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> Results: Dark Messiah of Might & Magic
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What GamerDad says about the ESRB Content Descriptors:
Blood and Gore: powered-up attacks can send body parts flying. Intense Violence: the game is all about moving from intense combat to intense combat. Language: there are a few minor words such as damn and hell, but nothing compared to what you'll be saying when you get poisoned by spiders for the thousandth time. Partial Nudity: Xana is more than just the saucy voice in your head, she's the naked saucy voice in your head. You take your chances using a license that is a classic in a genre to make a game largely outside that genre. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic mixes the storied Might & Magic role-playing franchise with the Half-Life 2 game engine in a game that is reminiscent of the somewhat obscure action game Blade of Darkness. Those are all excellent games, but in this case the whole is much less than the sum of its parts. There is tons of fun, but very little substance ﾖ and what is there is not all that great. Technically the game is a mess, with stability and performance issues abounding. The storyline is trite and predictable, and the level designs feel like proof of concept for the combat system. The combat system is the highlight of the game, and even that is disappointing because of the unbalanced ﾑkick' ability that is integral to all close combat. The skill system is very well done, and the rest of the combat system is well balanced, but the game constantly throws you into situations where you need to use whatever is available to survive ﾖ so one kick instead of a half-dozen sword hits is an easy choice. Some fans can't get past the fact that this isn't a role playing game. I can't get past the fact that with all of these elements of a great game, all they have managed to create is a lousy game with some amusing and fun moments.  
Do you remember that game with the gratuitous gore, simplistic storyline, puerile treatment of women and romance? I know ﾖ there are too many to number. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic joins that list as a game that your teens will be begging to play, but they would be better off avoiding based on quality as much as content.
The violence is extreme and comes at you from the very beginning. The game is more visceral than something like Half-Life 2 because melee combat is prominent throughout the game, getting you in the face of Orcs and huge Trolls. Two of the main combat mechanics involve kicking enemies into spikes and kicking them off ledges ﾖ you will do this throughout the game, and your enemies die in pools of blood and with chilling screams of agony. Finishing blows involve plunging your sword into the chest of an enemy with blood spurting everywhere. You can also behead enemies, and when your adrenaline is fully charged your attacks can even blow your opponents into pieces. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic has a built-in love triangle that is as juvenile as it is predictable. First you meet Xana in a scene straight out of a bad cable movie; later you are in town looking for Leanna. It is painfully clear who she is ﾖ just look for the pretty young scantily clad girl with the large breasts. The rest of the story doesn't improve this sorry state of affairs ﾖ you can see the twists and turns as if you had an overhead map. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Dark Messiah of Might & Magic |
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