Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Game
Game2013
Wizardry 8
Developer Sir-Tech Canada
Wizardry 8 is the last installment in the Wizardry series of role-playing video games developed by Sir-Tech Canada. Serving as the third game in the "Dark Savant trilogy," it follows Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant. Originally published in 2001 by Sir-Tech, it was re-released by Night Dive Studios on GOG.com and Steam in 2013. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
256 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 27, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
154 positive · 33 negative
95% range 76–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 154 | 33 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 27 | 4 | 35 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
816 of 922 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 154 yes, 33 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 187 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,107 of 1,237 positive).
Players widely praise Wizardry 8 as a masterpiece of the CRPG genre with deep character customization and tactical combat. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game has frustrating level scaling and tedious combat encounters. [1][4][5] Several players report technical issues running the game on modern systems without fan patches. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
Ok, this game has a lot of great ideas, but the combat system is so annoying that I can't bear it anymore. And I'm not talking about difficulty - the game is relatively simple if you know what to do (at least on the "Normal" difficulty). The problem is, battles are abundant and boring. It looks like this: you're exploring an interesting location, suddenly a group of enemies appears nearby. And by "group" I mean …
- [1]
The best party-based CRPG ever made, IMHO. + fantastic interface + character development is a game on its own and it's great - the game world is too restricted, mostly moving in narrow corridors - level-based spawning of opposition, the constant tough battles can get pretty tedious
- [15]
the very first encounter killed my whole party edit: after over 100 hours im still on the brink of death 2nd edit: nearing 300 hours, now ive become both death and dead, my enemies are dead and so is my ability to keep track of time when playing this game, i love wizardry 8
- [3]
Ostensibly the pinnacle release of Sir-Tech's Wizardry series. And sadly, also the final chapter. Wizardry 8 takes everything that was great from the Wizardry series (and to be fair, some things that weren't) and moves them into a 3-D environment for you to explore and fight in. This CRPG has one of the best character development systems with 15 character classes and 11 races to choose from. Each class has a variety …
- [2]
Wizardry 8 is a legendary masterpiece of the CRPG genre + for me one of the (MANY) best games ever made that it is x 15... I still play it in 2026 with Wizardry8FanPatchV1.28Build so my hours here are irrelevant. SS ; +93/+100
Summarised from 34 of the 255 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
82% of the 187 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Wizardry 8. The complaint that keeps coming up: level scaling can be frustrating early on. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Wizardry 8 garnered "generally favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In 2017, Wizardry 8 were ranked #99 in IGN's "Top 100 RPGs of All Time" list. Chris Reed of IGN, more than a decade after the game's initial launch, commended its character creation tools and party system. He highlighted the remarkable variety of combinations available to players when forming their party. Wizardry 8 received recognition as the best computer role-playing game of 2001 from Computer Gaming World, GameSpot, and Computer Games Magazine (tied with Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura). RPG Vault, The Electric Playground, GameSpy and the Academy of Interactive Arts &…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 256 · most liked firstmore indie game devs should make dungeon crawlers like Wizardry 8 and Ultima Underworld It's a fantastic business idea, and it would make me, personally, very happy You'd sell tens of copies!
positive · AI labelView post →Playing through Wizardry 8, released in 2001, forget that it had a system where the actions you take improve your skills, and as I was grinding up my Earth skill, remembered a certain other game that had that great and forward-thinking RPG mechanic you don't see a lot of...yep... QUEST 64 !
neutral · AI labelView post →This article has an incredible dive into the reuse of journeyman fantasy art that reminds me of how Mummies In The Crypt has been used for: A book about MUDS A metal album A magazine cover Anglicized for the game David W Bradley made when his pitch for Wizardry 8 was rejected for being too horny
neutral · AI labelView post →FERAL BLOOD DOLL is a full-blown first person CRPG in the vein of Wizardry 8 or Might & Magic VI. Tactical turn-based combat. Tons of classes, skills, stats and systems. A game where you have to discover everything for yourself without handholding.
