Might and Magic

[Leriel]

During the Night of Shooting Stars, people noticed a shooting star in the sky. Soon after this event, the Kreegans, called the Devils by humans, appeared in Enroth and attacked the town of Sweet Water. Despite the brave resistance of the defenders, the city was razed to the ground and all inhabitants were killed. All but the four who escaped the city and headed for the town of New Sorpigal. On the news of the massacre, King Roland Ironfist set out with the army to help. And although the first battle was successful, Roland was forced to retreat as the enemy's numerical superiority was overwhelming. He took refuge in Kriegspiere Castle, but soon the castle was conquered and Roland taken prisoner. To make matters worse, Queen Catherine went to her father's funeral in Erathia, and regent Wilbur Humphrey is in power, because the underage prince Nicolai is too young to reign. In addition, a mysterious Baa cult emerges in Enroth shortly after Roland's disappearance, promising happiness and enlightenment to all, with temples swiftly rising across the kingdom. People rumor that the tangle of so many unfortunate events must be the gods' punishment of the Ironfist dynasty, which has lost the "Mandate of Heaven" to rule.






As you may have guessed, the four survivors of Sweet Water are our heroes. In the sixth part of the cycle, there are fewer character classes than in the "little brother" (part seven), especially the lack of a classic profession for a fantasy Thief. However, there is nothing to complain about. The number of classes is sufficient. However, you cannot choose a race - our team consists only of people. However, the rest of the mechanics, such as the spell system, training, attributes and skills, are the same as in the rest of the cycle and they look great - they are in a class of their own.


Your main task is to find out who exactly is behind the attack on Sweet Water, and what role the mysterious Baa cult plays in the current situation in Enroth. However, before we can deal with the most difficult tasks in the game, we have a total of several dozen (about 60) different types of tasks (related to the story and side) with varying degrees of complexity. For a mishmash of a sandbox dungeon crawler, Might and Magic VI offers a lot of spectrum in this regard. We will not only kill all the monsters in a given location (such tasks necessarily are), but we will have to decode the code in the Goblin Stronghold, perform druid rituals, learn the cause of the curse that turns the inhabitants of one of the towns into werewolves (and lift it) or answer on puzzles. In addition, there are various types of traps, levers and hidden passages in the dungeons. Our opponents are also a wide range of characters. Starting with cannibals, lizardmen and ordinary rogues, through jellyfish, minotaurs and elementals, ending with lychees, titans, hydras and dragons (and not all of them, of course). Fighting them (in turn-based or real-time mode) is also always a different way to play. Otherwise you have to fight the horde of Baa followers, differently with a group of beholders, and the meeting with the golden dragon is completely different.

[Hawking]

The game world is huge and in this respect it resembles other games of the series. You can go to all places from the very beginning of the game - you go wherever and whenever you want. There is only one condition: you have to defeat the enemies in the area. The area types are - as always in the games in this series - a huge mix. In the south of the marshes, in the central part of the lowland continent, in the north there is a snowy land, and the west is a desert, dangerous and dangerous, but not because of the temperature, but because of the hordes of dragons, hydros and demons.


Of course, you need to prepare for the trip - take the right amount of food and remember to get a little sleep from time to time. And although the game is realistic in this respect, the behavior of the world's inhabitants is very irritating. For what happens when monsters invade the town and fight the player's heroes? Well, nothing. They walk quietly. What's funny, not disturbed by the monsters attacking the team. However, when we accidentally (or consciously) attack them, it turns out that all NPCs are armed with daggers and defend themselves! Well, this is one of the drawbacks that can irritate the player (although not interfere with the game).


And let me stress: the game is very difficult. An improperly formed team can simply fall in the first battle with the goblins. The opponents are very numerous, and even if they are not, they have skills and spells that make life very difficult. Also, all kinds of logical obstacles are not something easy to overcome. In addition, you always have to be careful about the amount of food you have, gold is "always" missing and you should check whether items in your inventory (from rings and belts, to swords and armor) have not been damaged during the last skirmish. As in other parts of the cycle, we can hire two non-combatants (they cast spells, heal, identify items, repair, etc.), but often that doesn't help.


