Posts from Great Fantasy or Space Opera

The Evolution of the Might and Magic Universe
Fantasy or a "Space Opera"?Might And Magic 1, "Secret of the Inner Sanctum"

Developed by: New World Computing
Released: in 1987
Engine: Initially, everything looked very promising: the game had a pretty good engine for its time and offered a lot of freedom to the player. All of this was, of course, designed for DOS. The graphics were quite decent for that time [16 colors] ;) And the sound was provided by a beeper (the built-in speaker).
Interface: Everything is quite primitive. All actions are performed by selecting and pressing specific keys.
Plot: The action takes place in the so-called artificially created ecosystems of Varnah (Vehicular Astropod Research Nacelle). In general, the heroes are not threatened by anything except for minor troubles in the form of local monsters. The main task is to find the Inner Sanctum, where a certain computer programmer awaits you, who will guide you to a new world - "Long live the second part!".

Might And Magic 2 "Gates to Another World"

Developer: New World Computing
Release Date: 1989
Engine: A significant breakthrough occurred. The game now featured excellent EGA graphics for its time. The beeper continued to function, but there was little point in having anything else. Also, a large number of animated images (sprites) appeared.
Interface: A nice introductory screen with a character. The menu featured animated globes ))) + some early elements of a game interface appeared.
Plot: The computer expert from the previous installment is now known as Cron. Now, the heroes must face a greater number of dangers that await them behind every open and closed door in the few cities. The plot begins to hint at some mysterious backstory. It becomes known about the confrontation between two entities, Shelthem and Korok, who want to destroy each other. The cunning Shelthem decides to eliminate Korok. He sneaks into the control center of the planetoid and, reaching the computer, redirects its flight directly into the plasma depths of a neighboring star. Meanwhile, he escapes through the celestial gates to the next world called Terra. But fortunately, the heroes manage to prevent the destruction of the star by canceling the planetoid's trajectory. Another planet is saved. The heroes follow Shelthem to Terra.

Might And Magic 3 "Isles of Terra"

Developer: New World Computing
Released: in 1991
Engine: The engine is truly very impressive now. We have been given a mouse, the graphics are now called VGA, and the ability to use SoundBlaster has appeared ;) The musical accompaniment is no longer irritating and evokes the mysterious atmosphere of the Middle Ages. It turned out simply magnificent.
Interface: Now everything is much more convenient. With the mouse, you can access almost any necessary menu. The inventory now looks more intuitive with images for each item. You can even move using the mouse. The character portraits at the bottom of the screen, familiar from later parts, have appeared. [In general, everything has become approximately as players of subsequent (4-8) parts are used to seeing it].
Plot: At the beginning, we are given a letter from Corak asking us to find a certain magical well and free Morphose. The biggest and most awaited surprise of this part: the plot finally becomes clear to us — the entire backstory of this universe is revealed. Then comes the confrontation between Corak and Sheltom via our heroes on Terra.
Backstory: It was the era of the "Ancients" — an era of peace and prosperity. The civilization of the "Ancients" had come a long way in its formation and consolidation. It had now colonized the unoccupied free stars and spread across the vast expanses of the universe. Sometimes flights to the next star took hundreds of years, but the culture and existence of the Ancients consisted of many thousands of years spent in the expanses of creation, and therefore generations changed, while peace and harmony continued to feed the energy of light. Everything would have been wonderful if not for the meeting of two societies, identical in goal but opposite in the means of its implementation: in one of the explored nebulae of the universe, the "Ancients" encountered a civilization just as complex and ancient, the "Kreegans", whose goal was to settle all planets they encountered on their path while completely destroying any remaining traces of existence there. Thus began the Great Elemental War, when armadas of terrible, incredible creatures created by the "Kreegans" using Elemental Manipulation Technology invaded the planetary colonies of the "Ancients". In the end, the "Ancients" managed to push the enemy back from their territories. But all the planets located in the combat zones were completely devastated. The "Ancients" decided to launch a Great Experiment to restore the planets: they wanted to revive artificial ecosystems there for further colonization. The first such planet chosen was the third planet of the Minos system — Terra. After the war, this world was completely destroyed — the "Kreegans" left only an island surrounded by lava, where their created demonic hell-spawn resided. The plan of the "Ancients" consisted of sending terraforming platforms to the planet to recreate the destroyed ecosystem, and after this part of the Experiment was completed, to colonize it again. In theory, the project looked quite feasible, but how could they know how it would actually turn out?The "Ancients" created the cyborg Sheltom, who was supposed to protect Terra from any possible disturbances and anomalies that could arise during the restoration of the planet. Then, Sheltom, along with the planet restoration platform modules, departed for Terra on the massive ship "Shikbat Zera". Time passed, the experiment was approaching its final success, but there is always a drop of chaos in an inevitably correct and bright path: while creating the cyborg, the "Ancients" made an error in the program. The cyborg, realizing his power on Terra and considering himself its sole ruler, managed to disconnect from the Center's obedience and took control of himself into his own hands. Now he controlled his fate independently.At the Center, they create a new cyborg — Corak, whose main task was to stop his rebellious predecessor. At this time, it was just time for the Great Experiment to conclude, and the "Ancients" were preparing to colonize planets with artificial ecosystems. To do this, the "Ancients" sent a huge planetoid called "Kron" into space. On it were Varns, huge transports with colonists living inside. Varns themselves already possessed an artificial ecosystem — kind of suns possessing life-bearing energy. The Varns were to visit planets with artificial ecosystems for their further colonization. The final destination of their journey was Terra. Corak was also on board the planetoid, tasked with putting an end to the rebellious cyborg on Terra. Sheltom, however, having learned of the grand plans for his destruction, did not intend to wait and, using star gates, moved to one of the Varns, and then to the ship "Kron" itself. After that, he redirected one of the Varns into the depths of one of the planets. That is the backstory...

