fun, janky FPS combat paired with some of the most embarrassing writing ever seen in a video game. two women follow you around who are both SO desperate for your boring actionman fantasyguy dick and never shut up about how cool and sexy you are the entire time. like they're not even characters outside of how badly they want to fuck, it's so overbearing that it's funny. it's on that anime mobile phone horny gacha advertisement shit. i don't think i've ever cared less about the story in a video game, it's the lamest kind of tabletop nerd fantasy, but i don't think anyone who's played this cares about it either. the game's encounter design and the way you, inevitably, end up using the arena's to score environmental kick kills is the core appeal. and it's fun!!!! i like kicking nerds into: pits, oceans, spikes, fire, and more! most of it feels pretty rough, though. movement and regular combat are very clunky and awkward, stairs are a nightmare, and it has some questionable collision at times - but the time you'll spend with your foot up a dude's rear end is good.
Why the hell is this game so horny? Why do you have to spend so much time fighting ghouls and spiders? For a game all about visceral combat, why do I feel like I have the accuracy of a level 1 Morrowind character most of the time? Why did I kind of like it anyway?
Too many glitches, crashes, jank, some times enemies 1 shot you and aren’t blockable sometimes you cant hit them but the good combat fun when it works but is ruined by dumb AI and bugs.
a capeta gostosa só me irritou o jogo todo
Really cool RPG elements and story. Gameplay and parkour feels a bit clunky sometimes. Still, solid gameplay
Занимательная боёвка, но отвратительный «интуитивный» левел дизайн.
Source engine physics + kick attack = fun
Still a fun fantasy adventure. The kick button never gets old. Though, the PC port was really buggy with modern systems. It kept crashing and it autoskipped all but the first cutscene, so I don't know what the hell happened. The kick button was worth the entire journey.
the best arkane game, too bad modern pcs hate it
A strong start for Arkane, you can see all the things to come from their philosophies on game design and focus on player freedom. I played this numerous times back on Xbox 360, it was the first time I played a game that really felt like it was letting me make my own fun. I played through as a sorcerer, as a stealth archer, a knight, etc. Every configuration you could think of and I had so much fun.
Revisiting it now it does feel somewhat like a relic. The combat isn't very engaging and there's a lot of jank that feels almost endearing. It does seem like a prime candidate for the remaster/remake treatment. Even better it would be cool if Arkane revisited this world and made a sequel building off of the mechanics. They really improved on the formula with Dishonored and Prey, and I think it would be neat to revisit a fantasy setting again with what they've learned in the nearly 2 decades since.
Revisiting it now it does feel somewhat like a relic. The combat isn't very engaging and there's a lot of jank that feels almost endearing. It does seem like a prime candidate for the remaster/remake treatment. Even better it would be cool if Arkane revisited this world and made a sequel building off of the mechanics. They really improved on the formula with Dishonored and Prey, and I think it would be neat to revisit a fantasy setting again with what they've learned in the nearly 2 decades since.
The Might and Magic fantasy universe is a well-established series dating back to 1986. We've all seen many of their games on different platforms, even if we haven't all played them, but most of them have been straightforward turn-based strategy or role-playing games. However, Ubisoft and Arkane Studios' 2006 Dark Messiah of Might and Magic does not fall into any of these categories.
Like Arkane Studios' previous game from that year, Arx Fatalis, it is a first-person game. However, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic turned out to be very linear in terms of role-playing, and is instead an action-based game that focuses more on sword swinging and magic fireball throwing.
The main character is Sareth, a young half-demon raised by Phenrig, a stern mentor and devoted to his teachings. Our protagonist knows very little about his past, yet he has absorbed the lessons of martial arts mastery and has become proficient in both weapons and magic.
About 40 different weapons can be found in the game and you can learn several dozen different combat spells. This diversity allows you to destroy enemies as you please, whether in melee with a sword or dagger, or at range with a bow or spell. The game world consists of 12 large maps.
In Ashan, the forces of evil are stronger than anywhere else in the realm, and evil is rampant in the land, surrounded by fearless orcs, cruel goblins, treacherous trolls, undead, gigantic dragon-like beasts and many other monsters of great malice. Often, the only way to survive is to hide in the shadows and sneak past enemies.
In Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, by gaining experience, the player can unlock new items, specializations and abilities that can then be used effectively in battle. These are combos, spells or different deadly critical hits. The multiplayer part allows you to play together with up to 32 people.
The online part of the game has a variety of game modes, starting with simple deathmatches and allowing you to develop your character during extensive scenarios. The graphics are created by an improved version of the Source Engine, previously used by Valve Studios in Half-Life 2. Additional improvements to the engine include character control, environmental physics and character models. The game's storyline, including side content, is approximately 10-13 hours long.
Like Arkane Studios' previous game from that year, Arx Fatalis, it is a first-person game. However, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic turned out to be very linear in terms of role-playing, and is instead an action-based game that focuses more on sword swinging and magic fireball throwing.
The main character is Sareth, a young half-demon raised by Phenrig, a stern mentor and devoted to his teachings. Our protagonist knows very little about his past, yet he has absorbed the lessons of martial arts mastery and has become proficient in both weapons and magic.
About 40 different weapons can be found in the game and you can learn several dozen different combat spells. This diversity allows you to destroy enemies as you please, whether in melee with a sword or dagger, or at range with a bow or spell. The game world consists of 12 large maps.
In Ashan, the forces of evil are stronger than anywhere else in the realm, and evil is rampant in the land, surrounded by fearless orcs, cruel goblins, treacherous trolls, undead, gigantic dragon-like beasts and many other monsters of great malice. Often, the only way to survive is to hide in the shadows and sneak past enemies.
In Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, by gaining experience, the player can unlock new items, specializations and abilities that can then be used effectively in battle. These are combos, spells or different deadly critical hits. The multiplayer part allows you to play together with up to 32 people.
The online part of the game has a variety of game modes, starting with simple deathmatches and allowing you to develop your character during extensive scenarios. The graphics are created by an improved version of the Source Engine, previously used by Valve Studios in Half-Life 2. Additional improvements to the engine include character control, environmental physics and character models. The game's storyline, including side content, is approximately 10-13 hours long.
This review contains spoilers
Very hard but amazing game with a lot of realism.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is a unique experience. It shares story and characters from the Heroes of Might and Magic series but is a completely standalone game with a surprisingly good story, solid mechanics and an unforgiving difficulty.
In Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, you are an apprentice called Sarteh, trained by a master magician named Phenrig, trained in the arts of combat and magic. You complete your training and need to go to an expedition to the city of Stonehelm. Your master plants a spirit inside your head named Xana, who guides you on your travels.
You need to search for the Skull of Shadows, an artifact that your master Phenrig and his buddy Menelag, lord of Stonhelm want you find. That night, the city is attacked by Necromancers and a cyclops and after defeating them, your search for the skull continues. The Crystal that you found is then stolen by a Ghoul in the night. You follow it and find out that a necromancer called Arantir is behind the attack. He eventually finds the Skull of Shadow and one can only imagine what he is planning to do with it. You eventually meet Leanna, a chick that helps you on your journey.
You learn that Xana is actually a demon that possesses you and besides finding and destroying Arantir, you need to banish her from your system, what you eventually do. Then you take the fight to Arantir, getting hindered by Orcs, Goblins and a Pao Kai in the process. You dispose of the Orc war chief and start your battle with Arantir. After defeating him, you decide the final fate of the Skull of Shadows, spawning one of the four different endings the game offers.
You can earn skill points in combat to improve your skill tree. There is no bound class for you to master so you are free to spend your points however you want. However, you need to think about the feats and skills you want to master because “a little bit of everything” is not going to work out for this game. I really loved the RPG elements in this game. You collect potions, scrolls, food, weapons and items on your travels to improve and heal your character. Some items are hidden well but are worth it to find to give you the advantage that you desperately need at times. The items are well balanced too in terms of availability and are overall well designed.
For the time, I thought (and still think) that Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is one of the best-looking games out there. I was stunned by its realistic graphics, its animations, the view bobbing of the main characters, the fact that you could see your own feet and limbs and the incredible detail of the environments. Even today, this game looks like it is just four years old or something, but it is actually almost thirteen years. The enemies look horrifying and very detailed, and the overall tint is colorful but very grim at the same time. A unique combination.
