you liked CoH, I believe you'll definitely like LoLS as well.

-Tom

[Shizuka]

Shizuka - this should answer your question:

http://fanboydestroy.blogspot.com/2011/04/update-xseed-still-loves-you-wizardry.html

Awesome, thanks for the news. I'll buy the digital download version of the first day one anyway, might as well show the support already.

[Eon]

I have played wizardry 1 through 8 and loved them all. Even played one on the NES. Very happy to see this one. Thanks Xseed!

[GeeLW]

The funny thing about these fan-bans is sometimes they're a tiny bit silly if you consider there's a very huge difference between homage and rip-off. That and often opinions can spread like wildfire into some sort of oddball "facts" based more on who's yelling the loudest about something that's not quite as terrible as it seems.

I can think of a few games I own that never were released in the US that are more or less re-skinned versions of Wizardry (the two Solid Link games spring to mind immediately, as I can see them staring at me from the PSOne stacks). But I've never seen any of these titles as ban-worthy because they've kept that distinct style of gameplay and difficulty alive.

Amusingly enough, when Atlus released Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land back in the day, I recall reading about a few hardcore fans of the PC game going on rants about how it wasn't a "real" Wizardry game because of a few factors that actually added to the experience (in my opinion). So at the end of the day, it's one of those cases where actually playing CoH (or any game that's similar to one that you love) and enjoying the similarities works out a lot better than hitting it over the head with the ban hammer (TM) because one isn't willing to be a bit more flexible...

[Wyrdwad]

Well, IF the allegations are true, I can understand where the fans are coming from, since the claim is that Class of Heroes is literally the EXACT SAME GAME as one of the Wizardry titles -- same exact dungeon maps (as in, you could use a walkthrough for the Wizardry game to get through Class of Heroes), same exact gameplay, same EVERYTHING -- but with an anime reskin to "hide" the plagiarism.

I imagine if that were true, though, then the creators of the game would've gotten sued by now... so I suspect the claim may have been exaggerated a bit. (:

-Tom

[Shizuka]

It was just heavily inspired, that's all.

[repulsive human]

I played the first Wizardry on my dad's old Apple IIc (still works!).

It was kind of sad to see the series flourish in Japan but never make it back here until now...
Hey! I don't know if you could say the series is flourishing in Japan. The highlight of the series was 8, which came out in 2001 and did the most with the formula (it was still super anachronistic). All of the Wizardry games produced in Japan since 8 have been fairly retrogressive and either skimmed or ignored entirely the steps 8 made, including this one. Each new Wizardry game is more a series of new maps rather than new ideas or mechanics.

I'm not complaining or anything! I'm definitely going to get this, I just wanted to correct the idea that the series was doing anything other than stagnating completely.

[Wyrdwad]

When he said "flourishing," I'm pretty sure he meant "has released lots of games, which are selling reasonably well." And in that respect, the series most definitely IS flourishing.

You don't need to innovate in order to flourish, after all. (:

-Tom

[repulsive human]

Maybe! I don't want to be a semantic guy, but I think "flourishing" kind of implies development and progress as opposed to "meeting the status quo".

[Zigfried]

Innovation is massively over-rated... refinement is where it's at! Improving on successful techniques of the past is the finest form of progress (as opposed to ditching all that stuff just to try something new). This one looked pretty cool even before I heard about the US release, and I'm certainly planning to buy it.

[GeeLW]

rh, you have to realize that in a way, the Japanese Wizardry games were NEVER supposed to surpass what Wizardy 8 did on PC. Remember, W8 got a low production run, was never re-released, nor ported to consoles, so a LOT of people here have never played it. I would argue (well not ARGUE argue, lol) that the Japanese games all WORK fine in keeping the franchise going since they're not trying hard to be so "innovative" that they vanish under a pile of changes and major tweaks that render the Wizardry right out of them.

Then, there's that interesting penchant for the different Japanese Wizardry developers to be SO true to the original formula that yes, defying things such as perhaps updating some of the stiffer parts of the overall experience might be seen as a bad thing. On the other hand, that dedication to the classic part of the equation is what makes the games enjoyable for some of us. Should a Wizardry game have blazing 60fps HD graphics, high-quality cut scenes, a third person mode with the ability to see your entire party, online multiplayer and a map editor PLUS new content every two weeks or so? While it would most likely be a great RPG, it wouldn't "feel" like a Wizardry game at all (but I'd like to see new monthly dungeons!)

