Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer
Encyclopedia
Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows
by New World Computing
and released in 2000
by the 3DO Company
. It is the eighth game in the Might and Magic
series. The game received middling critical reviews, a first for the series, with several critics citing the game's length and its increasingly dated game engine
, which had been left fundamentally unaltered since Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
in 1998
. The character development system, spells, sound effects, many of the sprites
, and even some gameplay tasks - including an Arcomage
quest - were for the most part recycled from earlier games, with little or non-notable tweaking.
s to be hired, dismissed or re-hired at any time during gameplay. The character class
system used in the previous two games has similarly been overhauled, with only the cleric
and knight
classes remaining. The experience, spells, levelling and skill system present in both previous Might and Magic titles is retained, with only minor updates.
In place of the traditional class system, Might and Magic VIII features non-archetypical playable races. Aside from human knight
s, clerics and necromancers, available classes include minotaur
s, dragon
s, vampire
s, dark elves
, and troll
s, each of whom possesses traits unique to their particular race. As with its two predecessors, the game world is divided into fourteen "regions", including five elemental planes, each of which contains a varying mix of explorable towns, dungeon
s and wildernesses. Enemies are fought in either real-time
or turn-based combat
, depending on the player's preference.
, so quests can be completed at the player's own leisure, though the completion of storyline quests is essential for progression. Dialog, lore and exploration are important to progression in the game, with some dungeons involving relevant puzzles. In addition, side quests and dungeons can warrant rewards if completed, but are not vital to the main storyline. Also, promotion quests can increase the capabilities of particular classes of character.
Like Might and Magic VII, the game includes a system of choices which affect fundamental aspects of gameplay. Throughout the course of the storyline, the player is given opportunities to side with either dragons or dragon hunter
s, and either sun priests or necromancers. This choice is permanent and affects several quests, NPC
reactions and available recruitable characters. However, unlike its prequel, the game's ending sequence is not affected by the outcome of these choices.
al world of Enroth, upon the continent of Jadame, and acts as a sequel to Might and Magic VII and Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
. Over a thousand years ago, the interstellar war between the Ancients and the Kreegan drove both races off of one of the Ancients' many colony
worlds. During the millennium since, the original colonists and natives of that world built their own society and culture from the ruin, the stories of the Ancients and the Kreegan having long since passed into legend. Ten years ago, as depicted in Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
, the Kreegan invaded the world. The heroes of Might and Magic VI destroyed the Kreegan Queen, and the last of the Kreegan were wiped out over the course of Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
, Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
and Heroes III: Armageddon's Blade. The Ancients, however, anticipating disaster should the Kreegan manage to gain a foothold on the world, had already enacted a scorched earth
plan: rather than let the world fall into the hands of their ancient enemies, they would see it destroyed outright.
A servant of the Ancients, the planeswalker
Escaton, arrives in the village of Ravenshore on the continent of Jadame. Approaching the center of town, he summons a giant crystal
which unleashes an elemental
storm across the continent. There is widespread destruction and the boundaries to the four Elemental Planes are breached. Now elementals and monsters from beyond the boundaries are threatening to invade, fulfilling Escaton's plan to draw the powers of the elements toward the crystal and destroy the world, and the player must assemble a party of heroes to prevent this.
The game features several recurring characters from previous titles in the series, including the Elemental Lords from Might and Magic II, the Ironfists from Heroes of Might and Magic
, and the necromancers Sandro and Thant from Heroes of Might and Magic III.
on one of the Dagger Wound Islands (southeast), the Gateway of Water
in Ravage Roaming (southwest), the Gateway of Air
in the Murmurwoods (northwest), and the Gateway of Fire
in the Ironsand Desert (northeast). In each case they cause an environmental disaster: a volcano in the Dagger Wound Island chain erupts and the tremors destroy the bridges that link the islands, the minotaur undercity in Ravage Roaming is flooded, the trees in a large area of the Murmurwoods are uprooted by the winds, and much of the troll settlement in Ironsand is destroyed by an explosion of fire. Escaton raised an enormous crystal in the centre of the city of Ravenshore, which acts as the portal to the Plane Between Planes, where the Destroyer resides.
The first character created by the player remains with the party for the entire game and is referred to as the "Acknowledged Champion of Jadame". This character leads the party through the adventures in the game.
praised the game's rendered cutscenes, storyline, setting and background along with its overall consistency and expansion on the Might and Magic universe, noting these as particularly strong points, but was disappointed with in-game graphics and the reused engine's low modern capabilities, citing these as pitiful compared to other, more modern RPGs.