Let's go back to mechanics for a moment. Those who know the next parts of the cycle will be pleased, because the system of spells (nine schools of magic) and alchemy (mixing ingredients in bottles, it is best to be an expert in the Alchemy skill when weighing the elixir) has remained virtually unchanged. The same goes for traits and skills. In the sixth part, we can know each skill (if the character's class allows it) on three levels: expert, expert and master - to improve the proficiency in one of them or get to know a new one, we need to find a teacher. Also, after gaining a new level of experience, we have to go to the Academy, where the trainers will conduct appropriate training with us.


Of course, the biggest drawback of the game (and the whole series) is the lack of any dialogues. Each character we meet has only a few (sometimes one) lines to say on the selected topic and that's it. It is true that there is the Diplomacy skill, thanks to which we can "squeeze" a message from a encountered person, but it is basically useless. As a small consolation, I can say that our team gains a better or worse reputation depending on the actions they undertake. With a good reputation, everyone will want to talk to us (except rogues and pirates) and we will learn the magic of light, and when our reputation is, to put it mildly, not the best, we will learn the magic of darkness, but many people refuse to speak to us, and by visiting lords ruling individual lands, we must take into account the possibility of getting behind bars.

[Vanity Fair]

I have not written anything about trading so far, but basically nothing about it, as it does not differ much from what we get in most other cRPG games. The most important rule is: learn the ability to trade, sell everything, even garbage, and buy only as a last resort: you will find better things while wandering. Especially since the merchants are ripping the money off this series of games amazing!


Finally, I left the technical stuff. Graphics may raise a smile today, but it should be remembered that in 1998 it did not stand out from the competition and in this respect it was also a breakthrough title for the cycle, as it entered 3D graphics (of course, a first-person view). The music, on the other hand, is brilliant, perfectly emphasizing the atmosphere of the game. There is also no fault with the sound and voices.


Time for a summary. Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven is one of the greatest achievements in the field of computer RPG in the history of the genre, despite a few minor mistakes (note that it is still a dungeon crawler after all). A great atmosphere, a huge world, an original plot, great mechanics, very good music and a high level of difficulty ensure great entertainment for several dozen hours. A true canon of a computer RPG and a classic at its best.


Adam "Iselor" Wojciechowski


Pros:
-plot
-climate
-music
-setting and mechanics
-very long
-very hard

Minuses:
-no dialogue

[Pensmug]

Action "Might & Magic VII" is a continuation of the events of the third part of the game "Heroes of Might and Magic". Queen Catherine defeated evil forces and brought peace to Erathia. However, eliminating Kreegan and the Underworld Lords did not end the problems. Its former allies, the elven state of Avlee, began to claim rights to the small town of Harmondale, under the rule of Erathia, located on the border of Avlee and Erathia. The lord of the city did not want to rule it, if it was to become the battlefield of two mighty kingdoms. So he transfers power over the town to four unaware heroes of the player. However, the dispute between Erathia and Avlee is only a minor problem for the player! As the game is non-linear and we will get a lot of tasks not related to the storyline, it guarantees many hours of great fun. Well, it's not about the plot itself in cRPG, so let's move on to other features of the program ...



Before the actual game, we will, of course, create a team of four. We have few races, because only four: humans, elves, dwarves and goblins. Fortunately, the differences between them are quite significant. We have nine professions, and they are: Knight, Paladin, Thief, Priest, Monk, Archer, Hunter, Sorcerer and Druid. Although according to their names some classes theoretically do the same in many respects (eg Knight and Paladin), the differences between them are so great that one badly matched team member can make it very difficult or even impossible to complete the game! In addition, we have thirty-six skills, such as Alchemy, Air Magic, Using plate armor or Fighting without weapons. None of the classes can learn all skills (e.g. Mage will never wear armor heavier than leather, and Knight will never be able to cast spells), and even if he learns all that he is able to, he will not use them anyway. one hundred percent. Why? Because there are four levels of specialization: Expert, Expert, Master and Grandmaster. Example: A knight can only become an expert bow, while an archer can become a grandmaster. In return, the Knight will be able to reach the level of Grandmaster in using the shield, but the Archer will never pick it up (that is, he will not reach the level of Expert). You may ask what are the differences between these levels. The higher the skill level, the higher the bonuses the character receives for using it. A thief who is a Grandmaster of Trap Disarming will disarm each trap. If an Expert, his chance would be only 50%. An interesting solution is also the fact that in order to learn or advance in a certain skill, you need to find a teacher. Whew ... I think that's enough, you'll find out the rest from the game.

