The fourth game in the acclaimed Wizardry series, The Return of Werdna took a decidedly different approach from all the games that preceeded it. Instead of playing as a party of six player generated chracters, in Wizardry IV you filled the shoes of Werdna, the evil Archmage who you fought at the end of the original Wizardry.

It seems that after he was defeated by the party of adventurers who stole his amulet, Werdna was imprisoned at the bottom of his 10 level labyrinth in an eternal slumber to be tortured by nightmares for eternity. Although Werdna was supposed to sleep forever, somehow he has awakened, and now he's out for revenge.

At the beginning of the game Werdna finds himself in a situation that is singularly unique for most arch-villains: he is stripped of his powers, trapped within his own former stronghold, and filled with the realization that the same traps and monsters he created to keep adventurers out now act as obstacles to his freedom.

As Werdna, you'll slowly regain your magical powers as well as have the ability to summon helpful monsters to accompany you on your journey. Your goal is to get to the surface and get your amulet (and hopefully a little revenge). But in your way are a variety of monsters, guardians, and gung-ho adventurers out for your head. Not to mention being chased by the rather ticked-off ghost of your old enemy Trebor. Make it to the surface, and you'll have to face one final grudge match against the heroes who defeated you in the past before you can get your amulet.

Wizardry IV features a somewhat tweaked version of the same engine and graphics that was used in the previous 3 Wizardry (and used one final time in Wizardry V). Unlike every other game in the entire series, you cannot import characters from the previous game (for obvious reasons). The game features three different endings: a good ending, an evil ending, and a special Grandmaster ending which is often considered to be the single most difficult task to achieve in the entire series. Wizardry IV is generally considered to be the most difficult game in the entire series, and experience with the other games in the series is recommended.