I recall Tale of the Forsaken Land getting a few knocks because it used 3D models for enemies and added things such as those button puzzle trap sequences and a few other things that weren't in the older games. I even remember actually seeing a few posts from people who HATED the character art (which was beautiful stuff all around) or some of the goofier humor (without realizing that there's some of that silly humor sprinkled through most of the other old Wizardry games).

By the way, I'd say close to 30 original Wizardry titles on consoles, many of which have been republished (some more than once) is called "flourishing" to some extent. What other series has gone on that long and is still running based on pretty much the same tried and true formula (insert those Mario, Pokemon and Call of Duty jokes here)? You could automatically say Final Fantasy... but Square has gone in so many directions with the franchise that it's a lot different in many ways than it was in the past (for better and worse). Dragon Quest has stuck to mostly the same familiar formula, but the spin-offs have touched different sub-genres to varying degrees of success, so that sort of doesn't count either. Maybe some of Falcom's stuff, the Tales series, Star Ocean and a few others... but those have modernized over time as well (again, some work and some don't).

Wizardry is just fine as it is for my money, "stagnant" or not. The import Wizardry games (like them or not for whatever reasons) are at least reliable in terms of players knowing what to expect in everything except the stories. Yup, you'll be rolling party members up or picking a pre-made pack, setting out and getting killed if you go too quickly, maybe losing a character permanently once or twice and so forth and so on...

By the way... If the series was indeed stagnating, it would have been canned long ago (er, well... at least in the US, where if a game doesn't move a half million units in two blinks and a leg twitch, a studio shuts down and stars wink out a galaxy away). Someone must have been buying all those games in Japan, right? Heck, if LoLS starts a revival of the franchise here in the US, I'll be one of the first to slap whomever is lucky enough to nab the publishing rights to future releases on the back and make them buy me a beer or two...

[repulsive human]

Innovation is massively over-rated... refinement is where it's at! Improving on successful techniques of the past is the finest form of progress (as opposed to ditching all that stuff just to try something new). This one looked pretty cool even before I heard about the US release, and I'm certainly planning to buy it.No, I don't think innovation is overrated at all; it's a necessary aspect of game design, especially in a genre of games as old and monolithic as RPGs. I think a lot of people interpret innovation in the way Nintendo has been using it recently: sweeping and sometimes incomprehensible changes to established conventions, when it can be as simple as the way areas are spaced, the way dialogue is handled, minute changes in battle mechanics. It's really building on tested principles. Like for example, the Megami Tensei series started out pretty much as a Wizardry 4 clone, but it developed those ideas with every iteration of the series until it became what it is today. In fact, I think that's a pretty good example since it's based so much on Wizardry.

But yeah, like I said, I'm pretty excited for this game and I've been wanting to play it for a long time. In fact, I'm getting a PS3 just to play it (well, some other stuff too ;)).


GeeLW stuffHey dude, you posted this while I was typing my response to Zigfried. I think I addressed some of this in my response, like what innovation in a series like Wizardry is. I think it's something a lot more subtle than HD graphics or third person mode or whatever. More than that, I don't think Wizardry has ever been a series that attracts the kind of person interested in those things.

Also yeah, I think Wizardry is fine. I thought Forsaken Lands or whatever on the PS2 was neat, but to an extent I feel like the onus of progress should fall on an industry hallmark like Wizardry, which continues to be massively influential.

Sorry for uh, getting this so off topic.

[Zigfried]

I would consider the stuff you called "innovation" in Wizardry to be "refinement", because those things aren't really introducing new concepts -- they're taking something existing and tweaking it to be better. Refinement means to build on existing principles, whereas innovation would be pursuing a different principle. So we agree on everything except what to call it!

Sometimes I wonder what Robert Woodhead (I think that was the Wizardry creator's name) thinks of how the Japanese have taken that series and keep producing more and more.

[Taxonomic]

Wizardry 8 is one of my all time favorite games, but it had a lot of problems that kept it from being anything more than a cult hit for RPG geeks like myself.

First of all, Sir-Tech went bankrupt before the game was done. Apparently the advertisement in the game closing screen for Falcon Northwest was due to them needing outside funding to finish it.

Secondly, EBgames was the only store that carried it, due to some licensing issue. No other gaming store carried it in their stock *except* EBgames, so that severely limited the game's availability.

It's a tremendously awesome game. I remember being the first person on the Gfaqs board to beat it and submitted my end game file to the guy who did the FAQ for it so he could view my builds.

[GeeLW]

Eh, I don't think you were "off topic" at all - If you were talking about Funyons and how they go good on that tartare you made the other day, it would be an issue, lol...

