The Verdict
Dark Messiah, Might & Magic is an extremely satisfying attempt at revitalizing the hack’n’slash adventure come RPG genre, and for the most part it pulls it off extremely well. The combat and feel of the game is fantastic, it makes good use of the source engines physics capabilities, as well as some fantastic HDR effects, and the story is generally pretty solid. For some reason though, I finished the game thinking it could have been that bit better.
Some of the weapons were not quite to my liking even though, really they should have been excellent to use (namely staffs and daggers) and the general storyline, while intriguing and compelling was spoiled by the at times clunky manner in which it was told. This often meant being able to second guess what was going to happen rather than being taken aback by a plot twist or turn entirely. In places too, I felt it attempted ‘to hold your hand’ that bit too much in trying to show you cool ways of dispatching with enemies, and resolutions to puzzles where as it would have been much more satisfying to stumble across these yourself.
All in all though, Dark Messiah is a worthy game and will certainly keep you more than entertained as the winter nights draw in and the rain clouds gather. Let’s hope Arkane come back with another instalment to improve on what could be a genuinely classic gaming experience.
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Ubisoft
Recommended PC specifications:
AMD Athlon/Intel PIV 3ghz, 1gb Memory, 256mb DX9 Video Card 7gb HDD Space DX9 Compliant Soundcard.
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