Might And Magic 4 "Clouds of Xeen"

Developer: New World Computing
Release Date: 1992
Engine: Compared to the previous installment, the engine remains virtually unchanged.
Interface: A very interesting introduction, even with voice acting. Compared to the previous installment, the interface has not changed much, although it has been slightly adjusted, and it has even become more beautiful.
Plot: The action takes place in the artificially created world of Xeen. In the introductory video, a character named Krodo tells us about these lands, about the ruling Lord Xeen, who laughs at everyone. He also talks about the problems of the peasants in these lands, and so on. And if we remember the overarching theme, this part marks the climax of the confrontation between Sheltom and Korok. But we are just heroes in Xeen, and our destiny is to help the needy and complete quests, while also participating to some extent in the confrontation, without straying too far from the main storyline.

Might And Magic 5 "The Darkside of Xeen"

Developer: New World Computing
Release Date: 1993
Engine: No revolutionary changes – just a slight adjustment to the already memorable masterpiece.
Interface: We adhere to the established standards.
Plot: This is a kind of complete continuation of the journey on Xeen. Only now the game is called The Darkside of Xeen and has an equally dark plot. Again, a journey to destroy the unfaithful orcs and goblins. And in the main storyline, something unexpected happens: in the end, our confrontation with the cybernetic minds leads to their self-destruction, and now there is no danger from them. The plot then moves away from this theme, as it has exhausted itself.

Might And Magic 6 "The Mandate of Heaven"

Developer: 3DO-New World Computing (now part of 3DO)
Release Date: 1998
Engine: After so much time since the release of the 5th installment, we finally see a real revolution: stunning graphics (DirectX), all characters are detailed, excellent soundtracks, and everything is voiced down to the smallest detail. And now, it's no longer the old, good DOS, but a WIN application.
Interface: The interface is designed in the image of previous installments, but now it's simply much more user-friendly compared to its predecessors. A map has been added to the upper right corner, and it's now very easy to use spells. There is also the possibility to hire mercenaries into your team.
Plot: More than a thousand years have passed since the events of the 5th installment, and the world has descended into these domains, ravaged by elemental wars. The colonies of the "Ancients" thrived and maintained constant contact with the Center. But everything would have been fine, but the "Progenitors," defeated in the war, were very upset by this defeat. And therefore, the Demons - the Krigane, i.e., the troops of the "Progenitors," as one might guess, since nothing is said about their connection to them. Let's turn a blind eye to this so as not to spoil the overall concept of this plot and assume that the Krigane are the messengers of the "Progenitors." They attacked the remote colonies of the "Ancients," destroying and devastating everything in their path - that is their nature. The key space stations that provided communication between the colonies and the Center were destroyed, which marked the beginning of a new era - the Silence... The action of this installment takes place on the planet Enroth, which was also attacked by the Krigane. Here, the dynasty of Aynorfist has ruled for many centuries, and now it faces collapse. While the kingdom suffers from discord, the followers of the dark cult of Baa are plotting to put their adherent on the throne. Fear creeps into the souls of the subjects; they begin to grumble and doubt - have their rulers lost the sacred artifact that gives them power? Your heroes are at the gates - now they will decide the fate of this kingdom: they will face dangerous adventures in dungeons, as well as investigations into the cruel cult of Baa, and the study of the intrigues of the royal court. A very well-thought-out, non-linear plot - a lot of quests and tasks. (After completing the main space scenario, we descend to local conflicts in a very specific place - on one of the continents of Enroth)

Might And Magic 7 "For Blood And Honor"