The music has that typical Heroes of Might and Magic vibe and never fails to impress when in combat, running away from hordes of zombies or when fighting epic bosses. The sound effects are solid, and this is one of the games in my personal top ten when it comes to sound. The kling sound of the swords, the impact of your kicks, the footsteps, the magic attacks, the sounds and speech of enemies, it is all just perfect.
The controls work fine but because of the realism this game offers in movement and platforming, it can be a little stiff and clunky sometimes. Jumps need to be perfect, and your range is limited. It takes some time to master but when you do, it could just as well be a VR game.
The combat mechanics and style of fighting in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is also really unique and still one of the most realistic feeling out there. You can block, dodge, kick and really need to get control of the situation. Mainly because of the outstanding AI that enemies use, in which they can outsmart you easily, drive you into a corner or simply land a hit on you before you got time to figure out what they are going to do. You can also interact with the environment, kicking enemies in spikes for example or smashing them off ledges. It feels so epic and satisfying when you nail an Orc to the spike wall behind him and overall, I think it is perfection. The enemies are almost human players in their actions and behavior and to this day, I believe it is one of the best and most realistic combat experiences I have ever played.
The realism in combat, movement and platforming makes this game also really, really hard. The whole game has a vibe of danger, helplessness and caution over it. You cannot rush towards your goal and hope for the best, every step can be a trap, an enemy lurking around the corner or a jump that you need to plan carefully. I also thought this game had a very grim atmosphere. Your character Sareth is really cautious and overall, not that positive about the events around him and because this is one of the few games that let you bond automatically with the fate of the main character, you can feel his questions and cautious behavior too. It is a little hard to explain.
In conclusion, I thought Dark Messiah of Might and Magic was an amazing game that came out of the blue and it still a unique specimen in the Might and Magic series and games in general. It is hard as the seventh layer of hell but well worth it in the end.
Definitely recommend this awesome game.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is a unique experience. It shares story and characters from the Heroes of Might and Magic series but is a completely standalone game with a surprisingly good story, solid mechanics and an unforgiving difficulty.
In Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, you are an apprentice called Sarteh, trained by a master magician named Phenrig, trained in the arts of combat and magic. You complete your training and need to go to an expedition to the city of Stonehelm. Your master plants a spirit inside your head named Xana, who guides you on your travels.
You need to search for the Skull of Shadows, an artifact that your master Phenrig and his buddy Menelag, lord of Stonhelm want you find. That night, the city is attacked by Necromancers and a cyclops and after defeating them, your search for the skull continues. The Crystal that you found is then stolen by a Ghoul in the night. You follow it and find out that a necromancer called Arantir is behind the attack. He eventually finds the Skull of Shadow and one can only imagine what he is planning to do with it. You eventually meet Leanna, a chick that helps you on your journey.
You learn that Xana is actually a demon that possesses you and besides finding and destroying Arantir, you need to banish her from your system, what you eventually do. Then you take the fight to Arantir, getting hindered by Orcs, Goblins and a Pao Kai in the process. You dispose of the Orc war chief and start your battle with Arantir. After defeating him, you decide the final fate of the Skull of Shadows, spawning one of the four different endings the game offers.
You can earn skill points in combat to improve your skill tree. There is no bound class for you to master so you are free to spend your points however you want. However, you need to think about the feats and skills you want to master because “a little bit of everything” is not going to work out for this game. I really loved the RPG elements in this game. You collect potions, scrolls, food, weapons and items on your travels to improve and heal your character. Some items are hidden well but are worth it to find to give you the advantage that you desperately need at times. The items are well balanced too in terms of availability and are overall well designed.
For the time, I thought (and still think) that Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is one of the best-looking games out there. I was stunned by its realistic graphics, its animations, the view bobbing of the main characters, the fact that you could see your own feet and limbs and the incredible detail of the environments. Even today, this game looks like it is just four years old or something, but it is actually almost thirteen years. The enemies look horrifying and very detailed, and the overall tint is colorful but very grim at the same time. A unique combination.
