Phantasie 3

Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus is the final act in a trilogy of the same title. Released by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1987, this fantasy role playing game offered the RPG gamer a rehashed version of the previous two Phantasie games only with much more detail and zest.
To begin with, the first thing the gamer will notice is a drastic upgrade in graphics. Close up shots are much more realistic and less pixilated. The second improvement lies within the actual combat engine. Along with more detailed graphics come more detailed injuries.

In this instalment of Phantasie, heroes can take damage to specific body parts such as the head or arm.
With the ability to select the position of your heroes within the battle formation, it is now possible to add more tactical manoeuvres to your bag of tricks. Heroes with ranged weaponry or spells can be placed in the back of the battle formation, leaving the sturdier characters to absorb most of the damage. The spell, equipment and weapon list have both been beefed up for more of variety in the battles. There are also more types of monsters to battle, which also add to the attractiveness of this game. Always on the cutting edge, SSI was one of the first companies to introduce a game with a bank…a place for heroes to keep their gold so that it is not lost upon an unexpected death.
The goal of Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus is not too far off from the other two Phantasies. As the title suggests, Nikademus is evil and your party of heroes must stop him from taking over the world. Finding him is the most difficult part, as the maps are big (but not as large as the maps offered by its predecessors) and are very explorer friendly. There are many sub maps that detail caverns or dungeons as well. The trade off in map size equates to bigger and better battle scenes, more detail and easier movement around the board. Towns look better and have more detail, as does the basic background scenery. Characters still advance through battle by gaining experience points and “levelling up.”
Overall, this is not the most imaginative instalment in the Phantasie series. It relies heavily on those that came before it for information. However, it is technically the best. Sound and the battles are more interesting due to the upgrades in general play and equipment. It is highly replayable and ranks as a solid RPG adventure.