neutral · AI labelView post →The best party-based CRPG ever made, IMHO. + fantastic interface + character development is a game on its own and it's great - the game world is too restricted, mostly moving in narrow corridors - level-based spawning of opposition, the constant tough battles can get pretty tedious
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve been really enjoying Wizardry 8, unfortunately I cannot play as or kiss the Ratkin so it’s unfortunately a bad game
negative · AI labelView post →looking at a guide for the process of adding custom portraits to Wizardry 8 and the writer of the guide genuinely does not seem to understand why you would want to look at any character in a game that isn't an anime girl with massive tits
neutral · AI labelView post →Get the newest fan patch from moddb, currently 1.28. Install that. Run 3DSetup1_28c.exe Set to OpenGLa 3DVideo.cfg should look something like this "OpenGLa 3840 2160 32 DirectSound3D Software Emulation" Rename Wiz8.exe to Wiz8.exe.bak Rename Wiz8_v128.exe to Wiz8.exe Now you can launch the fan patch exe from steam. Enjoy a Wizardry 8 experience without crashing that visually looks great. Ive found that OpenGL is the most stable wizardry 8 experience on my system, your mileage may vary.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played the game for a few hours but just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. I have some experience with similar games—I completed Might & Magic 3, Might & Magic 6, and Might & Magic 7, played Might & Magic 8 and Wizardry 7, as well as a bunch of smaller titles like Eye of the Beholder and a more recent one, Legend of Grimrock. I fondly remember playing Might & Magic 6 back in the day (about 20 years ago), but I doubt I would ever revisit it. I'm afraid I wouldn’t be able to relive the same…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, this game has a lot of great ideas, but the combat system is so annoying that I can't bear it anymore. And I'm not talking about difficulty - the game is relatively simple if you know what to do (at least on the "Normal" difficulty). The problem is, battles are abundant and boring. It looks like this: you're exploring an interesting location, suddenly a group of enemies appears nearby. And by "group" I mean "large group". 10 freaking bandits, for example. Or, like, 15 giant wasps. Wizardry…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hot damn if Wizardry 8 isn't just, incredible What I keep hitting with these games is evolutionary branches that just, died, and the games today are weaker because of it. Everyone is still functionally copying the likes of Elder Scrolls, for instance: THIS HAS A GENUINELY COOL LOCK PICKING GAME
positive · AI labelView post →Get the GOG version, this one doesn't work. Game doesn't run anymore. At one point it did but now it simply doesn't open. There's a getting the game to work guide and I've followed all of the suggestions in that guide, I'm able to get to party generation but then it crashes when I try to start the game. GOG actually puts effort into ensuring their games will work on modern hardware. Steam gives no ♥♥♥♥♥.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wizardry 8 is a rather fascinating classical RPG for 2001, with some nice design features, but it is also not easy to recommend due to two glaring design flaws that almost all players, including its greatest fans, recognize. a) It uses a system of level scaling that can frustrate some players at the beginning of the game (i.e. each group of enemies has a level rating, which is not too far off from your party's average levels. +/- about 4 levels). As I have played the game fully, I can say…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the very first encounter killed my whole party edit: after over 100 hours im still on the brink of death 2nd edit: nearing 300 hours, now ive become both death and dead, my enemies are dead and so is my ability to keep track of time when playing this game, i love wizardry 8
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a long history with this game. I bought this game on CD-ROM about 2002. I played this game all the way through at least twice. I've played it halfway through another 10 times. This is the first and only RPG that was fully turn based mode, which through me off. I had played BG1, BG2, IWD1, Planescape Torment (Mostly Black Isle Studios and Interplay, which was propelled by the 3 dudes that created Bioware, along with Feargus. The stars of the group became Bioware. This game was different,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone who came from Baldur’s Gate 3. I can tell you Wizardry 8 is a beast of a game. I remember playing this as a kid but now I understand the D&D-style influence. Stats matter, positioning matters, and mistakes hurt. It has deep character creation, full party control, turn based combat, and a world that doesn’t care if you live or die. This is old-school RPG design at its purest. No hand holding, no quest markers, and NO MERCY. You’ll spend as much time reading guides and theorycrafting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decade... you mean 24 years ago lol And yeah, Wizardry 8 is a fantastic game, still has an active modding community. Wizards & Warriors is also a must-play if you want old-school dungeon-crawling in 3D and don't mind some jank.