The music has that typical Heroes of Might and Magic vibe and never fails to impress when in combat, running away from hordes of zombies or when fighting epic bosses. The sound effects are solid, and this is one of the games in my personal top ten when it comes to sound. The kling sound of the swords, the impact of your kicks, the footsteps, the magic attacks, the sounds and speech of enemies, it is all just perfect.
The controls work fine but because of the realism this game offers in movement and platforming, it can be a little stiff and clunky sometimes. Jumps need to be perfect, and your range is limited. It takes some time to master but when you do, it could just as well be a VR game.
The combat mechanics and style of fighting in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is also really unique and still one of the most realistic feeling out there. You can block, dodge, kick and really need to get control of the situation. Mainly because of the outstanding AI that enemies use, in which they can outsmart you easily, drive you into a corner or simply land a hit on you before you got time to figure out what they are going to do. You can also interact with the environment, kicking enemies in spikes for example or smashing them off ledges. It feels so epic and satisfying when you nail an Orc to the spike wall behind him and overall, I think it is perfection. The enemies are almost human players in their actions and behavior and to this day, I believe it is one of the best and most realistic combat experiences I have ever played.
The realism in combat, movement and platforming makes this game also really, really hard. The whole game has a vibe of danger, helplessness and caution over it. You cannot rush towards your goal and hope for the best, every step can be a trap, an enemy lurking around the corner or a jump that you need to plan carefully. I also thought this game had a very grim atmosphere. Your character Sareth is really cautious and overall, not that positive about the events around him and because this is one of the few games that let you bond automatically with the fate of the main character, you can feel his questions and cautious behavior too. It is a little hard to explain.
In conclusion, I thought Dark Messiah of Might and Magic was an amazing game that came out of the blue and it still a unique specimen in the Might and Magic series and games in general. It is hard as the seventh layer of hell but well worth it in the end.
Definitely recommend this awesome game.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is vulgar auteurism in game form. The hallmarks of Arkane's oeuvre are all here, but with none of the polish or restraint you're used to. Violence and sex and the plots of the pulpiest fantasy books you've ever read swirl like ether in its sorcerous hands. It's what Thief would be if the developers were influenced by Half-Life 2 instead of Ultima Underworld. Dark Messiah is clearly an immersive sim, but tune your expectations of what that means: instead of intricate stealth sandboxes, it throws you into a linear, setpiece-heavy physics playpen where your greatest joy will be finding increasingly grotesque ways of murdering orcs. It's hard to believe that the dedicated kick button didn't permanently alter the course of FPS design the way Halo's regenerating health did.
It's also insanely horny, like it was written by the guy from your first high school D&D game who was always trying to seduce the NPCs. It's janky, it's too dark to see half the time, and it would crash at least once every hour, even after I found a fix to stop the most game-breaking crashes. When it works, though, it's also a brisk, bloody, brilliant time.
It's also insanely horny, like it was written by the guy from your first high school D&D game who was always trying to seduce the NPCs. It's janky, it's too dark to see half the time, and it would crash at least once every hour, even after I found a fix to stop the most game-breaking crashes. When it works, though, it's also a brisk, bloody, brilliant time.
I originally heard about Dark Messiah through a personal recommendation from a buddy of mine, when we were talking about cool wizard games, with complex casting systems that make you really feel like you're mastering a school of magic. The only other games I can think of with magic systems that are actually interesting and have any modicum of depth to them would be Noita and Magicka, and loathe as I am to admit it, that club isn't getting any new members after my playthrough of this game. However, that's not to say the game doesn't have any tricks up it's sleeve.
A joke I heard once about the game that I keep unashamedly regurgitating, mainly due to how it perfectly encapsulates the gameplay loop, is that you DON'T play Dark Messiah like you're trying to larp as Gandalf, blasting giant spiders with fireballs and making orcs feel the wrath of God with a lightning bolt or two. Instead, you play it like you're Macaulay Culkin, using your admittedly limited arsenal of spells, combined with your quick wit and the sacred jank of the source engine, to lure unsuspecting necromancers into physics-based death traps. Crushing them under crates suspended above a flimsy wooden ceiling, freezing the floor by a big drop and watching them slide to their death, spartan kicking a goblin into a spike trap, or even just slamming a chair over their head to throw them to the floor, lining them up for an easy finisher.
