Dark Messiah of Might and Magic | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Arkane Studios Ubisoft Annecy (Xbox 360) |
Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
Director(s) | Raphaël Colantonio |
Producer(s) | Julien Roby |
Programmer(s) | Sebastien Scieux |
Artist(s) | Daniel Balage |
Writer(s) | Richard E. Dansky Jeffrey Spock |
Composer(s) | Sascha Dikiciyan Cris Velasco |
Series | Might and Magic |
Engine | Source |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action role-playing game |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (labeled as Dark Messiah: Might and Magic; additionally subtitled Elements on Xbox 360) is a first-person action role-playing game developed by Arkane Studios. The player controls Sareth, the apprentice of the wizard Phenrig, after he is sent to the city of Stonehelm to accompany an expedition trying to retrieve a powerful artifact known as "The Skull of Shadows".
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic was released in 2006 on PC, and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements was released later in 2008 for the Xbox 360. It adds new levels in the single-player campaign, a revamped multiplayer mode, numerous bug-fixes, and adjustments for the console experience. [1]
Enemies are generally difficult to kill in straightforward combat, although characters developed for this purpose may have an easier time. Characters who develop their stealth skills can sneak up behind unaware enemies and perform a lethal backstab maneuver, while characters that have skill with a bow can use it to snipe enemies from a distance. Developing a character for resilience and strength for melee combat is still possible and completely viable, but even with proper specialization, successful close combat requires careful application of tactics, timing, accuracy, and properly using a range of close-quarters offensive techniques. Particularly, the player character's ability to kick enemies and knock them back is emphasized by environmental hazards such as spike racks, open fires, and pitfalls being in almost every combat area, which can often end a fight more efficiently than using only weapon attacks.
For players who build their character to specialize in Magic, spells can be used to unleash offensive effects, heal the player character, or serve a number of utility purposes. Each use of a spell consumes varying amounts of the player's mana, which gradually regenerates over time, but can be replenished more quickly through consumption of mana potions.
As the player completes objectives throughout the game, Dark Messiah awards experience points that can be used to buy skills in one of three skill trees: Combat, Magic, and Miscellaneous. The Combat tree improves the power and efficiency of physical attacks. The Magic tree grants access to new spells. The Miscellaneous tree contains general utility improvements, including Stealth.
Although some enemies will drop usable items when killed, looting in Dark Messiah is mostly a fixed affair. Valuable items are placed in specific locations for the player to find. Each item has fixed stats, and the selection of items is also limited, with only a relatively small number of different weapons or armor in each category. Additionally, advanced items typically have a skill requirement, with the end result being that the character equips only a handful of different items over the course of the one play-through, depending on what skills they have chosen to develop on their character.
Dark Messiah features a multiplayer mode where opposing teams battle each other and earn points by performing strategic maneuvers across a large map. There are two playable factions, consisting of humans and undead, along with five playable classes. A character customization system is present, with the limitation that players must select a predefined class and may only buy skills available for that class.
There is also a Colosseum mode, in which players fight take turns to fight one-on-one duels, while the other players sit in the audience. When players are not battling in the current match, they can bet XP on the outcome of the current duel.
Nearly a thousand years ago the Wars of Fire raged across the face of Ashan. Men, Elves, Dwarves, and their allies pitted themselves against the hordes of Demons. Great devastation was wrought, but in the end the allied forces were victorious. Their victory was largely due to the heroic sacrifice of the wizard known as Sar-Elam, the Seventh Dragon. Using his almost god-like powers and supported by his fellow wizards, Sar-Elam cast the Demons out of the world into a limbo of eternal fire. From the essence of his spirit, Sar-Elam wove a prison to contain the Demons forever. Something went wrong during Sar-Elams ritual, however. The magic he summoned failed to create a complete prison; the tiniest of flaws remained in the otherwise impervious barrier, a weakness that allowed Demonic influence to seep into the world during times of a lunar eclipse. Angry but patient, the Demons lurked in their prison waiting ... and planning.
All that remained of the Seventh Dragon was his skull. Now called the Skull of Shadows, it was spirited away by those loyal to the goddess Mother Asha, creator of the world and source of all magic. They hid it in an ancient temple on a deserted island, far from the machinations of Men, Elves, or Demons. There the Skull sits, awaiting the day when its powers might be needed again.
67 years after Sar-Elam's death, his disciple Sar-Shazzar prophesied that a half-demon, half-human child would one day be born; a walker between worlds who would be known as the "Dark Messiah" and would use the relics of the Seventh Dragon to shatter the Demons' prison forever.
969 years after Sar-Elam's death, after the young king Nicolai Griffin was killed by a demon renegade, the demon sovereign, Kha-Beleth impregnated Nicolai's former-fiancée, Isabel Greyhound, and before she could have been saved, she gave birth to the Dark Messiah.
