Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (2006) is a first-person action role-playing game by Arkane Studios, published by Ubisoft and built on an enhanced version of Valve's Source engine; its multiplayer was made by Kuju Entertainment[1][2][3]. It is set in Ashan, the world of Heroes of Might and Magic V[1][3].
Development
- Arkane had been building Arx Fatalis 2 on Source; the only publisher interested was Ubisoft, which wanted the technology for Might and Magic — and so Arx Fatalis 2 became Dark Messiah[4].
- Raphaël Colantonio was creative director; Ubisoft's Richard E. Dansky and Jeffrey Spock developed the world[5][3].
- The music was composed by Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco[5][3].
- The PC version went gold on 9 October 2006[6].
Releases
| Platform | Released | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (North America) | 24 October 2006 | Ubisoft |
| Windows (Europe) | 26–27 October 2006 | Ubisoft |
| Windows (Russia) | 21 December 2006 | Бука |
| Xbox 360, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements | 12 February 2008 (North America) | Ubisoft |
Per GameBanshee, MobyGames and Wikipedia[6][7][3]. The Xbox 360 version, Elements, replaced the role-playing layer with four fixed classes, added about two hours of new missions and cut multiplayer to twelve players[8][3]; a downloadable pack added the Paladin and Warlock classes, maps and weapons in March 2008[9].
Setting
Sareth, the apprentice of the wizard Phenrig, carries a crystal to the wizard Menelag in the city of Stonehelm to help find the Skull of Shadows; the spirit Xana lives in his mind, Menelag's niece Leanna joins him, and the necromancer Arantir stands against him[3][10][1]. The ending depends on choices made along the way[3].
Gameplay
- Melee, archery, stealth and magic, developed through combat, magic and stealth skill trees[3][10].
- The kick, with ledges, spikes, fire, ropes and ice spells to send enemies into, made the environment a weapon[3][11][12].
- Multiplayer for up to 32 players, humans against undead, with five classes and a Crusade mode — a campaign across five territories in which characters progress between matches[1][12][3].
Reception
- Metacritic: 72 out of 100 for PC; the Xbox 360 version scored 52[2].
- Eurogamer gave 8 out of 10, praising the melee[13]; GameSpot gave 6.7 and reported crashes and glitches[14]. The bugs split critics: PC Gamer US gave 49% after playing unpatched, while PC Gamer UK gave 88%[11].
- Игромания gave 8.5, saying Arkane built a superb action part and forgot almost everything else[15]; AG.ru gave 76%[12].
- Elements fared worse: IGN gave it 5.7[8].
Legacy
- It is now seen as a stepping stone to Arkane's Dishonored[16][11], and bit-tech called it perhaps the most underrated game of the last generation[16].
- In 2023 Ubisoft gave the fan modders behind wiltOS — co-op, mod tools and ray tracing — its approval[17].
Russian release
Бука published and localised it in Russia on 21 December 2006[7][18][15].
More on this game: skills, characters and creatures, items and locations.