Developed by: 3DO-New World Computing (now part of 3DO)
Released: in 2000
Engine: The game fully utilizes the well-established engine from Might And Magic 6. However, the graphics have been slightly improved – after all, a year has passed.
Interface: The game interface has been slightly refined, making it more user-friendly. This applies to the map, quests, and spellbook.
Plot: The story takes place on one of the continents of Enroth – Antagarich, specifically in the kingdom of Erathia. After visiting Varna, Crone, and Terra, our heroes learn that somewhere here on Enroth, they can find the celestial gates that lead directly to the center of the lost civilization of the "Ancients." In addition to the main goal, our heroes will encounter many adventures along the way, including exploring dungeons, uncovering the secrets of castles, visiting Temples, and simply completing mysterious quests.

Might and Magic 8 "Day of the Destroyer"

Developed by: 3DO-New World Computing (now part of 3DO)
Released: in 2000
Engine: A continuation of the traditions of the previous two installments, representing the peak of its development.
Interface: Now we have 5 hero portraits. The spellbook has been changed. It has become more convenient to play – everything has been refined to the maximum extent possible with this engine. Also, a wonderful feature called QuickSave has been added – now, to save, you just need to click one key... And now we also have the largest viewing angle – everything has been removed and neatly placed at the top and bottom.
Plot: The action takes place on the third continent of Enroth – Jadame. A cybernetic messenger of the "Ancients" – the Destroyer – arrived here. He came to destroy the Crag Hack and devastate half of the continent, according to his data. But, unfortunately, they had already been subdued during the "Armageddon's Blade" campaign, and now they are no longer here. But he didn't know that – so it's not his fault. The game is quite unusual – now we choose one hero for ourselves – the others will join us during the game. But besides that, we can even choose a Minotaur, a Troll, and later in the game, even join a Dragon. Also, in each tavern, there is an entertaining game called "Archmage," and by playing it, you can win a prize – in a chest. Since at the beginning of the game, the Destroyer destroyed everything and stirred up the elementals of fire, water, air, and earth – now our task is to restore everything to its place, i.e., to pacify the elementals and help everyone: for example, drain the flooded Minotaurs, help the disadvantaged Trolls, deal with the evil Orcs, and help the Elves. On your way, you will have to unite everyone to defeat the great evil.
At the same time, you will have to unite some and destroy the rest. You will have to choose between the Sun Clerics and the Necromancers, and the Dragons and the Knights. Two factions from these pairs will unite, and two will be destroyed by you. In general, as everyone unites, you will eventually reach the Destroyer's crystal. There, you will have to fight crystal dragons, after which you need to play the game "remember the combination of crystals," and then we get to the "Destroyer's world" – the "Dimension between Dimensions." We fight there with incomprehensible creatures and thunderers, and then we come to the lair of the main hero. Do you think you need to kill him? No, he will talk to you, and then he will ask three incomprehensible riddles, which you can easily answer after a little thought. And with that, harmony has triumphed. The Destroyer will probably fly back.

Might and Magic 9: "Writ of Fate"

Developed by: 3DO-New World Computing (now part of 3DO)
Released: in 2002
Engine: The engine was changed, but was it for the better? The graphics are quite ugly, and sometimes glitches are noticeable, such as texture blending. And frankly, this engine feels familiar; did 3DO really develop it? Who knows... In any case, we got something completely new, but not quite playable in the RPG/Action genre.
Interface: This is where things get really bad. The game starts with a completely audacious and incomprehensible short introductory cutscene of a ship crashing, and it doesn't even hint at the world of Might and Magic. Remember how beautifully the items and the entire inventory were drawn in parts 6 and 8? Well, now everything has been ruined and turned into some kind of slots with barely distinguishable swords. As a result, all items are now just a small cube, 64x64 in size. The hero is now just a static image of a person who vaguely resembles a hero – apparently, the last designer left 3DO. Moreover, all the graphics, even outside the inventory, look rather bland. The engine is, of course, truly 3D, but everything was much better before...
Plot: The story tells us that Enroth is gone; it was, so to speak, destroyed back in Heroes of Might and Magic 4, and the action has moved to Axeoth – the "New Planet," but now we are already on another continent of Axeoth. The plot is partly based on Scandinavian myths, and many gods appear who are not typical for a space universe. But who knows, maybe that's Kangheim's idea; maybe gods are specific to Axeoth. But the plot is in no way connected to our space universe – it is not even mentioned. It all begins with the main character's journey from Chedian to Mendous, with the goal of restocking supplies.
But the travelers' ship crashed near the island of Prah in the middle of the Verrophin Sea. You and the surviving companions wake up among the wreckage of the ship. As soon as you gather the remnants of your squad, you realize that fate has destined you to reunite the six clans of Chedian against the horde of invaders from the west. Well, what's the point of all this – it's obviously a new world, no longer Enroth, although this world was drawn much more beautifully in Heroes of Might and Magic – so it's just a different continent.

