Wizardry 8 Playthrough Blog
Wizardry 8: the Adventure Blog! I’ve been keen on replaying the whole game for old times sake - on a ‘real’ retro Win98 PC. After finally convincing my friend to install the game, we were ready to go through it together/alone, since it’s a single-player adventure. In the same fashion as other adventure blogs on this site, I thought it would be nice to do a short write-up after making a bit of progress.
01-2021
Titan Quest VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
Originally released only two years after Sacred, Titan Quest combines Greek mythology with hack and slash: a world full of mesmerizing creatures to kill, wealth to collect, and above all: horrible bugs and boring gameplay.
12-2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Adventure Blog
It is a fresh breeze indeed as the Island unfolds, buildings appear, and I sweat my ass off trying to collect enough lumber and clay to satisfy even the most grumpy of Tom Nooks. Welcome to the latest installment of Animal Crossing!
The Best and Worst Retro Hack & Slash Games
A selection of retro Hack & Slah games, ranked. Which ones stack up to Diablo 2? A summary of the best and worst action RPG games from 2000 to 2012.
Torchlight 2 VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
Three years after the highly appreciated Torchlight, Runic Games continues the trend with Torchlight 2, released only a few months after Diablo III. Should we be comparing this versus Diablo 2 or 3? Is it worth it to again hire a pet, gear up, and go after the Alchemist? Let's find out.
Diablo 2 Twenty Years Later: A Retrospective
2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved and mostly undisputed hack and slash king, Diablo II. Does it still hold up, twenty years later, compared to modern Diablo clones?
Diablo 3 VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
After twelve years of agony and resorting to other Diablo-like games, series finally returns with a third installment. Not developed by Blizzard North, and not quite being Diablo, how does Diablo 3 hold up compared to other hack and slash games, and to its predecessor?
Torchlight VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
In 2009, the masterminds of the guys behind Fate and Blizzard North created the near-perfect Diablo game everybody was waiting for since Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. Oh, and it was released within 11 months. Suffice to say that it is worth a long and hard look!
Nox VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
Ideated in the 1995 college years of Michael Booth, this intended to be multiplayer focused fast-paced wizard combat game ultimately would wound up to be compared to Diablo II, which was released five months later. Yet, a lot of the likable charm, quickness and quirkiness remained. Is this really a traditional hack & slash game?
Dungeon Siege VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
Next in line after finishing Sacred: whacking my way through endless hordes of Krugs, skeletons, crystal shards, and goblins. How does the original Dungeon Siege hold up compared to the hack & slash king Diablo 2?
11-2020
Sacred Gold VS Diablo 2: an In-Depth Analysis
Sixteen years after its initial release, I finally managed to take the time to thoroughly inspect Sacred (the Gold release). I've always been a big fan of hack & slash games, so let's take this opportunity to compare mechanics of Sacred VS the undisputed king: Diablo 2.
Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield - 17 Years Later
It’s amazing that the second disk is still readable by my Retro WinXP machine. It has been heavily abused in 2003 and the years after that.
10-2020
Super Mario 64 aged badly
Super Mario 3D All Stars, the sneaky compilation release Nintendo bestowed upon us in the previous month, contains high definition remakes of three classic Mario 3D titles: Super Mario 64 (N64), Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube), and Super Mario Galaxy (Wii).
09-2020
Reviews from 2001 revived!
Good news everyone! Futurama might not be back, but old PC gaming previews and reviews from UnionVault.NET, one of Jefklak’s Codex ancestors, have been revived.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Switch Review
One year later, Ritual of the Night is still unplayable on the Nintendo Switch. Numerous patches later, the game still stutters and crashes, with its most popular screen being the loading one. We're off to a great start here...
08-2020
The Gaming Setup, a 2007 Flashback
While digging through an old archive, I came across pictures of my gaming setup in 2007. CRT gaming and the ultimate game boy - it's all there! Recollecting once owned but now lost games has become an expensive undertaking.
31 Animal Crossing GCN Features that (never?) returned
Which features from previous Animal Crossing games do you wish were present in the Switch one? Some features never made the jump to a new iteration. Let us take a closer look.
07-2019
Experiencing the Enhanced Baldur's Gate
We move from one tree to the other, carefully glancing towards the ever so black fog of war. Imoen investigates things for us, while we prepare for the inevitable.
11-2018
Diablo III: Diablo for Kids
Ever wanted to play a real dungeon crawler but got held back by the possibility of a carpel tunnel syndrome? Did Diablo 2’s skill tree make you dizzy and the hard decisions on where to dump attribute points net you an increased blood pressure?
