Published by: 3DO Developed by: New World Computing System requirements: Computer System: IBM PC and 100% compatibles Operating System: Windows® 95/98 or NT w/SP4 CPU: Pentium® 166 (P200 recommended) Free Hard Disk Space: 375 MB Memory: 32MB RAM (64MB recommended) CD-ROM Drive: 4x Speed Video Card: Supports DirectX® 7.0* and 3D Acceleration** Sound Card: Any major DirectX 7.0 compatible Sound Card Peripherals: Keyboard and mouse Other: *DirectX 7.0 provided on CD **3D Accelerators: most Direct3D *MB Boards supported. NT 4.0 users must be using certified NT DirectX drivers. Note: May not run from CD-RW drives. Da Introduction: Following in the footsteps of its widely successful series, 3DO has once again created a realm of fantasy in the form of Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer. With nothing more than your wits and sword to protect you, you must enlist the help of spell casters and mythical warriors to aid you in your crusade to free the besieged world of Jadame. Will Might & Magic once again find gold or has it taken on the impossible quest? Da Installation: Installation is straightforward and easy, with nothing needed other than a simple mouse click to get you on your way. An auto-update is even included that keeps you effortlessly abreast to any recent changes. Although easy to install, it is important to notice that when it comes time to play, you must switch over from disk one to disk two. The game itself doesn't prompt you to this swap, so unless you realize that there is another disk hidden in the back of the case, you may find yourself cursing. Da Graphics: As in most first person games today, good graphics are the glue that holds all the different elements together and enables a computer program to become a living entity that we can all experience without risking serious bodily harm. Although many other aspects come into play when delivering a truly engrossing piece of work, graphics have the ability to directly stimulate and allow us to not only see, but also feel the world that is before us. That is why it is so disappointing that no one at 3DO understands this concept. The graphics are of the same tired engine that powered the games predecessors and now is trying for one last rally before presumably being finally laid to rest with the release of the new Lithtech engine next year. What starts out with a truly exciting and well-done opening scene, quickly reverts back to the same old graphics that have seen better days and more unforgiving eyes. The cut scenes are wonderfully done as well as are the scenes that greet you inside the many huts and shops within the towns. Sadly, these are the only graphics in the game that had any apparent effort put into them. Objects in the distance have the strange habit of disappearing when you look straight at them and then reappearing when you look off to the side. This only helps to highlight the limitations of the graphics, as does the fact that all the monsters are done with the same 2D flatness as the earlier Might & Magic and their poor animation is more laughable than threatening. The antique graphics engine does nothing more then create a world that resembles the movie set of an old spaghetti western; all plywood props with no substance. Da Sound: The sounds are sufficient to help create an atmosphere to accompany you on your many quests throughout the land of Jadame. Be it the "thud" of a mace or the "twang" of an arrow, all the sounds aid to the immersion of the ever-unfolding environment in which you entered. This isn't to say they are particularly inspiring or powerful, merely adequate. For instance, while exploring the old abandoned temple near the start of the game, you are forever assaulted by the constant "hissssss" of the snakemen. This repetitive nature may leave a fair bit of empty aspirin bottles littered around your computer, but besides this slight annoyance, the sounds are fairly well done and tolerable. Da Gameplay: Might and Magic VIII takes place in the medieval world of Jadame, and has you set as the inexperienced caravan guard that must recruit a band of four other members to try and save the land. A world plagued by the appearance of a mysterious figure, who has released a powerful towering crystal in the town of Ravenshore. This crystal has in turn opened the pathways to the four realms of the elements, releasing their occupants forth from the ethereal planes to wreak havoc on the plain folk of Jadame. As self-appointed hero, it's up to you and your band of adventures to stop the demonic forces and restore the land back to its former peaceful haven. As a role-playing game, it continues with the fine style that has always been prevalent in the MM series. You have the choice of numerous different player characters to choose from, ranging from the ever-vigilant knight to the misunderstood vampire. Dark elves, trolls, minotaurs and even dark masters of necromancy are all at your disposal. Each with names, voices and skills that are customizable to fit your own particular vision of the perfect champion. As always there are the countless combinations of potions to concoct, spells to cast and trinkets to collect. During your travels, you meet the usual assortment of NPC's that may aid you in your quest or even give you one of their own. This is where the game tends to lose some of its glimmer of high hopes and ends up falling short. NPC interaction is nonexistent, as you are forced to read countless lines of dialogue and are reduced to responding with