Name: Wizardry I・II
Item: Wizardry I・II
Author: Retro Replay

Wizardry I・II

Wizardry I・II is a generous TurboGrafx CD package because it lets you carry straight on from Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord into Knight of Diamond from one main menu. Its old-school, first-person dungeon crawling remains stern and methodical, but the stronger monster art and CD music make this version easier to settle into than the stark computer originals.

You can begin immediately with a ready-made six-person group or build your own party, which is exactly the right choice for two very different moods. Take the preset crew if you want to get into the labyrinth quickly; make characters if the pleasure of a Wizardry campaign, for you, starts with shaping the party that will endure both scenarios.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour of Wizardry I・II asks you to meet it on its own deliberately old-fashioned terms. You are guiding a party of six through first-person fantasy dungeons, then shifting into turn-based fights when danger appears. There is little distance between you and the basic loop: choose a group, enter the dungeon, map your progress mentally, and make each encounter count. If that sounds like a comforting return to RPG fundamentals rather than a chore, this collection has real pull.

Starting with the pre-made party is the sensible route when you want to see what the games are about without pausing to assemble a roster. The generic labels—Fighter, Samurai, and the rest—make that group feel more like a functional invitation than a cast you are meant to become attached to. Character creation is still there for anyone who wants ownership over the expedition, and that option matters more across a two-game package. Building your own six gives the campaign a personal stake that the default crew cannot quite provide.

Both scenarios are merged into one release and can be played continuously from the main menu, which is the best reason to choose this edition. It turns two foundational dungeon RPGs into a longer single commitment instead of a pair of disconnected historical curiosities. The friction is inherent to the format: first-person dungeon navigation and turn-based battles demand patience, and you need to enjoy steady, careful progress rather than constant novelty. Stick with it if you enjoy learning a dungeon’s rhythms; bounce off if you need an RPG to keep reinventing itself.

Graphics

This remake keeps the games’ simple dungeon look, but replaces the original computer versions’ vector-line dungeons with straightforward graphical corridors. The biggest upgrade is in battle: enemy sprites are larger and more detailed, taking up a much more satisfying share of the screen when a fight begins. It is not ornate fantasy art, but it gives combat more presence than the bare computer originals had.

Story

Story is not the main draw here. This is a pair of early fantasy RPG scenarios built around dungeon exploration and the party you bring into them, rather than a heavily authored tale delivered through a prominent cast. The ready-made team’s generic names underline that point: these are roles first, personalities second.

That can feel thin if you come in expecting the character-driven storytelling associated with later RPGs. On the other hand, the lack of a fixed hero leaves room for your own created party to carry the experience. A custom group makes each scenario feel less like a museum piece and more like your campaign, even when the narrative framing stays spare.

The two-game structure supplies the broader sense of journey. Finishing one scenario and moving directly to the next gives the collection a continuity that neither entry would have alone. Think of it as a long-form dungeon-crawling chronicle, not a sprawling fantasy novel.

Overall Experience

Wizardry I・II is a respectful remake that understands where its improvements matter. The core gameplay and graphical design remain close to the original computer games, while the clearer dungeon imagery, enlarged enemy art, and music give this PC Engine CD edition a friendlier surface. Orchestrated CD audio accompanies dungeon travel, while battles use PSG music; that contrast gives exploration and combat distinct flavors without changing the games’ essential character.

The payoff is best for anyone who already has affection for early party-based RPGs, or who wants to understand why Wizardry mattered without confronting the most austere version of it. You are still getting a rigid, old-school dungeon experience, not a modernized reinterpretation. That faithfulness is a strength when the classic structure clicks, and a limitation when it does not.

As a package, though, it earns a recommendation. Two connected scenarios, the option to create a full party, and meaningful audiovisual upgrades make this more than a simple archival port. Give it a chance if you want a substantial slice of RPG history with enough polish to make the journey pleasant; skip it only if first-person labyrinth crawling and patient turn-based battles already sound like work.