As fun as it can be to kill fantasy monsters with unorthodox, slapstick methods, though, the game unfortunately doesn't have a lot going for it besides all that. The combat, especially outside of the magic system, is extremely bare-bones and you'll get tired of trying to win fights fairly really quick. There's also not much to speak of in terms of presentation or plot, other than the typical rpg schlock of "hurr le ancient prophesy durr your dad is the devil lmao durr" and all the funny looks you'll be getting from people that comes with that territory. At least you get a hot demon lady living in your head for the trouble, but I wish she'd stop coming on so strong. I know you want me, Xana, but now is not the time. Everything else, the characters, voice acting, world, music, monster designs, it's all servicable-for-rpg-standards at best and downright comical at worst. Though, I suppose that does compliment the already comical nature of the game.
All in all, however, in spite of it's flaws as a holistic gameplay experience and having quite possibly the least mechanical depth out of any Arkane game pre-Deathloop (most likely due to interference from Ubisoft), the beauty of sourcejank combined with the cartoonish nature of the combat encounters make for a unique gameplay experience I have yet to see repeated or improved upon, especially within the boundaries of a toolset provided to you by a fantasy world. Dark Messiah isn't going to blow you away, but you're sure as hell gonna blow those orcs away. Right off a cliff.
A joke I heard once about the game that I keep unashamedly regurgitating, mainly due to how it perfectly encapsulates the gameplay loop, is that you DON'T play Dark Messiah like you're trying to larp as Gandalf, blasting giant spiders with fireballs and making orcs feel the wrath of God with a lightning bolt or two. Instead, you play it like you're Macaulay Culkin, using your admittedly limited arsenal of spells, combined with your quick wit and the sacred jank of the source engine, to lure unsuspecting necromancers into physics-based death traps. Crushing them under crates suspended above a flimsy wooden ceiling, freezing the floor by a big drop and watching them slide to their death, spartan kicking a goblin into a spike trap, or even just slamming a chair over their head to throw them to the floor, lining them up for an easy finisher.
As fun as it can be to kill fantasy monsters with unorthodox, slapstick methods, though, the game unfortunately doesn't have a lot going for it besides all that. The combat, especially outside of the magic system, is extremely bare-bones and you'll get tired of trying to win fights fairly really quick. There's also not much to speak of in terms of presentation or plot, other than the typical rpg schlock of "hurr le ancient prophesy durr your dad is the devil lmao durr" and all the funny looks you'll be getting from people that comes with that territory. At least you get a hot demon lady living in your head for the trouble, but I wish she'd stop coming on so strong. I know you want me, Xana, but now is not the time. Everything else, the characters, voice acting, world, music, monster designs, it's all servicable-for-rpg-standards at best and downright comical at worst. Though, I suppose that does compliment the already comical nature of the game.
All in all, however, in spite of it's flaws as a holistic gameplay experience and having quite possibly the least mechanical depth out of any Arkane game pre-Deathloop (most likely due to interference from Ubisoft), the beauty of sourcejank combined with the cartoonish nature of the combat encounters make for a unique gameplay experience I have yet to see repeated or improved upon, especially within the boundaries of a toolset provided to you by a fantasy world. Dark Messiah isn't going to blow you away, but you're sure as hell gonna blow those orcs away. Right off a cliff.
Esse jogo é muito bom, seria melhor se não tivesse tanta aranha, deus do céu
Крутые ИММЕРСИВНЫЕ механики на первых проработанных уровнях дают огромную свободу в достижении целей. Но после них не остаётся ничего. И лвл-дизайн, и дизайн битв скатываются до уровня коридорного экшена. Остаётся только игрок, часы тунелей-пещер и толпы врагов, которых нужно закликивать. Зато сюжет - угарный гаремник, предлагает интересный выбор между девочками.
This is the hardest game to recommend but I would get this on sale if possible. The core gameplay is really fun, kicking dudes around and throwing boxes at them is amazing. I can't stress enough how much fun combat is against humanoid enemies.
You can kick dudes off ledges, into spike racks, and other hazards, you can even kick them into each other. It's a first person swordfighting game where you use the environment way more than any other weapon.
