The final game in the Wizardry series and the last game released by Sir-Tech Canada before they ceased operations in 2003, and having spent nearly a decade in development, it also saw the biggest overhaul the series ever had. With a 3D engine, full 360-degree movement, an overhauled stat and skill system (running to 100 rather than 3-18 like traditional D&D) and even tweaked combat that took place in the very same 3D world you were exploring rather than a separate combat screen (with environmental obstacles, formations and enemy distance becoming new factors as a result), the Elder Scrolls influence is certainly apparent. They even took a cue from the Jagged Alliance games and gave your created characters voice lines and lots of incidental dialog for battles and just exploring the world so they felt a bit more "alive" and had more personality than just their class. Some other nice touches also make the world feel more dynamic, like wandering NPCs and weather effects. Make no mistake, though, it's still very much Wizardry - turn based battles, punishing difficulty that actively encourages savescumming and lots - and I do mean lots - of experience farming, treasure looting and solving arcane puzzles are required to see the end. Tying in with the previous two games, there are also five potential starting points depending on how you finished Wizardry 7, three potential endings, and even your choices in 6 factor into how the story plays out here if you keep the same party across the whole trilogy. There's even a nice callback to the series' origins with a few hidden "retro style" dungeons with primitive wireframe graphics, 90 degree turns and teleporter and spinner traps to confuse the player. It's a shame it was the last western-developed Wizardry, as it's neat to see how one of the genre's keystones evolved over the years and what potential it would have reached had it continued. At least its legacy lives on, with new spinoff games and rereleases and a recent HD remake of the first game from Digital Eclipse.
