Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (PC, 2006)

I completed this game a while ago and am going to play it through again at least one more time. The single player combat is EXCELLENT, you can hit an enemy's sword with your sword and it will block it, Weapons don't just fly through each other, and chopping off someone's head or arm is pretty dramatic. there are multiple varieties of moves you can do with each weapon, not just hack and slash, that won't work, I do like the kicking attack, I do wish they would make Open world Games with this Combat style, This is a linear gameplay style and you pretty much have to go where they want you to, But I think the combat makes up for that, There is Not an amazing amount of diversity when is comes to enemies, but Cutting off one guys arm and another's leg at the same time makes up for it. The tutorial is decent but I needed a lot more practice with each weapon to really stay alive.

The multiplayer Gameplay is very Generic and I hate it. Multiplayer does not seem to have any of the subtleties That makes the Single player so fun to play. The most Players I have seen online at one time is about maybe 40 At Most on 3 or 4 different servers.

Make sure you download and install the latest patch. http://www.gamershell.com/down​load_16850.shtml

Sometimes it seemed after I quick saved a few times I lost the ability to use my Charging Power Attack, So I stuck to relying solely on the Auto Save Check points, I didn't seem to get the problem anymore. It actually made it more intense since I would have to play a whole section over if I messed up, So I guess I took it more seriously... anyway, I liked it.

I am using Windows Vista Basic. and the game does crash every time I exit to the Desktop, but doesn't affect the game play or saved games and I don't remember it ever crashing when I was playing, only when I exit to the desktop will it crash. From what I've read online the game may behave differently for different systems.

Dark Messiah offers an interesting premise -- an FPS action game set in a fantasy world where you can use melee weapons in addition magic and stealth elements. The game starts enough well enough showcasing the graphically prowess of the SOURCE engine and a taste of the melee combat along with the physics elements (for example you can kick your enemies into spiked walls stragitically placed.) However once the novelty wears off, the fighting mechanics along with poor level design makes everything feel mundane. I should rephrase that. Most of the levels are very interesting; it is just the way you go through them fighting the same enemies. However it is not all run and gun *ahem* slash. From time to time, the game does show some exciting game play elements and shows the game could have been, but those moments are few and far in-between.

The story is what you would expect from a FPS but the game does give you optional quests and alternative ending. And I am always swayed by semi-nude demon babes. (You will find out what I mean)

In short, this game is only interesting for the first 60 minutes. There are better FPS games out there.



TEST SYSTEM
1.02 patch
Geforce 8800GTX
Athlon X2
X-Fi
3GB of ram

The only reason Dark Messiah didn't get a poor rating from me was because of the honorable mention I have to give the game for it's graphics: they're not the greatest I've ever seen but they are good nonetheless. Other than that, this is THE most lacklustre, unimaginative, two-dimensional, LINEAR action-adventure game--given the state-of-the-art of today's computer gaming technology--I've ever seen! Morrowind and especially Oblivion are both lightyears beyond this travesty of an RPC game, and to be quite frank I enjoyed Duke Nukem ten times more than this claptrap! Ubisoft just might burn in hell for this one! Peace!

The protagonist of Dark Messiah is a young man named Sareth, who is under the tutelage of the Wizard Phenrig. After years of studying the arts of magic and physical training in the arts of war, he is finally taken on an expedition to retrieve a rare artifact known as the Shantiri Crystal. After finding the Crystal and disposing of the would be rival expedition, Sareth is tasked to bring the crystal to an associate of Phenrig's, the Wizard Menelag, who is also the lord of the city of Stonehelm. Menelag and Phenrig have certain "mutual interests" that involve finding an artifact called the Skull of Shadows. Menelag apparently is unable to continue his search without the Crystal. To guide him on his way, a spirit named Xana will reside in Sareth's mind.
Shortly after arriving in Stonehelm, Sareth witnesses an undead cyclops and a small army of ghouls sent by the Necromancers breach Stonehelm's defenses and begin to overwhelm the guards. Sareth is recruited to help in the defense effort by taking control of a ballista. Using this, he manages to stun the undead cyclops long enough for a guard to stab it in the eye, thus killing it. Seeing their most valuable asset destroyed, the remnants of the invading force beat a hasty retreat. Sareth then resumes his search for Menelag. Upon reaching the front gate of Menelag's manor, Sareth is greeted by Leanna, the young niece and pupil of Menelag. That night, the three enjoy a small feast in Sareth's honor after which Menelag informs Sareth that they will set sail the following morning to resume the search for the Skull.In the middle of the night, the crystal is stolen by a ghoul, who murders Menelag in the process. Sareth then chases the ghoul to a warehouse, where he finds the necromancer Arantir using the crystal's power to open a portal to Nar-Heresh, the necromancer city. Sareth manages to steal the crystal back and escape to the docks, where he falls asleep. In a dream, he recalls his meeting with Phenrig, except that Phenrig is saying that he does not trust Sareth on this mission alone and says that he needs someone to "hold his leash" as he summons Xana. In the dream, Xana appears to be a demon and attacks Sareth. Sareth and Leanna leave Stonehelm by boat and travel to the island with the Skull of Shadows. While en route, Sareth has another dream in which he kills Leanna, and Arantir alludes that she is only the first of many victims.The player attacks a Pao kai.
After arriving, they find the expedition destroyed, and most of the men dead, killed by Orc warriors. Sareth and Leanna are chased into the Temple of the Skull by a Pao kai which Sareth kills a little later with a gate, and Sareth proceeds alone to the top of the Temple, where he places the Shantiri Crystal, and defeats the Orc chief Aratarok in a duel. Arantir then reveals himself and appears to kill Leanna. Sareth, however, escapes to the crypt below and retrieves the Skull of Shadows. Sareth then has a vision of the Demon Sovereign Kha Beleth, who reveals himself to be Sareth's father. Kha Beleth names Sareth the Dark Messiah, and then commands to be released using the power of the Skull. Sareth wakes up to see Arantir, who takes the skull and then impales Sareth on a spike. Fueled by Xana's demonic power, Sareth wakes up alive and gains the power to transform into a demon, which grants him uncanny strength at the cost of health. Stripped of all his belongings, Sareth uses the demon form to fight off the Orc guards

I'm getting older, and I don't have time for all-night raids or 1000 commitments to MMO's anymore. But I still had the craving for some quality RPG goodness. Let me tell you, this game hit the spot. Yes, it's a little short, but I loved every second of it.

Keep in mind that this is NOT like Morrowind or Baldur's Gate. It's a linear FPS set in a fantasy world: it's basically Half Life 2 with swords and magic. And yes, it works. And yes, it's awesome.

As long your expectations are in the right place before you play, you really can't go wrong with this game. I absolutely loved it, and I am only heartbroken that it got such negative reviews from people expecting it to be a slow dungeon crawler.

You can buy it for next to nothing on Amazon or Ebay these, so do yourself a favor: buy it!