Sadly the game has other types of enemies where these mechanics are basically nonexistent. And to make matters worse, there's a fucking story there too. It's so stupid and generic I really did try to just ignore it, pretend this game is just about some dude that kicks a bunch of dudes into spikes and call it a day.
Also be prepared for crashes, this is an old ass source engine game not made by Valve, so the game will slowly begin to fall apart more and more as time goes on. Near the end I was crashing around every 25 minutes or so.
The game's balancing is awful too. Magic is so hard to use correctly, it's always just better to rely on your sword. Game also goes on way too long, and things get kinda old after the 40 trillionth kick.
Still despite all of that, you can get this on sale for like 5 bucks sometimes, and it's enjoyable enough. Buy this if you love kicking dudes around, funny ragdolls, and completely ignoring the garbage ass story.
You can kick dudes off ledges, into spike racks, and other hazards, you can even kick them into each other. It's a first person swordfighting game where you use the environment way more than any other weapon.
Sadly the game has other types of enemies where these mechanics are basically nonexistent. And to make matters worse, there's a fucking story there too. It's so stupid and generic I really did try to just ignore it, pretend this game is just about some dude that kicks a bunch of dudes into spikes and call it a day.
Also be prepared for crashes, this is an old ass source engine game not made by Valve, so the game will slowly begin to fall apart more and more as time goes on. Near the end I was crashing around every 25 minutes or so.
The game's balancing is awful too. Magic is so hard to use correctly, it's always just better to rely on your sword. Game also goes on way too long, and things get kinda old after the 40 trillionth kick.
Still despite all of that, you can get this on sale for like 5 bucks sometimes, and it's enjoyable enough. Buy this if you love kicking dudes around, funny ragdolls, and completely ignoring the garbage ass story.
Sempre me venderam esse jogo como se fosse um tipo de "Dishonored antes de Dishonored" e tal, pelo gameplay criativo que a Arkane inclusive é conhecida por imprimir nos seus jogos.
E bom... meio que é verdade mesmo isso. É um dos jogos com o gameplay mais satisfatório que eu joguei nos últimos tempos, sendo extremamente simples e ao mesmo tempo sendo prazeroso pela diversidade de coisas que se pode fazer. É evidente que é um tanto quanto janky, sendo um jogo de 2006, mas justamente pensando que é um jogo dessa época, ele parece mesmo algo bem avançado e uma boa dose de prévia do que a gente veria em Dishonored.
A história é extremamente bobona, digo, não é ruim mas não é cativante e nem exatamente empolgante - é como se você estivesse numa mesa de RPG onde o teu mestre está apenas pensando em te jogar nas batalhas de diversos modos, mas sem se preocupar com a lore da coisa de verdade.
Apesar de ter adorado a experiência, o que me impede de recomendar esse jogo é ser tão velho que precisa de uma certa paciência e alguns conhecimentos arcanos para fazer ele rodar de um modo minimamente razoavel. Fiz tudo o que poderia ser feito (e que eu localizei em tutoriais) para deixar ele estável, e mesmo assim ele congelava e fechava em diversos momentos. Uma pena. Esse jogo merece um remaster digno.
E bom... meio que é verdade mesmo isso. É um dos jogos com o gameplay mais satisfatório que eu joguei nos últimos tempos, sendo extremamente simples e ao mesmo tempo sendo prazeroso pela diversidade de coisas que se pode fazer. É evidente que é um tanto quanto janky, sendo um jogo de 2006, mas justamente pensando que é um jogo dessa época, ele parece mesmo algo bem avançado e uma boa dose de prévia do que a gente veria em Dishonored.
A história é extremamente bobona, digo, não é ruim mas não é cativante e nem exatamente empolgante - é como se você estivesse numa mesa de RPG onde o teu mestre está apenas pensando em te jogar nas batalhas de diversos modos, mas sem se preocupar com a lore da coisa de verdade.
Apesar de ter adorado a experiência, o que me impede de recomendar esse jogo é ser tão velho que precisa de uma certa paciência e alguns conhecimentos arcanos para fazer ele rodar de um modo minimamente razoavel. Fiz tudo o que poderia ser feito (e que eu localizei em tutoriais) para deixar ele estável, e mesmo assim ele congelava e fechava em diversos momentos. Uma pena. Esse jogo merece um remaster digno.
