Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is a first-person action role-playing game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Ubisoft. The game was released in 2006 and is set in the fantasy world of Might and Magic. It offers a unique blend of intense combat, open-world exploration, and RPG elements. One of the notable features of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is its enhancement system. The game allows players to enhance their character with various abilities and skills, which can greatly influence gameplay and combat style. These enhancements can be divided into three main categories: combat, magic, and stealth.
There are a few different weapon types. Swords (and I think maybe axes) can be wielded one handed with a shield or 2 handed without one. They are your basic hack and slash type of weapon. Daggers, which are held in each hand and are a little faster to wield, and can be used to backstab enemies if you sneak up behind them. And finally, staffs, which take longer to swing, but can damage more than one opponent at once and can cause enemies to stagger.
This may have been done on purpose but I would have loved to have seen a spell hotkey so I didn t have to have all the spells I wanted to use in my hotbar. Dark Messiah features a multiplayer mode that is similar to the gameplay of the Battlefield series in that opposing teams battle each other and earn points by performing strategic maneuvers across a large map.
These enhancements can be divided into three main categories: combat, magic, and stealth. In terms of combat enhancements, players can choose from a variety of skills that improve their melee combat abilities. These include skills like Power Attack, which increases the damage of their attacks, and Frenzy, which grants temporary increased attack speed.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. My new favorite combat system in a game.
This is going to be a longer format review. I'll provide section headers so you can skip to the part you want.
It good. 9/10. Great combat and exploration. Buy it.
Dark Messiah is a linear, singleplayer, fantasy game with light rpg elements. It's made by arcane studios, the same team that made Prey 2017.
I haven't actually finished the game yet, and I won't get into spoilers here. Dark Messiah takes place in the might and magic universe. You don't need to know a thing about this universe to understand the story.
It's a pretty run of the mill fantasy story so far. It's not great, but not bad either. If you like that kind of fantasy stuff, you'll probably like it.
Just going to touch on this. It's an old game, and it looks like it, but in general it holds up pretty good. It's got a bit of a gritty vibe without being too bland or grey. Lighting and effects look pretty good too.
This is ok. The voice of the main character is really bland and there are some sounds that repeat a little bit often for my taste. Otherwise it's decent. The music is pretty good. The voice lines of the enemies, while they repeat often, are kind of funny and give a good character to the different enemies you'll fight.
This will be broken up into combat and exploration
Hoo boy the combat in this game. It's really good, but it's going to take me a minute to get to the good parts, so hold tight.
So at a surface level the combat is similar to something like skyrim, you block with right click, attack with left click, you can charge your attack and do a power attack, and you can shield bash by attacking while blocking with a shield. In addition you get a kick, whick you can use to stagger and knock down enemies. You also get different spells as you progress, there are several fire based spells, a night vision spell, lightning spell, ice spells, etc. These all cost mana. There's an adrenaline meter, that, when it fills up, allows you to instant kill the next opponent you power attack. You can also get bows that are almost useless in combat.
There are a few different weapon types. Swords (and I think maybe axes) can be wielded one handed with a shield or 2 handed without one. They are your basic hack and slash type of weapon. Daggers, which are held in each hand and are a little faster to wield, and can be used to backstab enemies if you sneak up behind them. And finally, staffs, which take longer to swing, but can damage more than one opponent at once and can cause enemies to stagger.
Ok, now on to the good bits. Where Dark Messiah really shines is it's environmental combat. You can do so much with it. Your kick move can be used to knock enemies off ledges, into spikes or fire, and into each other. It can also be used to knock boxes and barrels into enemies and to knock over supports that will cause barrels or statues to fall on your enemies. You can also throw items in the environment like big rocks, barrels, boxes, stools, and pretty much anything you can pick up. This is a far better ranged weapon than any bow in the game in my opinion. There's also a telekinesis spell that functions sort of like the gravity gun from half life.
There are so many other things you can do too. At one point there's a group of guards on some rickety looking planks in a house. You could just fight them, or you could use a spell to make the planks fall out from under them and then engage them from the floor below while they all stumble around trying to recover. In other sections, you can cut the rope holding up a chandelier or other heavy object and watch it swing down and take out multiple enemies. One of my favorites is freezing the ground near a ledge with a spell and then luring enemies into it where they slip and fall to their deaths.
All the reviews of this game kept talking about how linear the game was, and it is, but some of the levels are pretty big and somewhat open. There's also tons of secrets hidden around, you can find weapons, armor, and potions. I've only found a few but I know there are many more. These are great if you like finding cool hidden shit. Completionists beware though as there are no achievements to tell you if you've found everything.