This was echoed by GameSpot
's reviewer, who, though intrigued by the series' addictive charm, was displeased with Might and Magic VIIIs tedious interface and pointed out the imbalance of the dragon character class. Game Revolution
's reviewer was dissatisfied with the plot, particularly in comparison to earlier titles, and felt the game was identical to both its prequels. The Game Rankings
reviewer felt that the size of the game world and the large amount of Might and Magic background and storyline contained in the game were good points, though was unhappy with the game overall, feeling that glitches and increasingly poor graphics left it uninnovative, while asserting that there were better, more up-to-date RPGs available at the time.
User ratings for the game were generally more favorable, though still regarded Might and Magic VIII as a weak entry in the series.
under the title . The game has just a few minor changes. Before this port, the last game in the main series to appear on a console was Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra
, almost ten years previously.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
by New World Computing
New World Computing
New World Computing, Inc. was an American computer game developer and publisher founded in 1984 by Jon Van Caneghem, his wife, Michaela Van Caneghem, and Mark Caldwell. It was best known for its work on the Might and Magic computer role-playing game series and its spin-offs, especially Heroes of...
and released in 2000
2000 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 2000. For video and console games, see 2000 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events in 2000:...
by the 3DO Company
The 3DO Company
The 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
. It is the eighth game in the Might and Magic
Might and Magic
Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games from New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company...
series. The game received middling critical reviews, a first for the series, with several critics citing the game's length and its increasingly dated game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which had been left fundamentally unaltered since Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, commonly abbreviated to Might and Magic VI or simply MM6, is a role-playing video game developed by New World Computing and published by 3DO in 1998...
in 1998
1998 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1998. For video and console games, see 1998 in video gaming.-Game awards given in 1998:* Spiel des Jahres: Elfenland - Alan R...
. The character development system, spells, sound effects, many of the sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, and even some gameplay tasks - including an Arcomage
Arcomage
Arcomage is a computerized card game produced by The 3DO Company. It originated as a minigame in Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor and Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer, in which it was used to gamble for in-game money or to complete a quest to win games in every tavern. 3DO later...
quest - were for the most part recycled from earlier games, with little or non-notable tweaking.
Gameplay
Might and Magic VIII is based on the Might and Magic VI game engine, and many of its elements are strongly similar to the previous two titles in the series. Unlike the previous two games, however, Might and Magic VIII introduces a new party management system that allows all but one of the five possible player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s to be hired, dismissed or re-hired at any time during gameplay. The character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
system used in the previous two games has similarly been overhauled, with only the cleric
Cleric (character class)
The Cleric, Priest, or Bishop is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. The cleric is a healer, usually a priest and a holy warrior, originally modeled on or inspired by the Military Orders...
and knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
classes remaining. The experience, spells, levelling and skill system present in both previous Might and Magic titles is retained, with only minor updates.
In place of the traditional class system, Might and Magic VIII features non-archetypical playable races. Aside from human knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s, clerics and necromancers, available classes include minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
s, dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, dark elves
Dark elf
Dark elf may refer to:* Dökkálfar or dark elves, a type of elf in Norse mythology* Svartálfar or dark elves, a type of elf in Norse mythology* Moriquendi, a fictional race of elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium...
, and troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s, each of whom possesses traits unique to their particular race. As with its two predecessors, the game world is divided into fourteen "regions", including five elemental planes, each of which contains a varying mix of explorable towns, dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
s and wildernesses. Enemies are fought in either real-time
Real-time computer graphics
Real-time computer graphics is the subfield of computer graphics focused on producing and analyzing images in real time. The term is most often used in reference to interactive 3D computer graphics, typically using a GPU, with video games the most noticeable users...
or turn-based combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
, depending on the player's preference.
Quest system
In typical Might and Magic fashion, the game is fairly non-linearLinear
In mathematics, a linear map or function f is a function which satisfies the following two properties:* Additivity : f = f + f...
, so quests can be completed at the player's own leisure, though the completion of storyline quests is essential for progression. Dialog, lore and exploration are important to progression in the game, with some dungeons involving relevant puzzles. In addition, side quests and dungeons can warrant rewards if completed, but are not vital to the main storyline. Also, promotion quests can increase the capabilities of particular classes of character.
Like Might and Magic VII, the game includes a system of choices which affect fundamental aspects of gameplay. Throughout the course of the storyline, the player is given opportunities to side with either dragons or dragon hunter
Dragonslayers
Dragonslayers are people who slay dragons for various reasons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been seen in many popular books and films. They also are generally portrayed as heroes. Most common among Dragonslayers would be the knights of Middle Ages fiction, who slew dragons to save...
s, and either sun priests or necromancers. This choice is permanent and affects several quests, NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
reactions and available recruitable characters. However, unlike its prequel, the game's ending sequence is not affected by the outcome of these choices.
