Wizards and Warriors - PC Games

The story concerns an evil Pharaoh who has returned from the grave to terrorise the fantasy world of Gael Serran. Only the mystical Mavin Sword can stop him, so it's up to the player to organise a party of six to find the sword and save the world. You can choose from several fantastic races that include your standard elves, dwarves and humans, but also offers the more interesting and bizarre rat-headed Ratlings, pig-headed Gourks, tiger-headed Whiskahs, tiny Pixies, reptilian Lizzords and elephantine Oomphaz. Four character classes are available initially (Rogue, Fighter, Sorcerer and Priest), but after gaining experience characters can switch to other classes like Samurai, Valkyrie, Paladins and Ninja.

The adventure is in first person using a less-than-satisfying graphics engine. It's the old-school six-characters-act-as-one interface, but the inclusion of too-frequent jump puzzles makes the interface hard to control at times. There is almost nothing in the way of the special effects fans likely expect and the audio is substandard. Parents should note that there is also a small amount of nudity. The technology may be unsatisfying but that doesn't bar the game from greatness and wonder. You will be hard-pressed to find an RPG offering more depth than Wizards & Warriors. Welcome back D.W. Bradley. --Bob Andrews