| Wizards & Warriors | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Keith Parkinson[2] | |
| Developer | Heuristic Park |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Designers | David W. Bradley, Nathan Cheever |
| Composer | Steve Miller |
| Platform | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre | Role-playing video game |
| Mode | Single-player |
Wizards & Warriors is a role-playing video game for Microsoft Windows designed by David W. Bradley.
Gameplay is similar in style to Bradley's earlier Wizardry games. Players control a party of characters through a first-person perspective and fight turn-based combats. Outside of combat, the game is real-time. Characters can join guilds that give exclusive quests, and each character maintains their own individual quest log.[3] Guilds also allow characters to switch classes. Characters can switch classes as many times as they like but can not return to a class once they change from it.[4]
Development began in 1996 and lasted four years.[5] Bradley initially reported the game would have a system that allowed players to choose between real-time and turn-based combat, though this was later abandoned. Competitive multiplayer was also planned based on the guild system, though this, too, was removed.[3]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 70/100[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    [7] |
| CNET Gamecenter | 7/10[8] |
| Computer Games Strategy Plus | [9] |
| Computer Gaming World | [10] |
| EP Daily | 4.5/10[11] |
| Game Informer | 5/10[12] |
| GameRevolution | C[13] |
| GameSpot | 7/10[14] |
| GameSpy | 68%[15] |
| GameZone | 7.5/10[16] |
| IGN | 8.4/10[17] |
| Next Generation | [18] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 74%[19] |
The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6] Sam Derboo of Hardcore Gaming 101 wrote that it "feels like Bradley's alternative Wizardry 8".[3] In comparing the two games' dungeons, Derboo said the dungeons of Wizards & Warriors are more complex.[3] Andrew Seyoon Park of GameSpot wrote that the game seems to be unimpressive at first, perhaps because of its long development, but provides "many hours of exploration and character building".[14] Tal Blevins of IGN complimented the game's graphics and voice acting, though he wrote that the controls can be annoying. Blevins concluded, "If you like old-school RPGs, you'll fall in love with Wizards & Warriors."[17] Jonathan Houghton of The Adrenaline Vault likened it to EverQuest, saying that the game's unoriginal storyline is compensated for by its depth and longevity.[20] In criticizing the game's controls, graphics, and story, Will Lally and Tina Haumersen of GameSpy wrote, "Aside from some nostalgia value, there is nothing to recommend this game."[15] Doug Trueman of NextGen wrote, "What might have been a decent RPG a couple of years ago can't compete today with the likes of Diablo II and Icewind Dale."[18] Brian Wright of GamePro wrote, "RPG fans looking for a change of pace from Baldur's Gate II and who are willing to overlook a few flaws may want to give Wizards & Warriors a chance."[21][a]