Backstory
Might and Magic VIII takes place on the fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al world of Enroth, upon the continent of Jadame, and acts as a sequel to Might and Magic VII and Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade is the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 1999....
. Over a thousand years ago, the interstellar war between the Ancients and the Kreegan drove both races off of one of the Ancients' many colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
worlds. During the millennium since, the original colonists and natives of that world built their own society and culture from the ruin, the stories of the Ancients and the Kreegan having long since passed into legend. Ten years ago, as depicted in Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, commonly abbreviated to Might and Magic VI or simply MM6, is a role-playing video game developed by New World Computing and published by 3DO in 1998...
, the Kreegan invaded the world. The heroes of Might and Magic VI destroyed the Kreegan Queen, and the last of the Kreegan were wiped out over the course of Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 1999. An Apple Macintosh port was released by 3DO, and a Linux port was released by Loki...
, Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a role playing game published in 1999 by 3DO and developed by New World Computing, and is the predecessor of Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer...
and Heroes III: Armageddon's Blade. The Ancients, however, anticipating disaster should the Kreegan manage to gain a foothold on the world, had already enacted a scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
plan: rather than let the world fall into the hands of their ancient enemies, they would see it destroyed outright.
A servant of the Ancients, the planeswalker
Planeswalker
In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, a planeswalker is a mage with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.-Magic: The Gathering:...
Escaton, arrives in the village of Ravenshore on the continent of Jadame. Approaching the center of town, he summons a giant crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
which unleashes an elemental
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
storm across the continent. There is widespread destruction and the boundaries to the four Elemental Planes are breached. Now elementals and monsters from beyond the boundaries are threatening to invade, fulfilling Escaton's plan to draw the powers of the elements toward the crystal and destroy the world, and the player must assemble a party of heroes to prevent this.
The game features several recurring characters from previous titles in the series, including the Elemental Lords from Might and Magic II, the Ironfists from Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing. As part of the Might and Magic franchise, the series changed ownership when NWC was acquired by 3DO and again when 3DO closed down and sold the rights to Ubisoft...
, and the necromancers Sandro and Thant from Heroes of Might and Magic III.
Setting
The continent of Jadame is first introduced in this game, previously unmentioned in the series. The four elemental gateways appear in the four corners of Jadame: the Gateway of EarthEarth (classical element)
Earth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
on one of the Dagger Wound Islands (southeast), the Gateway of Water
Water (classical element)
Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
in Ravage Roaming (southwest), the Gateway of Air
Air (classical element)
Air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
in the Murmurwoods (northwest), and the Gateway of Fire
Fire (classical element)
Fire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
in the Ironsand Desert (northeast). In each case they cause an environmental disaster: a volcano in the Dagger Wound Island chain erupts and the tremors destroy the bridges that link the islands, the minotaur undercity in Ravage Roaming is flooded, the trees in a large area of the Murmurwoods are uprooted by the winds, and much of the troll settlement in Ironsand is destroyed by an explosion of fire. Escaton raised an enormous crystal in the centre of the city of Ravenshore, which acts as the portal to the Plane Between Planes, where the Destroyer resides.
The first character created by the player remains with the party for the entire game and is referred to as the "Acknowledged Champion of Jadame". This character leads the party through the adventures in the game.
Scenario
- The initial character begins on the Dagger Wound Islands with low-level equipment, as a caravan guard employed by the MerchantMerchantA merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
Guild of Alvar. The pirates of Regna have used the cataclysm and resulting chaos to raid the Dagger Wound Islands. The pirates pose a threat to the player but are being continuously held at bay by native lizardmen. - The characters must find a way to leave the Dagger Wound Islands and reach Ravenshore, the capital of Jadame, where their duty is to inform the Merchant Guild branch of the cataclysm. More evidence is required, so the party is commissioned to 'persuade' the smuggling ring in Ravenshore to send boats to gather more information. The smugglers are required as the Regnan pirates and their navy pose an increasing threat to other ships.
- The characters are next sent to the Merchant Guild of Alvar, in Alvar City. Here, Bastian Loudrin, the High Guildmaster, recruits the party into his service and requests that more evidence be brought to him of the lake of fire which allegedly formed in the Ironsand Desert. He asks that a witness be brought to Alvar.
