Dark Messiah of Might and Magic

On the contrary, due to the excellent physics model that the Source engine provides as well as some ingenious level design how each mission is approached is up to you. Shall you go for the full-frontal all-out attack? Or sneak up behind your enemies, back-stabbing them one-by-one with your daggers? Or if you can climb up that platform, you might be able to cut the rope bringing the hanging box crashing down on your enemies, or pick them off from a distance with your arrows.

Plenty of food for thought then, and this is without even mentioning your magical abilities, such as flame traps, freeze and telekinesis which raise some further interesting opportunities. The possibilities, whilst not quite limitless, are definitely bountiful.

The options in combat further extends to melee battles which are controlled with the mouse - left-click to attack with your equipped weapon, right-click to block. Power attacks can also be performed by combinations of sprinting, jumping and holding down the attack button. The combat system is a little more complex than first appearances though as certain body parts on the enemy can be targeted by simply aiming the mouse and hacking away, disarming your opponent or dismembering them completely if your adrenaline is full.

Successful attacks builds up your adrenaline levels and this allows you to perform even more powerful attacks. All deceptively simple, yet extremely effective. The high level of interaction with the environment means that you can also take advantage of your surroundings by kicking enemies onto spikes and fires or down stairs whilst you hold the high ground, waiting at the top and picking them off one by one.

Each level revolves around completing the given task for which skill points are awarded upon successful completion. This is counter to the norm where experience points are earned on a per-kill basis but is a necessity here due to the number of ways of completing each level. Thus there is as much reward for finding a clever way to avoid fighting as there is for going all out gung-ho on everything in your path.

These skill points can then be used to level-up your abilities, powering up your character and adding new skills. The skills you develop depend on which type of character you choose to create, with options for increasing your magical abilities, stealth skills, strength and endurance or a combination of all of these.

Graphically the game is very polished with some great HDR lighting effects, although that's not to say that everything is fresh and new. At times the scenery feels tired and clichéd, with that traditional fare of fantasy adventure games playing far too prominent a part - namely crates and barrels. Items on the other hand are wide and varied with some great weapons and armour, particularly the magical ones including poisoned daggers, lightening staffs, flame arrows and the Souldrinker sword which increases your health upon hacking away at an opponent.

With all this talk of magic it is perhaps appropriate to mention Dark Messiah's biggest trick and that is its illusion of choice. With a linear story and scripted missions, the fact that the player feels some element of control and that you are having an impact on the outcome is commendable. It is inevitable and predictable though that we must return to one of our original questions - is Dark Messiah a truly epic adventure?

What is certain is that Dark Messiah is a valiant attempt at a well-crafted story told though the medium of interactive entertainment. Despite combining two parts Half-Life 2 with two parts Oblivion, the sums don't quite add up, and whilst impressive in quality, it ultimately falls short of the greatness it strives for.

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL 8.0 7.5 8.0 7.0 7.0 8.0

THE VERDICT: An overall enjoyable romp combining the fantasy setting of Oblivion with the structure of Half-Life 2. Includes some innovative features notably with the combat system and the level design although on the whole a little linear in nature. Short-lived but definitely fun while it lasts.

Video Coverage (Latest Videos & Video FAQ)
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Description	Dur.	Size	Details
Dark Messiah New gameplay video 1	1:45	64MB	DF, ED, 16:9 856x480p30 6Mbps
Dark Messiah New gameplay video 2	1:23	43MB	DF, ED, 16:9 856x480p30 6Mbps
Dark Messiah New gameplay video 3	1:23	46MB	DF, ED, 16:9 856x480p30 6Mbps
Dark Messiah New gameplay video 4	3:15	83MB	DF, ED, 16:9 856x480p30 6Mbps
Dark Messiah Direct feed gameplay   (PC - Ubisoft)	00:45	16MB	DF, ED, 16:9 852x480p30 3.0Mbps