positive · AI labelView post →Does not run in 2024 without modification. Game NOT recommended on modern hardware. Would be nice if steam implemented some sort of emulation support for older games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wizardry 8 is a legendary masterpiece of the CRPG genre + for me one of the (MANY) best games ever made that it is x 15... I still play it in 2026 with Wizardry8FanPatchV1.28Build so my hours here are irrelevant. SS ; +93/+100
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Make sure you set compatibility mode on Wiz.EXE, the rest should be easy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I walked down a waterfall and my team turned into screaming skeletons
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played the first 12 hours of this game about a thousand times, but have never finished it. That starter dungeon is seared into my mind to the point that I can still navigate it in my head, including all the fights/traps etc today. It's an awesome game, but exhaustingly hard. Character/Party optimizers will hit this like crack. Even today. I wish you could turn off spell effects and just generally speed up combat more. It really drags in some of those fights that start at very long…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly one of the best games/rpg's ever made. I remember loving it at release, but I don't think i appreciated it as much back then because I just thought games were getting better & better, that they would keep on improving. I had no idea that this was the peak of the genre until 23+ years later, and it feeling revolutionary compared to all the slop games developers make these days. I wish a developer could get Wiz 6 & 7 into this engine, Or that Wiz 9 was made with this games system as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even though this game was made 20 years ago as of this writing, the game itself offers very detailed customization and character creation. The story holds up as an interesting development and the combat is full of tactics. If you love RPGs then this is a historic gem.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're going to check out one of the old Wizardry games, then this is where to start. After trying to replay 6 and 7, they are just too old and annoying. But Wizardry 8 has a 20x better UI while still retaining the core gameplay experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I first bought this, it worked perfectly. Now it doesn't load up at all. Tried to get refund from steam but because I'd played it for more than 2hrs no refund. Now I'm stuck with a game I can't play, and steam continue to sell it even though they know the issues.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ostensibly the pinnacle release of Sir-Tech's Wizardry series. And sadly, also the final chapter. Wizardry 8 takes everything that was great from the Wizardry series (and to be fair, some things that weren't) and moves them into a 3-D environment for you to explore and fight in. This CRPG has one of the best character development systems with 15 character classes and 11 races to choose from. Each class has a variety of skills that improve over time as your characters use them. Combined…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wizardry 8 was such a good game for its time. The right amount of complexity and jank lol
positive · AI labelView post →old school game made the way games should be made.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best cRPG of all time, I wish someone would remaster/remake the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game - Wizardry 8 Song - Character Creation Year - 2001 Genre - CRPG Composer - Kevin Manthei Developer - Sir-Tech Canada
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the greatest of the wizardry series and it's a shame there has been no game like it since. This is unique experience that everyone should try. The use of the squad positioning effecting how you fight with moving monsters in an open world that is turn based and distance dependent. This is one of those games where the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. Even in 2025 this is a unique title that is still a blast. If only they would make a more updated version of this, open…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the best game in the wizardry series and is a masterpiece in turn based fantasy RPGs. It still holds up after 20 years. I would like to see a remastering.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2/3 the series is also well known for having the ability to import your character from one game to another, and you can even give a Diamond Ring to an NPC in Wizardry 8 (2001) that you can only get from an enemy in Wizardry 6 (1990)
neutral · AI labelView post →Wizardry 8 is an ancient game from 2001. It's a whopping 23 years old at the time of this review. The game lacks support for any modern gaming display resolutions (or widescreen monitors), hasn't been modernised or updated to run smoothly on modern gaming PCs. Despite this lack of modernisation, it carries a pretty high price tag for such an ancient game. This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try profit from abandonware. This was an old first…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't Buy this if you have macOS Sonoma, This Game is NOT a 64 Bit Application as it Advertises, and Does not work... so i am Unable to Play it at all. Looks Fun Though, if only i could get it to launch.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yup, old school rpg crack cocaine
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →amidst all the cancelled shows and game series, we have the Wizardry Dark Savant Trilogy for PC, which stretches from 1990 to 2001, which u might know as a time of RAPID advancement in computers by all accounts Wizardry 8 (the last one) is extremely good, and its incredible it saw the light of day
neutral · AI labelView post →Today on stream: Miserable Adventure of Total Losers I was able to figure out how to run Wizardry 8 (one of my all-time favourite games) on my computer, so we are going on a fun adventure today. See you in less than 2 hours.