Innovation, when handled as you noted (with a GREAT point at that) is indeed a solid thing. What I don't like is when the term is used by game reviewers to bash a game that really doesn't require innovation to be FUN to play (and judged its own merits as opposed to being wish-listed as a clone of every shooter of the month with a cover system and flashy power-ups or whatever). Funny thing, too. Wizardry is basically cloning itself and not adding more than the devs think it needs (which is fine in my book).

Of course, I bet we've ALL played RPG's that tried so hard to do something "innovative" in terms of combat that the games were too arcane for their own good. I'm not naming names, but I can think of a few off the top of my head that had some of the worst combat for turn-based or real time play where it was a chore to go through the tutorials and the main games only got more frustrating because there were too many variables to keep track of...

Oh, you're in for a fine chunk of PS3 exclusives if you're new to the console (good year to grab one, so welcome aboard)...

[GeeLW]

Wizardry 8 is one of my all time favorite games, but it had a lot of problems that kept it from being anything more than a cult hit for RPG geeks like myself...

It's a tremendously awesome game. I remember being the first person on the Gfaqs board to beat it and submitted my end game file to the guy who did the FAQ for it so he could view my builds.

Heh... I remember lucking out and finding the game used for about $30 (and having issues thanks to my lousy PC at the time), selling it off to a friend and then buying it back a few years later after I upgraded. Then, installing it before finding and installing the no HUD patch and a few other tweaks, then losing track of time for a few weeks. All that work went up an a poof of smoke when my hard drive got wiped out, so I ended up not going near W8 for a few years after that.

As much as I'm thinking of firing it up again one day, I'd LOVE to see it remade and brought to consoles one of these days just so more folks could experience it (instead of trying to track it down on eBay).

I actually had a wacky dream a few years ago that had me wake up laughing - it was of some guy selling a boxed set of WIzardry games on QVC! The first 7 had all been remade as DS games and the lot came in a big leather-bound box with all this stuff packed in (artbook, music CD, making of DVD, poster, cards, and so forth and so on). It was like an omake clown car - every time you thought he was done showing you something cool, out came a new bonus item...

The funny part of the dream was when the entire run sold out within five minutes of a half-hour presentation and the guy basically starts singing and dancing to kill time... i had no idea there was a Wizardry theme song!

Yeah, I have some really crazy dreams...

g.

[brightsuzaku]

Your dreams are awesome, and you'd totally buy that first run, wouldn't you?

[Hero]

I don't know the whole story, but I do know that some fans out there have even gone so far as to boycott the Class of Heroes series for ripping off Wizardry (maps and all) without authorization from the license-holder.
but how is it a ripoff if the Wizardry games and the Class of Heroes games are both developed by Acquire?

[Shizuka]

but how is it a ripoff if the Wizardry games and the Class of Heroes games are both developed by Acquire?

Because the old Wizardry weren't made by Acquire, and this new Wizardry was released after the first Class of Heroes.

[Hero]

Because the old Wizardry weren't made by Acquire, and this new Wizardry was released after the first Class of Heroes.

oh ok, gotcha

[GeeLW]

@Hero: click here for a bit of helpful history:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizardry
www.tk421.net/wizardry/

There have been a few different Japanese developers and publishers for Wizardry games since the NES and Game Boy days. ASCII, Locus/Soliton, Taito, Starfish, Atlus, MichaelSoft and Acquire are all part of the long history the series has there. Acquire is just the latest in a long line keeping that flame alive and now Xseed has joined the family in terms of getting at least one new game to the NA market (which I hope extends to those DS games at some point).

@ bright - well, it's MY dream, so I'd get that box set for free (yeah, right!). I think I was also laughing when I woke up because I was so amazed by the presentation that I forgot to call in to buy that imaginary box set! So... close (hits self on head with mallet in the hopes to reboot that same dream).. THUD!

Zzzzz...

[Mutagene]

I'll come out and say that I know nothing about the Wizardry series and am only interested in this game because one of my favorite artists worked on it.

Yuki Hayabusa is a crazy-talented artist.

[GeeLW]

^ well, it seems a lot of folks here and other boards are new to Wizardry, but that's good. As long as you all start seeing why it's such an important franchise in the history of RPGs and hop on board, you're all helping spread the love. And yup, Hayabusa's work is indeed awesome. There are a couple of other artists that have worked on the games in Japan, but his stuff stands out as some of the best (if not the best)...

[Shizuka]

I'm new to the series, and I'm buying it because I want to support XSEED on their new endeavor and I was really anticipating this title.

[brightsuzaku]

I just need a dungeon-crawler to munch on for rainy days! Being able to get some Wizardry now is exciting to me~

[Peekachu]

Didn't read every post in this thread, so I apologize if this was already up.