Hey you remember that time Might & Magic (grid-based party RPG game) did a spinoff that wasn't the tactics game and it was like, outrageously good and then they just didn't touch it again
What the fuck was that all about
What the fuck was that all about
So according to many "experts" this is supposed to be a masterpiece? Don't make me laugh^^ Well, kicking the enemies away is fun and the physics in combat are generally quite funny...for about 5 minutes ;D Unfortunately, the game has major weaknesses in most areas. The quality of the level design varies wildly, sometimes quite nice, sometimes absolutely confusing and crap (looking at you - spider temple), the story is absolute garbage and the dialog is written so incredibly awkward and crappy, it almost hurt. This whole idea of "freedom of choice" is also super shallow and clichéd...what a disappointment...I thought I'd left this "masterpiece" lying around in my backlog for too long but honestly, I haven't missed anything here.
To continue my quest of checking out ancient games in my library, this one was actually added more recently. I really enjoyed the combat and exploration to this game, and how open it felt and nothing seemed like a "wrong answer". Shooting dudes with magic, or an arrow, throwing a box at them, or kicking them off a ledge or into a spike wall, all viable. Where it did feel old was swapping between these things, and melee combat (at least for my build) felt typically impractical with faster enemies near the end who seemed to kill me in a few quick hits. Definitely scratched a fun itch of physics based combat that just isn't explored in the same way anymore, and I recommend playing to this day.
Well runs dry pretty quick on this one as soon as it mostly drops human enemies for little ghouls and spiders and becomes a "run around caves looking for the next area" simulator. Despite this though, it manages to set up some real next level fun situations when you get to fight the humanoid characters and kick them off cliffs and into campfires over and over and over again.
It's rare that a game with decently complex first person melee combat comes around, and Dark Messiah has always been one that's brought up over the years. I can't say that I'm disappointed, but I was expecting a little more based on how much praise people give it.
For starters, the melee never fully feels right. Partially because you need to hover your crosshair over an enemy to actually land the hit. This means your sword can look like it should've hit, but will instead miss your target. Even Skyrim's infamous combat manages to get the upper hand here, but what it doesn't have is the sheer volume of environmental interactions.
Dark Messiah is at its absolute best when you're presented an area filled to the brim with rickety platforms you can break to topple large crates and barrels on foes, weird and out of place spike traps to kick them into, and large pits for them to fall off. The game feels scrappy and awkward and that's the fun part. The kick is a universal combat move that almost never gets old, as it allows for a variety of interactions with the enemies and environment.
This is then thrown into the gutter for a series of mediocre and dull combat encounters in enclosed caves against hordes of spiders that will inflict poison the instant they touch you. This is where the other combat styles come into play. Archery is slow and not very fun or powerful, but magic has a variety of spells with interesting and varied uses. The one that compliments melee playstyles the most is the ice, as you can freeze the ground for an easy instant kill. after an enemy slips and falls.
I'd talk about the narrative but I didn't really care. The voice in your head is so obviously evil that I won't even bother putting a spoiler tag on this review. Your goal is to stop an evil necromancer from destroying the world or something, so you go and get a series of mcguffins in a temple. Really the story is just a vehicle for the gameplay, and that's fine.
The game is definitely worth the price of admission on a sale but you're going to have to set up a few things before it stops crashing constantly. Once you do that you've got a somewhat janky but overall fun time. I wouldn't put it above Zeno Clash in terms of its fp melee system, but the environment really pushes it over the edge.
For starters, the melee never fully feels right. Partially because you need to hover your crosshair over an enemy to actually land the hit. This means your sword can look like it should've hit, but will instead miss your target. Even Skyrim's infamous combat manages to get the upper hand here, but what it doesn't have is the sheer volume of environmental interactions.
Dark Messiah is at its absolute best when you're presented an area filled to the brim with rickety platforms you can break to topple large crates and barrels on foes, weird and out of place spike traps to kick them into, and large pits for them to fall off. The game feels scrappy and awkward and that's the fun part. The kick is a universal combat move that almost never gets old, as it allows for a variety of interactions with the enemies and environment.