I said earlier that the bows were useless for combat but you do get a rope bow that's very useful for helping you climb around the levels.
Otherwise I got lost a few times trying to figure out where the game wanted me to go but I always felt dumb whenever I found it.
There was also this really cool part where I found a book about blacksmithing next to a forge and there was an actual interactive forging process where you had to heat the metal and shape and quench it. There are at least 2 types of metal you can forge like that and I thought it was a really nice touch.
So there's a pretty small but we'll made skill tree. You've got combat skills like strength, critical hit, etc. These will give you some new moves like a jumping power attack. In addition some weapons are locked behind a skill, such as an orc cleaver that can only be wielded with upgraded strength. There's magic skills that all either give you more mana or a new spell. Spells are all pretty unique and diverse, and mesh well with the environmental combat. Finally, there's the misc skills tab for things like poison resistance, health regeneration, stealth, etc.
The spider enemies SUCK. They take everything great about the game's combat system and ruin it. They are almost always presented to you in a cramped space with no environmental elements to kill them with. In addition, the game doesn't like you throwing things in a downward direction, so they're hard to hit with barrels and you always miss when you do get to throw shit at them. They have far too much health, and their jump attack is annoying. You're meant to side step it as blocking doesn't seem to work, but since you always fight them in cramped spaces it's difficult to do that.
There is no spell button, and switching between weapons and spells leaves you vulnerable. This may have been done on purpose but I would have loved to have seen a spell hotkey so I didn't have to have all the spells I wanted to use in my hotbar. Also if you drop something you need and lose it you're pretty much fucked and just have to load a save.
Dark Messiah takes all the fantasy rpg elements I want to love and makes them digestible and fun. You aren't overwhelmed with a huge skill tree or giant open world but you still get all those awesome fantasy weapons and spells. This is perfect for me as I'm way more into linear games.
Overall I'd give it a 9/10. Totally worth buying.
Additionally, players can learn defensive skills such as Parry, which allows them to block and counter enemy attacks more effectively. The magic enhancements in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic offer players the ability to harness powerful spells and unleash devastating attacks. Players can choose to specialize in different schools of magic, such as fire, ice, or lightning. Each school offers unique spells and abilities that can be upgraded and customized. For example, players can learn Fireball, a spell that shoots a ball of fire at enemies, and upgrade it to deal additional damage or create a larger explosion radius. Stealth enhancements focus on improving the player's sneaking and assassination abilities. Players can learn skills like Backstab, which allows them to silently kill enemies from behind, and Stealth, which increases their chances of remaining undetected. These enhancements are particularly useful for players who prefer a more covert and tactical approach to combat. Overall, the enhancement system in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic adds depth and customization to the gameplay experience. Players have the freedom to choose the enhancements that suit their playstyle and can create unique characters with diverse abilities. Whether it's mastering the art of swordplay, wielding destructive magic, or becoming a silent assassin, the enhancements in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic offer a wide range of possibilities for players to explore..
Reviews for "Finding Hidden Gems: Enhanced Quests and Side Stories in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic"
1. John - 2/5
I found "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" to be a disappointment. The game was advertised as having improved graphics and enhanced gameplay, but I found it to be quite underwhelming. The graphics were only slightly better and didn't really add much to the overall experience. The gameplay felt clunky and unpolished, with weird controls that often made it hard to perform basic actions. Additionally, I encountered several bugs and glitches that further hindered my enjoyment of the game. Overall, I wouldn't recommend "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" to anyone looking for a truly enhanced gaming experience.
2. Sarah - 1/5
I was really looking forward to playing "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The supposed enhancements were barely noticeable, and the overall graphics and gameplay were subpar. The combat mechanics were clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to engage in battles. The game also suffered from numerous glitches and crashes, which further ruined the experience for me. I had high hopes for this game, but I was left feeling disappointed and unsatisfied. I would advise others to avoid "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" if they're looking for a truly enhanced gaming experience.
3. Emily - 2/5
I have to admit, I was excited to try out "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" as I had heard great things about the original game. However, the so-called enhancements didn't impress me at all. The visuals were marginally better, but overall they still felt outdated. The controls were confusing and difficult to get the hang of, which made it hard to fully enjoy the gameplay. Additionally, the game suffered from a lack of compelling storyline or interesting characters, which left me feeling uninspired. Overall, "Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Enhancements" failed to live up to its potential and left me feeling unimpressed.