Trophy list for the game, possible spoilers (Google should auto-translate, or use Chrome):

http://www.ps3trophies.org/game/wizardry/trophies/

Do note the 200 hour playtime trophy! Epic grind. I love it.

[Shizuka]

Most of the trophies are pretty much battle-based, but you can use a turbo-controller for almost all of them.

[Ryos]

Do note the 200 hour playtime trophy! Epic grind. I love it.

Remarkably appropriate for Wizardry, heh.

[GeeLW]

Heh... Can't say THAT about a bunch of RPG's that tried to "action up" their turn-based combat (to mixed and sometimes confusing results)...

I like the direct simplicity in Wizardry's menu-driven battles. If you want to take that RPG Nap (TM) during an 8-hour session, you won't wake up 15 minutes later to see a GAME OVER screen because you got jumped by a roaming enemy and missed playing button tango on your controller. "Oh, look... someone put a QTE and dexterity test in my turn-based RPG!"

I'll grind in a dungeon crawler, I'll even grind my own coffee, but I won't grind a controller into the carpet because of some overly complex battle system that requires pulling off fighting move combos at random intervals and playing a sped up game of Simon simultaneously... Well, not in a Wizardry game at least, lol...

[Peekachu]

Heh... Can't say THAT about a bunch of RPG's that tried to "action up" their turn-based combat (to mixed and sometimes confusing results)...

I like the direct simplicity in Wizardry's menu-driven battles. If you want to take that RPG Nap (TM) during an 8-hour session, you won't wake up 15 minutes later to see a GAME OVER screen because you got jumped by a roaming enemy and missed playing button tango on your controller. "Oh, look... someone put a QTE and dexterity test in my turn-based RPG!"

I'll grind in a dungeon crawler, I'll even grind my own coffee, but I won't grind a controller into the carpet because of some overly complex battle system that requires pulling off fighting move combos at random intervals and playing a sped up game of Simon simultaneously... Well, not in a Wizardry game at least, lol...

Well you may have TM'd that, so I'll go with RPG Narcolepsy :) My gaming naps aren't scheduled but spontaneous. I can't count the number of times that I've fallen into a near catatonic state with a controller in my hands. I'm fit and relatively young so its not as if I'm some doddery old one, but still. Certain games have this cadence, music or pacing that can just knock me out if I'm a little tired to begin with.

And yes, action-RPGs are fun and all, but I do love a good turn based affair. Wizardry should fit the bill nicely.

[GeeLW]

Heh... When you're younger, it's narcolepsy. When you're older, it's a "nap", even if it's unscheduled. PROTIP: you have to play it off like it WAS.

That's my big tip for you when you reach middle age and above. ALWAYS make everything look planned! People will be in awe of your skills in evolving to the point where you can drop off into Snoozeville at a moment's notice. "How does he DO that?"

"That'll be five cents, please."

[Peekachu]

Heh... When you're younger, it's narcolepsy. When you're older, it's a "nap", even if it's unscheduled. PROTIP: you have to play it off like it WAS.

That's my big tip for you when you reach middle age and above. ALWAYS make everything look planned! People will be in awe of your skills in evolving to the point where you can drop off into Snoozeville at a moment's notice. "How does he DO that?"

"That'll be five cents, please."

"Relatively young", meaning in my early 30s lol Life expectancy is higher these days, so its not entirely a lie! :)

[GeeLW]

"Relatively young", meaning in my early 30s lol Life expectancy is higher these days, so its not entirely a lie! :)

True, true... if it were 1837, you'd be in a pine box by now (and heck, I'd be typing this as a ghost *boooooo*)...

[Peekachu]

My great decrepitude aside, I have unearthed a treasure on the JPSN or HKPSN...

Demos for both Labyrinth of Lost Souls and Prisoners of the Lost City. Easier to find on the Hong Kong PSN as its all in English - just go to the "demos" section.

These games are VERY kanji intensive, keep that in mind, but its fun to click random options and check out the scenery :)

[GeeLW]

Oh, I've done that clicking around deal in more than my share of JRPGs (and amazingly enough, have completed a few with a ton of "aha... that character means this!" moments as I slowly creep around to learning more and more of the language). I had a walkthough for the first import RPG I finished (amusingly enough, the Wizardry-inspired Mega Drive classic Shining & The Darkness), but it was all maps copied from a Japanese game mag and a few English tips for some of the final areas.