nothing more than vague questions that relate to the general affairs of the besieged land or about characters you have never met or particularly care about ever meeting. Unfortunately, this is a required act since every building is accessible and must be explored to find supplies, information or yet another quest. Now I have nothing against a good quest among hero's, but they become so numerous and petty in nature that after a while you begin to wonder if you're playing the role of a cleric or a mailman. It seems as if almost every uninteresting soul you meet has a letter for you to deliver or an item for you to retrieve. This would be all right if you could simply ignore them, but many of these missions are essential for the continuing advancement of the game. After a while, I stopped caring who was asking me what, since I would almost always find what was needed during the course of exploring and then complete my task when I intruded on the intended recipient during my routine house to house search in the next town! Oh, how I longed for one quest to actually seem to have some overwhelming sense of urgency or importance to it. Besides the plethora of quests, there are also the vast numbers of trainers that you must seek out in order to achieve higher proficiency in the many different skills that your character possesses. You must travel from hut to hut, getting directions to find an expert, master or grand master to teach you in whatever expertise you are hoping to advance in. Couple this with the other members in your party and you have a maddening merry-go-round of teacher hunting and quest fulfilling. The game boasts a well-designed map feature with the option of placing a short description beside each hovel and tavern that appears there. This is almost a necessity since the map labels each establishment by its trade name and not for the business it provides. So if you're in need of a particular service and can't recall proper the establishment's name, you may spend a lot of time re-examining the shops looking for the one you need. This seems to be one of the largest time killers of the game and if you don't pay attention, one of the most wearisome. The game also presents the opportunity for a dragon to be invited to join your party. This quickly gives your band an element of superior firepower that is readily welcomed, but it also creates a distorted unbalance in the gameplay. With the dragon at your side, you rarely fall to defeat and after the dragon advances in skill, you achieve the ability to have your group flown past many of the games obstacles. This gives the game a new twist, but sacrifices the challenge in the process. The in-game movement controls that are used for navigating through labyrinths and other mediums of changing elevations, also becomes tiresome. When engaging creatures in melee, they will simply vanish from view if you don't happen to be on the same elevation as your opponent. A mouse-look feature is supplied, but when used it either rockets your view up or straight down at breakneck speed. This is a problem that is not adjustable within the game itself. Traveling though the many interior maps, with all the stairways and turns, makes this more then frustrating. When using the real time combat mode, as opposed to the turn based, this can become down right dangerous to your crews survival. With the confusion that results from the games controls, it's a wonder why the developers even considered adding the jumping puzzles and tricky maneuvering traps that the game contains. One of the other pitfalls that is a cause of great concern, are the fairly common bugs that cause you computer to crash or assume a state of extreme rigormortis. Fortunately, there is a fantastic save game option that at least makes these crashes survivable. Throw in endless hordes of shabbily designed and heavily pixelated adversaries to hack your way through and you have hours upon hours of consciousness numbing fun. On the high side, there is the game of Acromage to play in the local taverns. It's a great source of cash and once you get the hang of it- fun to play. The introduction of monsters as player characters gives a unique deviation from earlier versions and with the vastness that the world of Jadame entails; there is plenty for the devoted explorer to see. The overall storyline and cut scenes are well put together and add much to the atmosphere of this fantasy world. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough to make up for the games many shortcomings. Da Conclusion: Might & Magic VIII will appeal to the die-hard fans of the series, but leaves little to be desired for any others that may be looking for a solid RPG. The gameplay is as awkward as it is confusing and the repetitive nature has you wondering if it's even worth the effort. Even though at times it retains the addictive nature that was common with its predecessors, it fails to deliver anything truly new or inspiring. After the first few hours, you find yourself less of an adventurer and more of an armored errand boy, traveling constantly on all the endless mini-quests that you are expected to complete. It's not a complete waste of money, but if you've already played Might & Magic VII- it is a waste of time. Graphics- 4 Sound- 6 Gameplay- 4 Tilt- 4.5 Overall- 4.6 Might and Magic 8: Day of the Destroyer was reviewed by DA GAMEBOYZ contributer Scott Logan on his: PIII 450 128 MB Ram SoundBlaster Live Sound Card Zenon Surround Sound Speakers Voodoo3 AGP Video Card