at a time when few people had access to online services. A similar copy protection, with a more sophisticated code system, was used in the next Wizardry game, Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom. Reception Scorpia of Computer Gaming World, who beta tested Wizardry IV, favorably reviewed it in 1987, stating that the game had been worth the long wait before release. She acknowledged that the game was very difficult (and requiring knowledge of Wizardry I), and that during testing "some of the best game players in the country tripped up somewhere (myself included)", but stated that it was "eminently fair and is, perhaps, one of the most finely-balanced games I've ever played. Every puzzle, every encounter, every clue ... has been worked out with careful exactitude". Scorpia criticized the resurrection of defeated enemies after saving and "the same dreary old Wizardry graphics", but concluded "Bottom line: Unique, and not to be missed!" The game was previewed in 1988 in Dragon #130 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The Lessers reviewed the IBM PC version of the game in 1989 in Dragon #142, and gave the game 3½ out of 5 stars. Robbie Robberson previewed and profiled Return of Werdna in Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer No. 82. Robberson commented that "should be this year's best game in fantasy simulation." Wizardry IV sold very poorly. Despite the lengthy delay Sir-Tech had not advanced the technology from the first game; The Bard's Tale'''s graphics were superior, for example, despite being released two years earlier. Further, as Robert Sirotek of Sir-Tech later said, "It was insanely difficult to win that game": In 1993 Sir-Tech advertised compilations of Wizardry'' I-III and V-VII. IV was not mentioned, but V was advertised as "breaking away from the Wizardry system of the past". References External links 1987 video games Apple II games First-person party-based dungeon crawler video games NEC PC-8801 games NEC PC-9801 games Role-playing video games Single-player video games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Wizardry