Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land is part of a long and especially popular Japanese dungeon crawler series, whose roots reach back to the very beginnings of the genre on Western home computers. Media.Vision, a Japanese studio specializing precisely in this type of game, took the classic recipe of navigating dungeons from a first-person perspective and adapted it to the capabilities of the PlayStation 2, without abandoning the stark, raw atmosphere for which the series had always been valued among more demanding and patient players.

The player steps by step through the intricate floors of an underground complex, displayed from a first-person perspective on a square grid, assembles their own party of adventurers from several classes and races, and must face traps, puzzles, and enemies capable of quickly and mercilessly wiping out an inexperienced or poorly assembled group. Permanent character death and a noticeable absence of forgiving game mechanics are part of what makes the Wizardry series so demanding — every decision to go deeper into the dungeon is carefully weighed against the risk that the entire expedition might not return to the surface alive.

Tale of the Forsaken Land adds a more cohesive narrative framing and a more elaborate visual style than had been usual for the series so far, without giving up the core of the experience — slow, meditative, and unforgiving exploration of dark underground corridors. Progress through the game is rewarded not only with stronger equipment but also with the gradual uncovering of the circumstances that led to the damnation of an entire forgotten land, which motivates the player to keep pressing deeper despite the risk. For players used to more action-oriented and accessible RPGs, entering the world of Wizardry may at first seem inaccessible and off-putting, but it is precisely this uncompromising depth and fidelity to the genre that is the reason the series has kept loyal dungeon-crawler fans around the world for decades.