I think Air's Adventure on the Saturn was the first game I completed stat to finish with zero assistance. And was surprised that I finished, as despite being an entry-level (i.e. EASY as sin) game, it had a few sequences that were mildly baffling and required digging out a dictionary and a kanji flip card booklet I'd picked up. I'd actually gone through Front Mission and FM: Gun Hazard before that, but I don't count those as there's more than enough English in them to make them playable even if you don't understand everything...

[Dio]

Are you guys doing the Wizardry Twin Pack? You know, the blu-ray bundle of both Wizardry PS3 games? It'd be awesome to have a physical copy.

[Ryos]

Are you guys doing the Wizardry Twin Pack? You know, the blu-ray bundle of both Wizardry PS3 games? It'd be awesome to have a physical copy.

Per their Facebook reply, it depends on sales of the first - which is a lot like how it happened in Japan too. Of course, I'd rather have the physical copy just because XSEED always does such a great job with premium goodies, but oh well. :(

[Eon]

Per their Facebook reply, it depends on sales of the first - which is a lot like how it happened in Japan too. Of course, I'd rather have the physical copy just because XSEED always does such a great job with premium goodies, but oh well. :(

If I need to buy several to get that then I will :) Really I will talk all my friends into getting this game that is for sure. Having both on Blu-ray would be great.

[DamageCity]

This is a day one game for sure!

[Shizuka]

Per their Facebook reply, it depends on sales of the first - which is a lot like how it happened in Japan too. Of course, I'd rather have the physical copy just because XSEED always does such a great job with premium goodies, but oh well. :(

That could make a lot of possible customers to wait and not buy the first title as DD, because they'd rather have it on disk (and having two games for the price of one). I'd rather XSEED to say "We'll wait and analyze" instead of that statement.

[Ryos]

That could make a lot of possible customers to wait and not buy the first title as DD, because they'd rather have it on disk (and having two games for the price of one). I'd rather XSEED to say "We'll wait and analyze" instead of that statement.

Unfortunately, I have to concur. But that's always the risk you run into when you decide to predicate a release on sales numbers of something that may be intentionally flat because some folks would rather wait...

[Shizuka]

Unfortunately, I have to concur. But that's always the risk you run into when you decide to predicate a release on sales numbers of something that may be intentionally flat because some folks would rather wait...

They had good intent, but I'd rather they didn't say anything at all.

[GeeLW]

Well, hopefully the current PSN issue that's screwing up the network for every online account will actually be resolved so people can get games there PERIOD. I'd hate to see this get lost forever thanks to some stupid technical issues (that may be a result of some really annoying individuals if you read assorted reporting)...

[Ryos]

Well, hopefully the current PSN issue that's screwing up the network for every online account will actually be resolved so people can get games there PERIOD. I'd hate to see this get lost forever thanks to some stupid technical issues (that may be a result of some really annoying individuals if you read assorted reporting)...

Heh, just one of many reasons why I am not a big fan of download only releases...

[repulsive human]

What is the Wizardry Twin Pack? Is it one of those Wizardries with multiple games bundled inside and you can import your party from one to the other? Those rule. I'd definitely hold out for a physical copy of that.

[Shizuka]

Wizardry Twin Pack is a bundle that Acquire released in Japan in which both Wizardry PS3 games are in one disk.

[Suzaku]

It's great to see Wizardry finally making a return. The demo was great fun. With all the other Wizardry-like games releasing over here, I have to imagine that LoLS will do well. At least, I hope it does. I'd love to see the next one make it, too!

[Mickeymac92]

Yeah, I'm really happy about this, and I honestly can't wait to play it. Haven't played Wizardry since the first game on the PC, and I probably still suck at it, heheh.:P

[Eon]

Yeah, I'm really happy about this, and I honestly can't wait to play it. Haven't played Wizardry since the first game on the PC, and I probably still suck at it, heheh.:P

You don't have to worry about that. There will be plenty of us here to hlep you out if you get into trouble. :D

[Ghaleon]

You don't have to worry about that. There will be plenty of us here to hlep you out if you get into trouble. :D


Don't listen to this post, you should be crapping your pants, sweating from fear, unable to sleep. Every random encounter should make you claw at your mouse like you're about to get amputated, this is the way to enjoy a good classic dungeon crawl >=P

[Ryos]

Don't listen to this post, you should be crapping your pants, sweating from fear, unable to sleep. Every random encounter should make you claw at your mouse like you're about to get amputated, this is the way to enjoy a good classic dungeon crawl >=P

It's Wizardry so you'll have to do this anyway - minus the mouse part. :P

[Ghaleon]

Lol Derp, good call, kinda used to pc based dungeons crawls =p