09-2018
Castlevania Circle of the Moon: a retrospective
As the hunt continues, from Aria of Sorrow to the beginning of Castlevania’s appearance on the GBA, Circle of the Moon, I have the uneasy feeling that my whip offers less solace in this scarier version of the castle.
07-2018
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow: a retrospective
Calling Aria of Sorrow the best handheld Castlevania is quite a bold statement: they’re all great in their own way. But after replaying this again (and again…) I’ve made up my mind: it is the best Castlevania - period.
Wario Land: a retrospective
It’s been over 20 years since I last touched any of the Wario Land games. I vaguely remember them being one of the most exciting platformers I’ve ever played as a kid.
04-2008
Baldur's Gate 2: Mage Talk
Ever wondered whatever the heck those crazy Arcane spellcasters say every time they unleash one of their spells upon you? It’s actually very simple and stands for the chosen spell’s spell school (abjuration, evocation, …).
BG2 Solo Blade: A Report
Report Content Soloing - the Introduction The Blade Kit explained Used Baldur’s Gate II Setup Part 1: Irenicus’ Dungeon Part 2: The Circus Tent & Slums Slaves Part 3: A Tanner & More Slaves Part 4: The Astral Prison Part 5: Daystar & Mae’Var Part 6: Some Beholders & a Lich Part 7: Druid Grove & Guarded Compound Part 8: Planar Sphere & Kangaxx!
BG2: Cleric/Ranger Guide
Guide Content Introduction to the cleric/ranger Basic progression guide Picking your equipment The cleric/ranger’s spell picks
Introduction to the cleric/ranger Since little non-playable and joinable characters are as good in healing as Viconia is, you might end up creating your own cleric.
Wizardry 8: Classes Guide
### The Bishop Race Best Races:
Fairy: best INT & SPE. Downside: low PIE and almost no weapons/armor usable. (go for sprite daggers if you want close-combat) Elf: good INT, PIE & DEX.
07-2007
Etrian Odyssey Review
Old School dungeon crawlers. It has been a long time since we’ve seen these types of games properly released. Veteran Roleplaying players should remember Eye of the Beholder, the Bard’s Tale, Might & Magic, Wizardry and other series, released upon different non-console platforms: DOS, Commodore 64, Amiga, … These games all used to have a few things in common, as explained in the Roleplaying Concepts article.
06-2007
Wizardry 8: General Tips
Legal notice: Most tips, tricks, howtos and guides are - not - originally created by me. They are scattered throughout the Internet, and this site contains a bunch of information found on other sites.
The Hype Train
I’m pretty sure most of you know the feeling. A new game has been recently announced, maybe with some additional gameplay footage or early concept art.
03-2007
Arcanum: Magick VS Tech
First things first: you are not reading this wrong, it’s magick and not magic. In the world of Arcanum, that is.
Arcanum: Party Seleciton
Party Numer ONE - November 2004 Level - 25.
Laprovski - Male Dwarf - Raised by Monks
Skills - Technologist: firearms, gunsmithy, electricity & explosives
Arcanum: the Gunslinger
Overview All right, you want yourself a cool character with even cooler guns. The problem is: technology is not that easy in Arcanum.
Arcanum: the Review
Hooray hooray for classic urgh-so-bad-graphics-but-so-good-gameplay RPG-games like this! Arcanum is without a doubt the best game Troika ever made, and that deserves something extra.
Arx Fatalis: the Review
Not many first person action Roleplaying games are well known, except the Ultima Underground series and of course the Elder Scrolls games.
Baldur's Gate 2: Party Guide
Party Number TWO - 06 Jan. 2006 (download link no longer available) Party Numer TWO - 06 Jan. 2006 Attitude: Xandarr, my main character.
Baldur's Gate 2: Spell Protection
Lots of misunderstanding exist for breaking through the spell protections of high level spell casting creatures. This guide is an almost exact copy of zvijers guide at the gone forgotten wars forum, also carried on by “The Hero’s Guide to a Successful adventure”.
Bugs Are Features
I’m getting fairly tired of defending Arcanum on various cough, console lovers message boards and against friends. Everybody seems to prefer Oblivion-style Roleplaying gameplay mechanics.
Lode Runner Returns Review
Core mechanics A concept almost as old as Pong, the Godfather of nowadays gaming. You climb up and down little ladders, collecting various forms of loot.
Riviera: the Review
Riviera: the Promised Land is the Roleplaying debut game of the japanese developer Sting, released on the Gameboy Advance in 2005.
Windows 2D Platforming
Platform games, one of the most dominant game genres in gaming history. They spawned a whole lot of spin-off series (run-and-gun, platform puzzles, Apogee’s shareware system, Mario 64’s 3D platform debut).