This is then thrown into the gutter for a series of mediocre and dull combat encounters in enclosed caves against hordes of spiders that will inflict poison the instant they touch you. This is where the other combat styles come into play. Archery is slow and not very fun or powerful, but magic has a variety of spells with interesting and varied uses. The one that compliments melee playstyles the most is the ice, as you can freeze the ground for an easy instant kill. after an enemy slips and falls.
I'd talk about the narrative but I didn't really care. The voice in your head is so obviously evil that I won't even bother putting a spoiler tag on this review. Your goal is to stop an evil necromancer from destroying the world or something, so you go and get a series of mcguffins in a temple. Really the story is just a vehicle for the gameplay, and that's fine.
The game is definitely worth the price of admission on a sale but you're going to have to set up a few things before it stops crashing constantly. Once you do that you've got a somewhat janky but overall fun time. I wouldn't put it above Zeno Clash in terms of its fp melee system, but the environment really pushes it over the edge.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is a very unique B-tier style game I wish we got more of. It is a linear, level-based action RPG in contrast to most other fantasy games that are massive and sprawling. Although really, it is a fantasy Jackie Chan simulator: run around an environment kicking guys into things, throw physics objects at them, or use magic.
The combat is mostly great, although the hit-boxes feel a bit weird. I would often do a horizontal slash with the sword that would miss the enemy because they weren't in the crosshair, even though the sword swung through them.
Story-wise it's pretty good for a small linear game like this, with some good and evil choices you can make to determine the ending (as was the style in the mid 2000s). It justifies going from level to level without becoming annoying. Sareth and Xana have some fun dialogue back-and-forth occasionally, which helps to give the game some life since most NPCs will just be outright hostile.
Other than constant crashing, the biggest problem I have is in environment. Most of the game takes place in caves, sewers, dungeons, underground lairs, etc. The latter half of the game especially blurs together because all these areas are so dark, so you spend most of the time in the blue night-vision mode. I wish there was a torch or lantern or spell for light instead to not take away from the art and lighting of the levels.
Arkane, why isn't the kick in every game?
The combat is mostly great, although the hit-boxes feel a bit weird. I would often do a horizontal slash with the sword that would miss the enemy because they weren't in the crosshair, even though the sword swung through them.
Story-wise it's pretty good for a small linear game like this, with some good and evil choices you can make to determine the ending (as was the style in the mid 2000s). It justifies going from level to level without becoming annoying. Sareth and Xana have some fun dialogue back-and-forth occasionally, which helps to give the game some life since most NPCs will just be outright hostile.
Other than constant crashing, the biggest problem I have is in environment. Most of the game takes place in caves, sewers, dungeons, underground lairs, etc. The latter half of the game especially blurs together because all these areas are so dark, so you spend most of the time in the blue night-vision mode. I wish there was a torch or lantern or spell for light instead to not take away from the art and lighting of the levels.
Arkane, why isn't the kick in every game?
One of the most fun first-person melee combat systems in video games marred by extremely unfortunate technical foibles, a couple bad levels, and a terrible final boss. God damn is creating an ice patch on the side of a cliff and watching goobers slip n slide to their doom cathartic though.
This game crashed probably 15 times, and that was after doing a hex editor fix which at least stopped it from crashing every 5 minutes.
This game crashed probably 15 times, and that was after doing a hex editor fix which at least stopped it from crashing every 5 minutes.
Call me an empty flesh vessel, but I didn't really find much to like in this game. Yes, you can kick people off ledges. Yes, there's funny physics. But it all feels cheap and not at all in service to a story that feels cobbled together from medieval fantasy tropes.
Underrated gem.
source egnine
Valve game if Valve made good games
Any game that has a kick button and ragdoll physics has my vote
But seriously, this is a good game with pretty fun combat and movement. The setting is interesting but the story and characters are a bit generic and unmemorable. It's also a lot less open-ended than what you'd expect from Arkane with it being surprisingly linear, however this game is a guaranteed fun time (because of the ragdoll physics of course)
But seriously, this is a good game with pretty fun combat and movement. The setting is interesting but the story and characters are a bit generic and unmemorable. It's also a lot less open-ended than what you'd expect from Arkane with it being surprisingly linear, however this game is a guaranteed fun time (because of the ragdoll physics of course)