Time for sound and music. There is no fault of either one or the other. Especially for music, this one perfectly emphasizes the atmosphere of the game, but 3DO has got us used to the fact that each of its production has a beautiful musical setting. In addition, it is recorded in audio format, so you can easily listen to it without turning on the game.

The weakest side of the game is the graphics. Unfortunately, today for many it will be downright archaic. Even with the use of 3D accelerators. While the appearance of spaces, both closed and open (a game with FPP view, without the possibility of changing the view) is swallow, the same cannot be said about the appearance of the characters. All men come in only two "types": either the gentleman in a green sweater or the lady in a white dress! The same applies to representatives of other races. Unfortunately, it often happens that we click on a character that has the face of a white man, and here a portrait of a Negro pops up. Well, such flaws are also found in the game, nomen-omen-omen, that are outstanding, although you can get used to the graphics and turn a blind eye to its primitivism.



Since we are talking about the cons of the game, there is something else. Conversations. Or rather the lack of them. The conversations have been reduced to the absolute minimum, when you click on a character, it either says one sentence that will be repeated over and over again, or we will get a list of 2-3 topics and after choosing the right one, the character expresses his opinion on a given issue. Fortunately, the plot of the game is so deliberately designed that dialogues are unnecessary. Well, but people who play Neverwinter Nights or Baldurs Gate may feel disappointed. The game has two endings, depending on whether we stand on the side of the Light or the Dark (the tasks of course also differ accordingly). The last element of the game, i.e. the fight. It can be done either in real time or in a turn-based system. You should always (well, almost) fight "turn-based", unless our team is strong and the opponents are not the strongest. Fortunately, characters can exchange equipment during skirmishes, which cannot be said about the first "Baldurs Gate".

A real classic and canon of computer RPG. Mandatory title.

[Perv]

Might & Magic "is probably the most deserved series of cRPG games on the PC. The first five parts are antiquities, the value of which can be compared to, for example, the" Ishar "or" Eye of the Beholder "series, but in their time they were real gems. The sixth part, already in full 3D, was recognized as the best installment of the series and to this day this game beats many newer productions. "Seven", in terms of plot, maybe not as extensive as the "six", offered better graphics, more classes and races and new skills. Added to this was the "game in the game" or "Arcomage". The plot itself was on a fairly high level, we got a lot of side quests and a very long game time (which was caused, among others, by the possibility to tell a story, more or less in the middle of the game). gameplay, either on the Light or the Dark side, as a result of which the tasks were completely different.) After the last two outstanding titles, I had high hopes for the eighth installment of the cycle.



At the beginning we are greeted by a poor quality intro in which "some gentleman" in the middle of the city casts a spell that creates a large crystal and enters it. We also see the effects of casting this spell - weather anomalies like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods.

After a short, meaningless movie, we create a character. And a surprise. We create only one character, not the entire team, as was the case in the previous parts of the cycle. I will not say that this solution impresses me, but it is difficult. The division into races and classes was also abandoned. It can be said that they have been combined into one. We can choose from: Knight, Vampire, Troll, Dark Elf, Minotaur, Cleric and Necromancer.