01-2007
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin Review
Castlevania games tend to pop up each year on Nintendo’s Handheld platform. The last entries: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow, followed the story of Soma, who mysteriously inherited Dracula’s dark abilities.
Handheld Castlevanias
Portrait of Ruin is the second Nintendo DS Castlevania game. Maybe, if Komani thinks it'll be worthwile, a third one will follow, since there have been three Castlevania games released for the predecessor the Gameboy Advance.
RPG Concepts: Items
Items present in the World Did you ever play an RPG, wondering why the world is so empty?
RPG Concepts: NPCS
Watch the NPC Reaction video tests! »
An NPC is basically a character not controlled by the player, who can be of great importance during the many main or side quests.
11-2006
Impressive GBA RPGs
Since the Nintendo DS has been released a couple of years ago, many game related websites predicted a quick and painful death for the Gameboy Advance.
Simon The Sorcerer 2 Review
Simon the Sorcerer II: “The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe” is an adventure game from the British game company Adventure Soft who also produced the prequel, Simon the Sorcerer.
BG2/Infinity Engine Mods
A few days ago, Obsidian’s modular Roleplaying game Neverwinter Nights 2 was released. NWN is well-known for its overwhelming amounth of fan-made modules and even whole Community Packs.
Early Shooter Clones
Feeling nostalgic? You can play enhanced versions of your favourite nineties retro shooter - just follow these instructions.
10-2006
Flashback: Bullfrog
The gaming development industry is a harsh world, especially since 2005. Publishers keep demanding more value for buck which often results into many game delay periods.
The Art of Cooperative (PC) Gaming
What could possibly more fun than playing a PC game on your own? Why, cooperative gameplay mechanics of course!
On Killing a Lich
Both old school and modern roleplaying games feature many times at least one “Lich” entry. And the evil spellcasting undead creature will almost always kick your butt without proper protection.
Apogee's Legacy
Skip to the Videos part!
Only the new and young generation of gamers might not be familiar with Apogee Software - that is, until one has read the article.
Jagged Alliance 2 Review
After the successful and beloved Jagged Alliance squad-based turn-based strategy game (a whole mouth full), Sir-Tech expanded the genre by adding the sequel, Jagged Alliance 2, which was published later in 1999.
Might and Magic VII: the Review
In the year 1999 the then-existing company New World Computing released version seven of their honored Might & Magic series, subtitled “For Blood and Honor".
Zeus Review
Argh, my temple, all messed up! Poseidon likes to destroy all buildings I carefully planted down on the coast line because he’s cranky in the morning.
Gobliins 2: the Review
Goblin Princes are Ugly Am I the only one wondering what the heck the lead artist ate the day he created Goblins?
Captain Claw Review
Ah, 2D platformers. This genre disappeared after the DOS era on the PC. Also the consoles liked more the 3D platform games like hundreds of Mario 64 clones.
Animal Crossing: Wild World Adventure Blog
It is a wild world indeed as the Acorn festival is about to start. Should I exchange some acorns ro net me a chair so I can gift Drift something for his birthday? What to do!
04-2002
Black and White: Creature Isle Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
Black & White is one of the most talked about games of the past year.
Command & Conquer: Renegade Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
Westwoods Command & Conquer was one of the first and most influential real-time strategy titles ever in 1995.
Commandos 2: Men of Courage Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
Direct attack is not always the best way, this concept lies close to the heart of Commandos 2 just like its predecessor, the delightful 1998 real-time tactical combat game with mixed elements of action, stealth and sometimes even puzzle solving in a World War.
Hitman 2: the Preview
(This article is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
It promises to be tough times again. GTA 3 isn’t quite out yet, and Hitman 2 is already starting to emerge.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
This game was on everyone’s Christmas list long before it came out, but unfortunately it had to be postponed until 2002, like several games.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
The year is almost over and more and more big PC action games have been delayed until 2002, outside of Return To Castle Wolfenstein.
Soldier of Fortune 2: the Preview
(This article is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
SOF1 will undoubtedly be remembered by everyone. It caused a lot of commotion because the ‘gore’ content was so high.
The Sims: Vacation the Preview
(This article is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
Everyone is now certain that The Sims is one of the most successful Sim games ever.
Wizardry 8: the Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch, in 2002)
Sirtech’s last and probably last role-playing game, Wizardy 8, was in development for a whopping 4 years.
03-2002
Max Payne Review
(This review is originally written in Dutch by Newkid86, in 2002)
As the body of the mafia boss collapses behind his desk, the door behind me is thrown open and the guards storm in.