| Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen | |
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| Developer(s) | New World Computing |
| Publisher(s) | New World Computing |
| Director(s) | Jon Van Caneghem |
| Programmer(s) |
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| Composer(s) |
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| Series | Might and Magic |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, FM Towns, NEC PC-9801 |
| Release | 1992 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen (originally released as Might and Magic: Clouds of Xeen) is the fourth installment in the Might and Magic series by New World Computing.
Might and Magic IV focuses on the events that occur after the adventurers of Might and Magic III set off to follow Sheltem after he escapes from Terra. Trouble is brewing in the land of Xeen. A mysterious villain by the name of Lord Xeen has imprisoned Crodo, overseer of Xeen, in a tower and is unleashing havoc across the land. A new band of adventurers must be formed to stop him and save both the Clouds of Xeen and the underground town of Shangri-La.
Might and Magic IV uses a game engine based on that used by Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra , and the gameplay is almost identical. More emphasis is placed on cutscenes than in the earlier game, possibly due to the availability of larger hard drives.
This game and its successor, Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen can be combined to make one large game, World of Xeen. In-game, this is visualised as either game being a 'side' of a flat, rectangular planetoid. In the combined game, areas in both games become available that are impossible to access in the standalone games. Both game's endings can be achieved, after either of which gameplay continues. A third ending is available in the combined games only.
The game was available initially on floppy disc but was also released on CD. Might and Magic IV and V were some of the very first Western games to come out on CD, although Japanese studios had been using the CD-ROM medium since 1988. [1] They were also the first games to come out where every character's dialogs are recorded on the CDs; the software plays the CD back at specific tracks, seeking to the proper second offset within the track. [ citation needed ]
Clouds of Xeen introduced several new features into the series. This included a notes section which kept track of important information such as quests, clues, passwords, and the coordinates of locations of note. It also had a difficulty setting where you could select Adventurer or Warrior, with the latter having more challenging enemies in combat, but no other gameplay differences. It also had a separate inventory for quest items which kept the player from accidentally discarding or selling critical items. [2]
Computer Gaming World ' Scorpia stated in 1993 that "There isn't much plot to Clouds of Xeen ... The world is rather empty of everyday people", similar to previous games in the series. She criticized the ending for being too binary: "if you have the right item, Xeen is toast; if you don't have it, your party is toast ... makes the confrontation almost pointless". Scorpia nonetheless concluded that both "hard-core Might & Magic fans" and some others might enjoy the game. [2] She later that year advised players to install and play Clouds and Might & Magic V: Darkside of Xeen together for "the most enjoyment". [3] The game was reviewed in 1993 in Dragon #191 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars. [4] Might and Magic: World of Xeen (comprising Clouds of Xeen and Dark Side of Xeen ) was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #201 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the compilation 3 out of 5 stars. [5]
Barry Brenesal of PC Magazine wrote that "some fans may ... find the game too easy, with few puzzles to bedevil the novice adventurer." However, he considered the game "well crafted and visually entertaining", and believed that it should be "enjoyed as a free ride through the imaginations of New World Computing's artists." [6]
Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games from 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.
Pool of Radiance is a role-playing video game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI) in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) fantasy role-playing game for home computers, becoming the first episode in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games. The other games in the "Gold Box" series used the game engine pioneered in Pool of Radiance, as did later D&D titles such as the Neverwinter Nights online game. Pool of Radiance takes place in the Forgotten Realms fantasy setting, with the action centered in and around the port city of Phlan.
Eye of the Beholder is a role-playing video game for personal computers and video game consoles developed by Westwood Associates. It was published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1991, for the MS-DOS operating system and later ported to the Amiga, the Sega CD and the SNES. The Sega CD version features a soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. A port to the Atari Lynx handheld was developed by NuFX in 1993, but was not released. In 2002, an adaptation of the same name was developed by Pronto Games for the Game Boy Advance.
Pools of Darkness is a role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1991. The cover art and introduction screen shows a female drow. It is the fourth entry in the Pool of Radiance series of Gold Box games, and the story is a continuation of the events after Secret of the Silver Blades. The novel loosely based on the game was released in 1992. Like the previous games in the series, it is set in the Forgotten Realms, a campaign setting from Dungeons & Dragons. Players must stop an invasion from an evil god, eventually traveling to other dimensions to confront his lieutenants.
Might and Magic Book One: Secret of the Inner Sanctum is an early role-playing video game, first in the popular and influential Might and Magic franchise. It was released in 1986 as New World Computing's debut, ported to numerous platforms and re-released continuously through the early 1990s.
Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra is the third game in the role-playing video game series Might and Magic. Released in 1991, it is the predecessor to Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen and the sequel to Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World. A Sega Genesis version was developed, but never released.
The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Interplay Productions in 1986. It is the first sequel to The Bard's Tale, and the last game of the series that was designed and programmed by Michael Cranford.
Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World is a role-playing video game developed and published by New World Computing in 1988. It is the sequel to Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum.
Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen is a science fantasy role-playing video game published and developed for multiple platforms by New World Computing in 1993. Based on the Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra game engine, it is the fifth game in the Might and Magic series, and is a direct sequel to Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen, concluding the story arc started in the original Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum.
New World Computing, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1984 by Jon Van Caneghem, his wife, Michaela Van Caneghem, and Mark Caldwell. It was best known for its work on the Might and Magic role-playing video game series and its spin-offs, especially Heroes of Might and Magic. The company was purchased by and became a division of The 3DO Company on July 10, 1996 from NTN Communications, after NTN purchased New World Computing for $10 million in stock.
The Summoning is an isometric-view fantasy role-playing video game developed by Event Horizon Software and published by Strategic Simulations in 1992.
The Magic Candle: Volume 1 is a role-playing video game designed by Ali Atabek and developed and published by Mindcraft in 1989.
The Eternal Dagger is a top-down role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1987. It is a sequel to Wizard's Crown from 1986. Demons from another dimension are invading the world, and the only item that can seal the portal is the titular dagger. Players can transfer their characters over from Wizard's Crown, minus whatever magical items they had on them.
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom is the fifth scenario in the Wizardry series of role-playing video games. It was published in 1988 by Sir-Tech for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and IBM PC compatibles. A port for the Super Famicom and FM Towns was later developed and published by ASCII Entertainment in Japan. Wizardry V was released in the US for the Super NES by Capcom in 1993, and subsequently re-released for the Satellaview subsystem under the name BS Wizardry 5.
Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus is the third video game in the Phantasie series.
Knights of Legend, released by Origin Systems in 1989, is a fantasy role-playing video game.
Legend, also known as The Four Crystals of Trazere in the United States, is an isometric fantasy role-playing game released in 1992 for the Amiga, Atari ST, and DOS. It was developed by Pete James and Anthony Taglione for the then UK-based Mindscape, and published by The Software Toolworks. In the game, the player controls four adventurers on a quest to save the land of Trazere from an ancient, re-awakening evil. In 1993, Mindscape released a sequel, Worlds of Legend: Son of the Empire. The copyrights for both "Legend" and "Worlds of Legend" are currently owned by Ubisoft, who bought them from Mattel Interactive with the rest of the Mindscape library in 2001.
Questron II a 1988 role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations for the Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC, and Amiga. It is the sequel to 1984's Questron. The story and original design is credited to Quest Software, the programming and artwork is credited to Westwood Associates.
Realms of Darkness is a fantasy video game developed by Strategic Simulations and released in 1986. It was developed for the Apple II and Commodore 64.
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| Spin-offs | |
| Heroes of Might and Magic | |
| Heroes spin-offs | |
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