Later, it is necessary to distribute points on proficiency and choose skills. And here's another disappointment. There are no new skills or spells! Unfortunately, no changes to the predecessor! We start the game on the Lizardmen island - not only is it cut off from the world as a result of the earthquake that destroyed the roads connecting it with other cities, but it was also attacked by pirates. The player has to get off the island, find out what is causing the natural disasters and stop the Evil that caused it. It is not a world championship. The plot is painfully clich�d, although of course it is saved by a lot of side quests. Fortunately for us, a Necromancer and a Vampire will join us on the Lizardmen island. And here comes the snag. There are a dozen or so characters who would like to join us, maybe a little more, and we have four places in the team (not counting our main character). There can be no question of any life with comrades! Why? Because none of the characters will stay with us for too long. When the player and his companions are at level 10, they meet a character at level 30, they need a teammate, ugly, kick them out. Later we meet the 50th character and kick out those we accepted not so long ago to replace the first ones ... And if the Dragons want to join us then ... Well, it's too easy. One Dragon in a team is a powerful force, when we have two or more of them we are almost invincible and even fighting other dragons is very simple.

What is the biggest disadvantage of the program? Boredom at the end of the game. It was not mentioned in the previous parts of the cycle. If the plot had been better, maybe I would have enjoyed playing it to the end, and so I continued the game only to "pass" the next title. It is possible that this is because the difficulty level is too low. I think if I were to play the game a second time (and it doesn't seem like it yet), I would only play with low level characters and not recruit strong ones. Then the fights would be a bit of a challenge ...

Not much good can also be said about the graphics. It has hardly changed since the seventh part. It is a scandal, and nowadays, especially among younger players, it will raise a smile of pity. It is true that the characters of the player and the items in the backpack look nice as always, but this does not save the whole picture.

The sound did not amaze me. The sound effects are ... normal, like in the previous part of the cycle. The music is good, fitting the game, but not great. But there are some really good songs.

[Poison Ivy]

Maybe I will write something about the advantages, because you probably don't think that this game has only disadvantages. Not. The character creation and development system is also noteworthy, as in every part of this cycle. Admittedly, nothing new has been added, no additional skills, etc., but it still works great nonetheless. Also, the differences between the individual classes / races are significant and you should seriously consider the composition of the team (because although the game is not very difficult, let no one count on winning with five Minotaurs, which are great at fighting, but their spells are poor) .

The "Might & Magic" series has always been full of items: from potions, through a dozen or so types of weapons and armor, magic items, artifacts, relics. This is also the case this time. The player has a lot to choose from. The size of the game world also deserves attention, although it seems to me that the previous parts of the series were larger, we should not complain in this case either. The number of side quests is really large (the "Might & Magic" series excels in this respect, not counting only "The Elder Scrolls"), especially since we will have to side twice with one of the two groups fighting each other, and the one we choose , gives us tasks opposite to those we would receive from the other side of the dispute. And there is something else, something most important, which makes even an average game seem brilliant. Climate. And the atmosphere in this game is there. Visiting forests, mountains, ravines, caves and castles is a lot of fun! And I think he saves this game from the dustbin of oblivion.

This game is not a bad product. Oh no! It is a good product that you can have a good time with. The problem is that both before and after "M&M VIII" there were many other much better titles.

Pros:

+ climate

+ music

+ lots of side quests

+ very long

+ good mechanics

Minuses:

- clich� plot

- outdated graphics already at the premiere

[Eredin]

There is no alchemy skill in the 6th part - you can create black potions on the spot.
And there is also a lack of a good word about flavors. VI is full of them, there are artifacts ("Greek" and "Arthurian"), links (Star Trek), discount stores, amberites, druid matching ...

[Vataes]

It's hard to write about everything ...

Reviews old ... I really haven't written anything about the card game? Damn, I will have to correct it someday I love Acromage

Unfortunately, I am afraid that this cRPG cycle, next to Ultim and Wizardry, is now more widely unknown or rather forgotten

[Kaikki]

They wanted to. They kicked the tragic case 9 (and 8 summed up the new trilogy in a very pathetic way). And then the direction shifted to a more action - dark messiah. I will not say, I played with pleasure. But M&M is a thing of the past. Unfortunately.

[Murin]

Six was cool, seven and eight were weaker - I didn't even finish them.