Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

"A Great game with some flaws"

Introduction: Might and Magic 6, as the name makes clear, is the 6th game of a long series dating back to the mid '80s. It plays much like those old Dice-based RPGs of the past (Except in a 3d World in which your party and the NPCs can freely move within the world/dungeon). So whether or not you like these types of games will be a part of whether you like this game.

Fun: I personally found this game to be quite entertaining. But going from one place to another (such as Ironfist to Sweet Water) can become rather boring if you don't have enough Gold for transport. There are also a number of missions that have to do with going somewhere, killing a number of monsters, picking something up, and returning back to where you gotten the mission. Other than that, this game can be fun. Especially when you get the Ancient Weapons. Rating: 8/10

Difficulty: Might and Magic 6 is usually easy, except when you get to places such as the Superior Temple of Baa, Tomb of VARN, and Castle Darkmoor, those are places which would frustrate some people, but those places can usually be finished by gaining a few levels of EXP. Rating: 10/10

Control: If this game was rated on Control alone, then this would be one of the worst games ever. Even when using the Run button, going from one end of a large dungeon to another can take quite some time and Sidestep button is almost useless unless dodging projectiles from several game-yards away. Otherwise, the controls while flying are good enough. Rating: 4/10

Story: This game starts like most RPGs, A sudden turn of events (The Night of Shooting Stars) leads to something that threatens the world (The Devils), your inexperienced party goes to fight a group of Devils and just barely escapes with their lives. Then an old man teleports you as far away from Sweet Water as possible, where he trains you in basic battle techniques in the skills of your choice. Unfortunately, though, there is not very much plot in-game, but there is enough plot to keep the game rolling along. Rating:7/10

Graphics: Very nice graphics. Partly in the Still Pictures (In shops and other buildings) and in Dungeons (Such as the Old Temple of Baa and Tomb of VARN), but the effects of some spells and a few enemies lower this rating slightly. Rating: 8/10

Sound: I found the games sound to be somewhat poor. Although sounds are fitting for the moments, they can become annoying fast, such as the Devils, Roar of the Dragons, and the sound of some spells, such as Ice Bolt and Harm Rating: 4/10

Playtime/Replayability: Unless you rush through this game, it can take a good chunk of time. Especially if you want to go through the game playing as many quests as possible. As for replayability, I only recommend that a person replay this game only if you absolutely love this game. Rating: 7/10

Buy, Rent, or Forget: If you are a big fan of adventure RPGs, then I suggest you try this game out for a bit and if you aren't entertained with this game, you can simply uninstall the game and return the CD to wherever you got it. If you are not a fan of the genre, though, forget this game completely

Scores:
Fun: 8/10
Difficulty: 10/10
Control: 4/10
Story: 7/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 4/10
Playtime/Replayability: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/02, Updated 12/10/02