20 years later, Sareth's story begins.
The protagonist of Dark Messiah is a young man named Sareth, who is under the tutelage of the Wizard Phenrig. After years of studying the arts of magic and physical training in the arts of war, he is finally taken on an expedition to retrieve a rare artifact known as the Shantiri Crystal. After finding the Crystal and disposing of the would-be rival expedition, Sareth is tasked to bring the crystal to an associate of Phenrig's, the Wizard Menelag, who is also the lord of the city of Stonehelm. Menelag and Phenrig have certain "mutual interests" that involve finding an artifact called the Skull of Shadows. Menelag apparently is unable to continue his search without the Crystal. To guide him on his way, a spirit named Xana will reside in Sareth's mind.
Shortly after arriving in Stonehelm, Sareth witnesses an undead cyclops and a small army of ghouls sent by the Necromancers breach Stonehelm's defenses and begin to overwhelm the guards. Sareth is recruited to help in the defense effort by taking control of a ballista. Using this, he manages to stun the undead cyclops long enough for a guard to stab it in the eye, thus killing it. Seeing their most valuable asset destroyed, the remnants of the invading force beat a hasty retreat. Sareth then resumes his search for Menelag. Upon reaching the front gate of Menelag's manor, Sareth is greeted by Leanna, the young niece and pupil of Menelag. That night, the three enjoy a small feast in Sareth's honor after which Menelag informs Sareth that they will set sail the following morning to resume the search for the Skull.
In the middle of the night, the crystal is stolen by a ghoul, who murders Menelag in the process. Sareth then chases the ghoul to a warehouse, where he finds the necromancer Arantir using the crystal's power to open a portal to Nar-Heresh, the necromancer city. Sareth manages to steal the crystal back and escape to the docks, where he falls asleep. In a dream, he recalls his meeting with Phenrig, except that Phenrig is saying that he does not trust Sareth on this mission alone and says that he needs someone to "hold his leash" as he summons Xana. In the dream, Xana appears to be a demon and attacks Sareth. Sareth and Leanna leave Stonehelm by boat and travel to the island with the Skull of Shadows. While en route, Sareth has another dream in which he kills Leanna, and Arantir alludes that she is only the first of many victims.
After arriving, they find the expedition destroyed, and most of the men dead, killed by Orc warriors. Sareth and Leanna are chased into the Temple of the Skull by a Pao kai which Sareth kills a little later with a gate, and Sareth proceeds alone to the top of the Temple, where he places the Shantiri Crystal, and defeats the Orc chief Aratok in a duel. Arantir then reveals himself and appears to kill Leanna. Sareth, however, escapes to the crypt below and retrieves the Skull of Shadows. Sareth then has a vision of the Demon Sovereign Kha-Beleth, who reveals himself to be Sareth's father. Kha-Beleth names Sareth the Dark Messiah, and then commands to be released using the power of the Skull. Sareth wakes up to see Arantir, who takes the skull and then impales Sareth on a spike.
Fueled by Xana's demonic power, Sareth wakes up alive and gains the power to transform into a demon, which grants him uncanny strength at the cost of health. Stripped of all his belongings, Sareth uses the demon form to fight off the Orc guards as he recovers his items. He manages to leave the island and returns to Stonehelm. Once there, he takes the portal to Nar-Heresh. There, Sareth witnesses Leanna - who is still alive - being thrown into a spider pit. Saving Leanna is optional, but impacts the possible endings that the player may receive. Regardless of the player's choice, Sareth discovers Arantir's plans to sacrifice the entire population of Stonehelm in order to permanently seal Kha-Beleth's prison.
Sareth then returns to a besieged Stonehelm, fighting alongside the remaining human resistance. If Leanna was rescued in the previous chapter, Sareth may visit the sanctuary in order to purge Xana from his body. If Sareth proceeds with the cleansing, he loses the ability to transform into a demon, but gains the ability to use powerful holy weapons. If Sareth is unable or unwilling to undergo the cleansing ritual, nothing will change. Whatever the case, the choice determines which endings the player may receive.
In the ancient necropolis over which Stonehelm was built, Sareth is eventually reunited with Leanna. If the player left her behind in the spider pit, she appears as a Lich, who Sareth then destroys. If Sareth saved her, but did not cleanse himself, she will attack him. If Leanna was rescued and Sareth cleansed himself, she will join Sareth in the final chapter.
Sareth then makes his way through the necropolis and eventually catches up with Arantir as he is about to perform the ritual. When Sareth attacks Arantir, he summons his Avatar of Death, also seen in Heroes V: Tribes of the East (the dragon in Dark Messiah does resemble a pao kai but it is still uncertain as to what the dragon really is). Sareth fights off the Dragon, which forces Arantir to perform a resummoning, during which Arantir is vulnerable. Eventually Arantir is defeated, leaving Sareth to make his final decision for the Skull.