positive · AI labelView post →Extremely buggy, difficult to get working on modern systems. Windowed mode is a massive pain, and there's some kind of incompatibility where VSync / refresh rates prevent movement input.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is probably the most underrated game ive ever played This NEEDS to be in the same conversation as other early aughts WRPG legends like Morrowind and Kotor if you love those 2 you're probably going to love this 5/5 it's been the better part of a decade since i've found an oldschool rpg with enough juiciness to sink my teeth in it and this is it it's probably going to be in my regular rotation forever now this game is stellar
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a 52 yo father, probably one of the oldest people playing Wizardry 8. I am a single father to my Son, who is 14 now. My son found this game at Christmas, so we installed it on his computer and he started playing. By the end of the week he had 24 hours on this game. This was horrible for me, as it was already hard for me to find ways to spend time with my son, as he is always out with his friends or just watching YouTube. So I decided to make a Steam account and get this game to see if I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wizardry 8 is a fantastic game with a few burdens which could make or break it for you. When it hits the mark, which is often, Wiz 8 delivers classic blobbering at its very best. It offers deep party creation and class balancing, an intricately crafted world full of puzzles and secrets, superb lore, an engaging story, and most importantly, excellent turn-based strategic combat. It absolutely nails the core elements that make the genre so rewarding. But, boy can it be slow paced. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of a few old games that is still playable
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Outstanding game, great amount of choices for upgrading your characters. Was a surprise to me how awesome this game is and what a nice job Nightdive Studios did with it. You can not find a better place to spend $1.49 on sale any where!! I like the talking characters which adds a touch of realism. D & D type goodness enough said.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's long, it's tedious, it's mostly roaming around fighting monsters and looking for various puzzle pieces while slowly improving your stats and gear and occasionally talking to an NPC to get a story tidbit. The 2001 graphics are just barely good enough to give a sense of place and the story is a wacky mix of sci-fi and fantasy, but it's all tied together nicely, and if you're a Wizardry fan (especially of Wizardry 7 Gold, from which you can import characters), you'll find it a satisfying…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the best rpg ever created
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This Is No Time For A Slow PC!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best Wizardry game ever! I hope they make a Wizardry 9
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Crazy that I havent played this till now. Incredibly good rpg. Right up there with Morrowind and other classics. This is a must play. I have way more hours than it shows, because I use mods to make it playable in proper resolution etc. Game is absolutely unique. I found a space ship and a launch tower with computers in it within a medieval town lol. So cool.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ive played for way more than 68hours. XD thats just the "new" steam version. fantastic, deep, RPG with a sandboxy feel. old and dated but still rewarding combat system that stays fun for return visits again and again. couldnt suggest it more!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very specific type of game, but best in class of that type. Combat is turn-based. Movement is slow. Level progression is grindy (and the cheese even more grindy -- for example, standing in front of a door that's difficult to open and trying to pick the lock for IRL hours, leveling up your skills). But for me this is a comfort game. Party wipes happen in early and late game, but not through most of the mid game (at normal difficulty). There's a lot of good advice on Steam and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A throwback to the days of DOS gaming. Game is utterly amazing. The fact that a game that is now some 25 years old and is still thoroughly playable as an awesome and deep RPG says a lot. While it's unfortunate SirTech no longer exists, their legacy lives on here.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flawless game for its time. I met with it when i was 6 years old, had no clue what im doing.. still was kinda enjoyable. Came back to it after yearrrrs. I got sooo hooked on.. If you can get used to the whole gamestyle of it.. The story, the mechanics, the characters dialouge, Voice actors/actresses. This game is SO magical, I might have like 1000 hours beside the steam one. Just wanted to show my gratitude for the developers buying it. If I would open it again, i'd still merge in for a week.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Out of the three games in what is considered the "Second Wizardry Trilogy" (Wizardry VI, VII & VIII), this one feels less like the other two. Reason being, there was a significant gap in time between this one's development and release to its predecessors. With that, it doesn't have quite the same aesthetic as the two before it, which get the edge in that department. VI & VII just happened to come out at the height of classic PC dungeon crawlers and the nostalgia (at least for me) is stronger…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great game that I first played in 2002 and was finally able to finish in 2025. It's a crunchy combat heavy RPG that rewards planning and exploration. There are elements that I would find hard to complete without a guide (ie: certain keyword prompts) but those moments are few and far between. It was a great time, and I would like to make time for it in the future and try a totally different party composition.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember playing this game when I was much younger and enjoying it, but I never ended up finishing it and I forgot why... It's harder than balls coming from hell. That's why. HOWEVER, if you take the time to plan out your team and do some research before diving in, you will have a much better experience with the game (it will save you the hassle of restarting your run 10 hours in due to poor stat/skill distribution). At it's core it really is an enjoyable experience with a decent…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Greatest Dungeon Crawler EVER! Timeless.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has the best replayability due to large number of workable party arrangements. The random elements help with this to There are just enough known placed items to serve as a guide. Graphics are dated but who cares if it is fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You only pay to download the game. Launching the game is not included.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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