Wizard Crown

Strategic Simulations, Inc. does it again with a fine gem of a role playing game in Wizard’s Crown. In the eighties, people expected a lot from an SSI game, and, for its time, Wizard’s Crown is an excellent example of a top-down computer game.
The thing that sets SSI’s Wizard’s Crown apart from its contemporaries, and even following games, is its great attention to detail. No, the graphics aren’t all hand-drawn beauties, but the actual game play features many more details than other RPGs of its time.

Combat injury is not just a matter of hit points or death, but is much more specific. There are bonuses for specific weapons, and defensive rules to be mastered when using shields. Characters also advance in a complex manner, and the magical system for spell-casters and magic users is above and beyond intricate. The game also features a Heroes of Might and Magic style of quick combat for those times when the outcome of a skirmish is obvious and the user would like to fast-forward through tedious play and move on to a bigger and brighter challenge.
There are several classes from which the user may choose, as well. Players can opt for a thief, ranger, priest, fighter or sorcerer and up to eight individual characters can make up a single party. Each of these characters had unique abilities and weaknesses, and advance through the standard “buy” system where experience points can be funnelled into the category of the user’s choice upon a level up. There are also two series of weapons that can become progressively stronger as play advances: one progresses in magical abilities such as cold damage; the other uses direct life damage as it becomes more powerful.
While the Wizard’s Crown is heralded because of its advanced combat sequences and unique weaponry, some RPG gamers felt there were some flaws that could have been improved upon. There are very few non-playing characters with which to interact, and therefore little dialogue. The only typical interaction, outside of killing monsters, involves the purchase and sale of items. The game is primarily a hack and slash with few puzzle based quests or riddles to solve.