- In the Ironsand Desert the characters locate a witness in the trollTrollA troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
-inhabited town of Rust. This witness will not accompany the party to Alvar until his deceased brother's ashes are placed in the family tomb, which is also now infested with hostile creatures. - When the characters return to Alvar with the witness, a doomsdayDoomsday eventA doomsday event is a specific, plausibly verifiable or hypothetical occurrence which has an exceptionally destructive effect on the human race...
prophecy is explained - that the destruction of the world is imminent unless the land stands united. The party must attempt to make alliances with the various 'factions' of Jadame, many of which are at war with one another. - The minotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
city of Balthazar Lair has become flooded and in order to gain an alliance with the minotaurs, the characters must succeed in unflooding the lair. This must be done whilst fending off hostile water elementals. - A choice must be made between allying with the dragons of Garrotte Gorge or with the Dragon HuntersDragonslayersDragonslayers are people who slay dragons for various reasons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been seen in many popular books and films. They also are generally portrayed as heroes. Most common among Dragonslayers would be the knights of Middle Ages fiction, who slew dragons to save...
; the latter are at war with the dragons. This must be done by retrieving an egg from the ogres in Ravage Roaming that contains the unborn heir to the King of the Dragons, Deftclaw. Returning it to the Dragons ensures their cooperation while entrusting it to the Dragon Hunters will gain their trust. - Finally, a choice must be made between the Necromancers of Shadowspire or the Temple of the Sun in the Murmurwoods. To ally with the Necromancers, the characters must take with them the double-agent Cleric, Dyson Leland, who poses as a Necromancer, and steal the Nightshade Brazier, hidden in the Temple of the Sun, returning it to the Necromancer's Guild. To ally with the Temple of the Sun, the player, with Dyson Leland, must destroy the Skeleton Transformer in the bowels of the Necromancer's Guild.
- When this is accomplished, it is learned that the king and queen of Enroth are on their way to help, but are hindered by the Regnan fleet. The characters must find a way to sink the fleet.
- When the fleet is sunk, king Roland Ironfist and his wife, CatherineHeroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of ErathiaHeroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 1999. An Apple Macintosh port was released by 3DO, and a Linux port was released by Loki...
, arrive at Ravenshore with their sage, Xanthor. Xanthor says that he is able to fashion a key to gain access to Escaton's crystal and hence the Plane Between Planes, but that in order to do this, he must use HeartstoneHeartstoneA heartstone is a fictional artifact common in dragon-related stories of high fantasy. It is a crystal of concentrated magic, and can be extracted from the heart of a slain dragon. It is believed that the heartstone is the source of a dragon's magic power, but this has never been proven definitively...
s of the four elemental planes. - The characters are sent to the elemental planes and battles his way through hordes of raging creatures to take the heartstones. Upon the completion of this quest, Xanthor is able to fashion a 'Conflux key' to Escaton's crystalCrystalA crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
. - In Escaton's crystal the party battles creatures constructed from crystal, which are difficult to destroy. At the end of the crystal, the player must complete a puzzle to operate the portal to the Plane Between Planes.
- The Plane Between Planes is a place of utter chaos, which has the effect of driving weaker creatures mad. The characters battle creatures which are capable of causing insanity in the party members along with other hostile creatures.
- The characters must seek out Escaton in his palace. When there, they learn that Escaton has imprisoned the Lords of the Elemental Planes. The player must answer three riddles in order to receive the keys to their four prisons.
- When the lords of the planes have been freed, the characters return to Ravenshore to witness the destruction of Escaton's crystal and the restoration of peace to Jadame.
Reception
Might and Magic VIII was released to a universally average reception, and was generally regarded as surprisingly inferior to previous titles in the series, though still a passable game. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game's rendered cutscenes, storyline, setting and background along with its overall consistency and expansion on the Might and Magic universe, noting these as particularly strong points, but was disappointed with in-game graphics and the reused engine's low modern capabilities, citing these as pitiful compared to other, more modern RPGs.
This was echoed by GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's reviewer, who, though intrigued by the series' addictive charm, was displeased with Might and Magic VIIIs tedious interface and pointed out the imbalance of the dragon character class. Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
's reviewer was dissatisfied with the plot, particularly in comparison to earlier titles, and felt the game was identical to both its prequels. The Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
reviewer felt that the size of the game world and the large amount of Might and Magic background and storyline contained in the game were good points, though was unhappy with the game overall, feeling that glitches and increasingly poor graphics left it uninnovative, while asserting that there were better, more up-to-date RPGs available at the time.
User ratings for the game were generally more favorable, though still regarded Might and Magic VIII as a weak entry in the series.
Port
In Japan, the game was ported by Imagineer for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
under the title . The game has just a few minor changes. Before this port, the last game in the main series to appear on a console was Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra
Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra
Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra is the third game in the role-playing game series Might and Magic. Released in 1991, it is the predecessor to Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen and the sequel to Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World....
, almost ten years previously.
External links
- Might and Magic: Day of the Destroyer at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
(Japanese port)