The player may use the Skull to lock his father away forever, or destroy the Skull and free his father. Each option offers a different ending. The ensuing cut scene will vary slightly depending on whether it is Leanna or Xana that accompanies Sareth at the end of the game, giving the game a total of four different endings.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2018) |
Critical praise of Arkane's previous game, Arx Fatalis , gave the opportunity for them to work with Valve to develop a new title on their Source engine, and Raphaël Colantonio opted to make a sequel, Arx Fatalis 2. However, the poor sales of the first game made it difficult to find a publisher. They were approached by Ubisoft and asked to apply the Arx Fatalis game engine to their Might and Magic . This became Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. It refined the first-person melee combat of Arx Fatalis with a lesser emphasis on role-playing elements. [2]
Despite having received a "no youth release" rating from the USK, Ubisoft announced that the two German versions of Dark Messiah will contain some changes from the internationally released version. [3] Specifically, the German version does not allow for enemies' heads or limbs to be severed, enemies cannot be impaled after death, burning enemies will die immediately and their corpses cannot be mutilated further after death. Ubisoft separately released a limited edition "International Version" of the game (playable in English only) which is identical to the version of the game released in most other countries, and which was also released in Germany. However, since then the Bundesprüfstelle has declared, after an examination in February 2008, that the uncensored version of the game, though heavily relying on melee combat and displaying violent content, is not harmful to minors, as equal importance is laid on the setting in a fantasy world and the elaborated storyline. In a second attempt, the original version secured a "no youth release" rating with the USK, though this now rated version has yet to be released in Germany.
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
PC | Xbox 360 | |
Metacritic | 72/100 [4] | 52/100 [5] |
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
PC | Xbox 360 | |
Computer Games Magazine | [6] | N/A |
Edge | 7/10 [7] | N/A |
Eurogamer | 8/10 [8] | 6/10 [9] |
Famitsu | N/A | (X360) 27/40 [10] 22/40 [10] |
Game Informer | 9.25/10 [11] | 8/10 [12] |
GamePro | [13] | N/A |
GameRevolution | N/A | D+ [14] |
GameSpot | 6.7/10 [15] | 3.5/10 [16] |
GameSpy | [17] | [18] |
GameTrailers | 8.1/10 [19] | 5.8/10 [20] |
GameZone | 7/10 [21] | N/A |
IGN | (AU) 8.8/10 [22] (US) 7/10 [23] | 5.7/10 [24] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | 4.5/10 [25] |
PC Gamer (US) | 49% [26] | N/A |
411Mania | N/A | 8.1/10 [27] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | [28] | N/A |
Critical reaction to Dark Messiah has been divided, particularly between the US and the rest of the world. The game received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [4] [5]
Game Informer praised the PC version for the sheer fun factor and beautiful graphics. [11] In contrast, GameSpot said that it had many technical issues, repetitive gameplay, predictable story, and poor multiplayer. [15] The Australian video game talk show Good Game 's two reviewers both gave the game an 8/10. [29] Also, Hyper commended the game for its "telekinesis, great combat and being lovely to look at", but criticized it for "poor non-human combat [and] bugger all story". [30]
For Elements, IGN noted that it simplified the original game's role-playing element; players in Elements must choose one of four predetermined character classes that gain skills according to their specialty. [24] GameSpot criticized the game's control problems and graphics, stating that it "may be the ugliest game powered by [the] Source engine". [16] In Japan, where the game was ported for release under the name Might and Magic: Elements (マイト・アンド・マジック エレメンツ, Maito ando Majikku Erementsu) on 17 July 2008, Famitsu gave it a score of 22 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 gave it each a score of two sevens, one six, and one seven. [10]
GameSpot nominated Elements for the dubious award of Flat-Out Worst Game in its 2008 video game awards. [31]
In an interview on 15 August 2012, with Dutch gamesite Gamer.nl, Might & Magic creative director Erwan le Breton mentioned they were discussing a possible sequel to Dark Messiah. However, as of October 2015 [update] , Arkane Studios has left Ubisoft and the Might & Magic team was still searching for a new studio to take over the sequel. [32] [ needs update ]
Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games in the science fantasy genre developed by New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company. The original Might and Magic series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the Might and Magic name were purchased for US$1.3 million by Ubisoft, which rebooted the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games Heroes of Might and Magic V and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
Heroes of Might and Magic, known as Might & Magic Heroes in 2011–2024, is a series of video games created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing.
