Dark Messiah of Might and Magic

One of gaming's oldest names looks glorious running on Source but does it have the magic touch?
Version
 PC		Developer
Arkane		Publisher
Ubisoft		Genre
FPS



By Dominick Hardy

There's something innately terrifying about being attacked by a horde of giant poisonous spiders, even if it is only in the virtual world. Maybe it's the arachnophobia in all of us that induces at least a mild sense of panic when several eight-legged beasts descend down the walls of a well towards you. Best get used to it though as this is only one of the many frantic set-pieces involving spiders, ghouls, giant worms and the occasional undead cyclops that become the hallmark of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, the latest in the Might and Magic lineage.

"It's possibly the oldest franchise in gaming history - extending all the way back to 1986 and the original Apple computer."

Titles like this come along once in a while under the pretence of being an epic, either built up through hype and marketing spin or garnering fevered interest from gamers through demos, word-of-mouth, trailers and teasingly drip-fed tidbits of information. Sometimes this facade collapses like a house of cards under the weight of expectation but on the odd occasion a true gem will make it through and in the process become forever embedded in the annals of gaming lore.

Dark Messiah strives to be considered one of these titles, valiantly continuing possibly the oldest franchise in gaming history - the Might and Magic series which extends all the way back to 1986 and the original Apple computer. Many a sequel have been spawned since then including the popular Heroes of Might and Magic spin-offs and loyal fans have no doubt been lying in wait for this latest incarnation but which side of the chasm does it fall? Is it a truly epic adventure? Or does it fall short of greatness and into the depths below, to be devoured along with all the rest?

The odds may at first appear to be against it due to development taking place in fractured form. Arkane Studios (the team behind the critically-acclaimed Arx Fatalis) has been charged with producing the single-player game whilst Kuju Entertainment has developed the multi-player side of things, the theory perhaps being that the finished product will be greater than the sum of its parts.

Initially this would appear to be an unwieldy arrangement however by quickly settling upon the use of an enhanced version of Half-Life 2's acclaimed Source engine both teams have been free to concentrate first and foremost on the gameplay instead of the game engine. A smart move all round, although the success of Half-Life 2 has only served to demonstrate what can be done with the engine and further increased the level of expectation.

The single-player game itself plays out as a set of linear levels primarily composed of a series of set-pieces involving plenty of hacking and slashing. The story whilst entertaining is a by-the-numbers affair and a little on the predictable side, involving retrieving the Skull of Shadows, an ancient artifact with the power to either free the Demon Sovereign or condemn him to his fiery prison forever.

"With a linear story and scripted missions, it's commendable that you feel you're having an impact on the outcome."

Whilst there are a couple of branching story lines these are minor and those expecting the open and free-form roaming nature of a title like Oblivion are in for a disappointment. The game is much more rigid in structure but this is not to say that there are not a lot of options within each level.

On the contrary, due to the excellent physics model that the Source engine provides as well as some ingenious level design how each mission is approached is up to you. Shall you go for the full-frontal all-out attack? Or sneak up behind your enemies, back-stabbing them one-by-one with your daggers? Or if you can climb up that platform, you might be able to cut the rope bringing the hanging box crashing down on your enemies, or pick them off from a distance with your arrows.

Plenty of food for thought then, and this is without even mentioning your magical abilities, such as flame traps, freeze and telekinesis which raise some further interesting opportunities. The possibilities, whilst not quite limitless, are definitely bountiful.

The options in combat further extends to melee battles which are controlled with the mouse - left-click to attack with your equipped weapon, right-click to block. Power attacks can also be performed by combinations of sprinting, jumping and holding down the attack button. The combat system is a little more complex than first appearances though as certain body parts on the enemy can be targeted by simply aiming the mouse and hacking away, disarming your opponent or dismembering them completely if your adrenaline is full.

Successful attacks builds up your adrenaline levels and this allows you to perform even more powerful attacks. All deceptively simple, yet extremely effective. The high level of interaction with the environment means that you can also take advantage of your surroundings by kicking enemies onto spikes and fires or down stairs whilst you hold the high ground, waiting at the top and picking them off one by one.

Each level revolves around completing the given task for which skill points are awarded upon successful completion. This is counter to the norm where experience points are earned on a per-kill basis but is a necessity here due to the number of ways of completing each level. Thus there is as much reward for finding a clever way to avoid fighting as there is for going all out gung-ho on everything in your path.

These skill points can then be used to level-up your abilities, powering up your character and adding new skills. The skills you develop depend on which type of character you choose to create, with options for increasing your magical abilities, stealth skills, strength and endurance or a combination of all of these.

"The story whilst entertaining is a by-the-numbers affair and a little on the predictable side."

Graphically the game is very polished with some great HDR lighting effects, although that's not to say that everything is fresh and new. At times the scenery feels tired and clichéd, with that traditional fare of fantasy adventure games playing far too prominent a part - namely crates and barrels. Items on the other hand are wide and varied with some great weapons and armour, particularly the magical ones including poisoned daggers, lightening staffs, flame arrows and the Souldrinker sword which increases your health upon hacking away at an opponent.

With all this talk of magic it is perhaps appropriate to mention Dark Messiah's biggest trick and that is its illusion of choice. With a linear story and scripted missions, the fact that the player feels some element of control and that you are having an impact on the outcome is commendable. It is inevitable and predictable though that we must return to one of our original questions - is Dark Messiah a truly epic adventure?

What is certain is that Dark Messiah is a valiant attempt at a well-crafted story told though the medium of interactive entertainment. Despite combining two parts Half-Life 2 with two parts Oblivion, the sums don't quite add up, and whilst impressive in quality, it ultimately falls short of the greatness it strives for.











Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
8.0 7.5

8.0

 7.0 7.0 8.0


THE VERDICT: An overall enjoyable romp combining the fantasy setting of Oblivion with the structure of Half-Life 2. Includes some innovative features notably with the combat system and the level design although on the whole a little linear in nature. Short-lived but definitely fun while it lasts.









Video Coverage
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DescriptionDur.SizeDetails
Dark Messiah
New gameplay video 1		 1:45 64MB DF, ED, 16:9
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Dark Messiah
New gameplay video 2		 1:23 43MB DF, ED, 16:9
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Dark Messiah
New gameplay video 3		 1:23 46MB DF, ED, 16:9
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6Mbps
Dark Messiah
New gameplay video 4		 3:15 83MB DF, ED, 16:9
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Dark Messiah
Direct feed gameplay   (PC - Ubisoft)		 00:45 16MB DF, ED, 16:9
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3.0Mbps