Might And Magic X "Dark Messiah of Might And Magic"

Publisher: Ubi Soft - TQ Intertainment
Release Date: possibly mid-2006
Engine: Half-Life 2
Afterword: This is how we envision the Might And Magic universe – is it a space epic or an endless fantasy? No one knows anymore, but John Van Caneghem's genius will prevail. We would like him to participate in the development of future versions of Might and Magic, and we hope they will simply exist. Perhaps Dark Messiah will be the tenth installment, but no one knows...

Might and Magic. World of Xeen

Developed by New World Computing
Released: 1992.
How to obtain: It is created by merging the fourth and fifth parts. It seems that simply installing both games on your computer is enough.
Purpose: It is the most important game in the series because it establishes the connection between the world of Might and Magic and the world of Heroes.
Story connection: Xeen has become a normal, spherical planet, ruled by Queen Kalindra and Prince Roland, whom you saved from the clutches of the cyborg sorcerer Sheltem and his skeletal assistant, Lord Xeen.
But nothing lasts forever, especially under the moon of Xeen. Some centuries passed, and a new war for power began. During this bloody conflict, Lord Ironfist seized power (this war is depicted in Heroes of Might & Magic 1).
The conqueror ruled for a long time and seemed to be happy. But the time came, and he died, leaving the throne to his sons, the "good" Roland (not to be confused with the one from World of Xeen) and the "bad" Archibald. As usual, the children could not get along, and a new war began, leading to a new game – Heroes of Might & Magic: Succession Wars. Of course, the good guys won. The guild of necromancers was disbanded, and Archibald, who patronized them, disappeared somewhere.
Roland was happy and began to rule as a full-fledged king.
Consequently, the following terms were introduced:
Xeen - now a unified world of Might and Magic
Enroth - the kingdom of the Ironfist Dynasty (and the continent of the same name)
Erathia - the continent of Xeen (also known as Antagarich) and, accordingly, the kingdom of the same name, under the rule of Catherine Gryphonheart (formerly her father. See Chronicles of Tarnuma, Part 1 and Part 2).
Jadame - the 3rd continent of Xeen.

As far as I remember, Might and Magic 9 still retains some elements from previous versions. Specifically, in the game, you find an interesting scroll that tells about strange flying machines landing in different parts of the continent, which significantly improved the culture in those areas, and the states or peoples of those lands began to dominate the surrounding area. Accordingly, you start your game on an island (I don't remember the name) with a ruined tower. There, some powerful mage wanted to conquer the land)) (how naive). And the scroll says that one of the spaceships crashed in this area - it fell into the sea... and since you can swim in the game, and even more - dive to the bottom of the sea, it is up to you to try to find it! Good luck!

Might and Magic. World of Xeen

Developed by New World Computing
Released: 1992.
How to obtain: It is created by merging the fourth and fifth parts. It seems that simply installing both games on your computer is enough.
Purpose: It is the most important game in the series because it establishes the connection between the world of Might and Magic and the world of Heroes.
Story connection: Xeen has become a normal, spherical planet, ruled by Queen Kalindra and Prince Roland, whom you saved from the clutches of the cyborg sorcerer Sheltem and his skeletal assistant, Lord Xeen.
But nothing lasts forever, especially not under the moon of Xeen. Some centuries passed, and a new war for power began. During this bloody conflict, Lord Ironfist seized power (this war is depicted in the game Heroes of Might & Magic 1).
The conqueror ruled for a long time and seemed to be happy. But his time came, and he died, leaving the throne to his sons, the "good" Roland (not to be confused with the one from the World of Xeen game) and the "bad" Archibald. As usual, the children could not get along, and a new war began, leading to a new game – Heroes of Might & Magic: Succession Wars. Of course, the good guys won. The guild of necromancers was disbanded, and Archibald, who had patronized them, disappeared somewhere.
Roland was happy and began to rule as a full-fledged king.
Consequently, the following terms were introduced:
Xeen - now the unified world of Might and Magic
Enroth - the kingdom of the Ironfist Dynasty (and the continent of the same name)
Erathia - the continent of Xeen (also known as Antagarich) and, accordingly, the kingdom of the same name, under the rule of Katrine Gryphonheart (formerly her father. See Chronicles of Tarnum, Part 1 and Part 2).
Zhadam - the 3rd continent of Xeen.

Enroth, Antagarich (Erathia), and Zhadam are not continents of Xeen, but of Enroth; they are different planets! Don't confuse them!