The Nomad Soul is an adventure game developed by Quantic Dream and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for Microsoft Windows in 1999 and Dreamcast in 2000. The player can engage in unarmed and armed combat, explore the three-dimensional environment of Omikron City, and talk with non-player characters to progress the story. It follows an investigation into a case of serial killings, which unravels the supernatural truth behind the city's ancient history.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and published by Namco for the Famicom. An enhanced Super Famicom port was developed by Opera House and released by Atlus in 1995. The second entry in the Megami Tensei series, the gameplay features the unnamed protagonist exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, battling and recruiting demons as they are pushed into taking part in a conflict between the demonic forces of Lucifer and the army of the One True God.
Divine Divinity is an action role-playing game developed by Larian Studios and published by cdv Software Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, which was released in August 2002. It has three sequels, Beyond Divinity, Divinity II, and Divinity: Original Sin II. It also has a prequel, Divinity: Original Sin, and a spin-off, Divinity: Dragon Commander. The game was released for Mac OS X on 15 November 2013.
Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic fantasy turn-based strategy video game series. The game was released by Ubisoft in Europe on May 19, and then in the United States and Canada on May 23, 2006, with the publisher guiding Russian studio Nival Interactive in its development. Following the closure of The 3DO Company, Ubisoft bought the rights to the Might and Magic franchise, and used Heroes V as a means to reboot the series with a brand-new setting, called Ashan, and no continuity to previous titles.
An action role-playing game is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Gauntlet Dark Legacy is an arcade video game released in 2000. It is the seventh title in the Gauntlet series, and is an expansion of the previous title in the series, Gauntlet Legends. The expansion adds five new levels, and four new character classes: Dwarf, Knight, Jester, and Sorceress. It also adds a large number of secret characters, some of which can be unlocked in the game, while others are only accessible by entering specific cheat codes.
Disciples: Sacred Lands is a turn-based strategy game published by Strategy First in 1999. Set in a fantasy world known as the Sacred Lands, it depicts a battle for dominance between the races of the world of Nevendaar. In 2001, an expanded version of the game was released titled Disciples: Sacred Lands - Gold Edition, which added 25 new scenarios.
Might and Magic IX is a role-playing video game, the last developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released in 2002 by The 3DO Company. It is the sequel to Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer. It is the first to feature a significant game engine overhaul since 1998's Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven. Powered by the Lithtech engine, it was also the first game in the series to feature fully three-dimensional graphics. During production, it was known by the working title of Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate, and it is usually referred to by that title by fans of the series.
Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East is the second expansion pack to the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic V and the first stand-alone expansion pack released for the fifth series. It was developed by Nival Interactive and was released by Ubisoft in 2007.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children, also known as DemiKids, is a series of role-playing video games primarily developed by Multimedia Intelligence Transfer and published by Atlus. It is a spin-off from Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise, and began in 2000 with the Game Boy Color games Black Book and Red Book. Five more role-playing games and three games in other genres were released until 2004, followed by no new releases until the 2011 social game Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children. In addition to the games, the series has been adapted into manga, anime, and a trading card game, and two soundtrack albums have been released by First Smile Entertainment.
Prey is a 2017 first-person shooter video game developed by Arkane Austin and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on May 5, 2017.
Demon's Souls is a 2009 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 3 under the supervision of Japan Studio. It was published in Japan by Sony Computer Entertainment in February, in North America by Atlus in October, and in PAL territories by Namco Bandai Partners in June 2010. The game is referred to as a spiritual successor to FromSoftware's King's Field series.
Floodgate Entertainment was an American video game developer founded by Paul Neurath in 2000. Many of the company's employees are former Looking Glass Studios employees.
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a puzzle role-playing video game developed by Capybara Games and published by Ubisoft for the Nintendo DS. Part of the Might and Magic series, it was first released in December 2009 in North America and February 2010 in Europe. In 2011, a downloadable high definition version was developed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Android and iOS ports developed by Tag Games were developed in 2013. A remake, titled Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition, developed and published by Dotemu, was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows in July 2023.
Might & Magic Heroes VI is a turn-based strategy video game for Microsoft Windows developed by Black Hole Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. Some patches and downloadable content were developed by Limbic Entertainment, while the standalone expansion Shades of Darkness was developed by Virtuos. It is the sixth installment in the Heroes of Might and Magic series, and was released on October 13, 2011, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Might and Magic franchise. Heroes VI acts as a prequel to Heroes of Might and Magic V, occurring almost five centuries earlier, and is set in the fictional world of Ashan. The story follows the five heirs to the Griffin dynasty in their quests to repel a demon invasion and assist or impede Michael, a legendary Archangel general plotting to revive an ancient war.
King's Bounty: Dark Side is a strategy video game developed for Microsoft Windows by 1C-Softclub and published by 1C Company. The game was released on August 14, 2014. It is a standalone installment in the King's Bounty series.
Weird West is an action role-playing video game developed by WolfEye Studios and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 31, 2022, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S subtitled Definitive Edition on May 8, 2023.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a historical fantasy action role-playing video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo. The game was released on March 3, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.