Preview RPG Codex Hands-on Preview: Might & Magic X: Legacy

[Zed]

Thanks for the preview, @Zed, but I wish it was longer and there was more information about the game. Nothing on character creation? Nothing on magic? Nothing on quests? Barely anything on item and monster variety? WTF.

If I can learn more from following links @Infinitron provided in his comment above than from the official RPG Codex preview, then the preview is just not very good and not really worthy of the prestigious RPG site.

It's a preview of what was basically a demo, not a review, and I wrote it over the weekend before the embargo was lifted on monday - when anyone could get access to the game. If it was a review (not as much an impression-piece) and I had more than a weekend, I would probably have written more.

As for what you were wondering about: there are 5 completable quests in the early access. 2 of them are optional, the others are required to progress the story. Quests in EA don't have multiple solutions, and are very much just "missions". I did write about character creation in that I mentioned portraits, skills and attributes. That's all there is to it. Oh, you can choose a name too! In EA you only have access to 4 classes. I did write about monster variety: one of my complaints is that there isn't enough of it in the EA. I did write about magic: many spells are duplicate over different magic domains (both fire and light have a "torch"-spell for instance); there's a problem that there aren't enough mana pots - which I hope would suggest that magic can deplete your mana pool rather quickly; magic is also available to classes that aren't traditionally spellcasters. Of course, magic - like any of the skills in the game - could have been explained a lot more.

So yeah, there are certainly things I could have expanded on, but it looks to me you might have missed reading some things too? As for what's worthy of RPG Codex, I'm pretty sure that's more up to me than it is you.

 

[Infinitron]

If you want a full scale review, wait for the final game to be released. We're not going to write a book for a prerelease demo.

 

[Absalom]

Turn-based blobber.

Grid movement.

Many attempts to preserve old school mechanics.

Year 2013.

"But, like, the setting is all dumb and stuffies! 0/10 Kotaku, would not buy."

Codex, Codex never changes.

LOL at using the edgy card to ignore legitimate game complaints.

Also, no acromage, limited class selection, no puzzles(maybe?), no sci-fi (yeah that part WAS always stupid about M&M but it's kinda a big part of the "M&M" experience) all make me leery.

Rest of it looks good though, and I don't really have a problem with the art style

 

[MicoSelva]

If you want a full scale review, wait for the final game to be released. We're not going to write a book for a prerelease demo.

I am not expecting a full review, but even someone who played Might & Magic 15 years ago, who enters RPGCodex as the definite source of RPG knowledge will have a hard time understanding how this game is similar or different to the odler games from this preview. Someone completely new to the series will get even less.

I am far from crticizing someone for writing an article, especially that it was done voluntarily in free time. Great. I wouldn't want to do it myself and am grateful that Zed was willing. But as much as I appreciate the effort itself, I feel that the result could have been much more informative.

 

[Infinitron]

no puzzles(maybe?)

I'm sure there will be more puzzles in the final version. Here's what the dev team thinks about them: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-update-q-a-open-dev-chat.84631/#post-2753003

Question 7:
<unacomn> How are you going to design the puzzles for Might and Magic X? Will they be base on mechanisms, abstract logic, or good old fashioned riddles (which most current games avoid). I personally miss things like finding out the password to Castle Alamar, or the Vowelss Knights.
<@LE-Marcus> I'll answer the puzzle question: We are planning to have a good mix of all elements unacomn mentioned. The logic puzzles will probably be dominating, but we all agreed that typing answers you had to decipher or put together from fractured information was a great feature - so will have these as well.
<@Marzhin93> one thing I loved in the old M&M was that riddles and puzzles were as important as battles

 

[Scruffy]

i feel strangely underwhelmed by this review...

 

[Zed]

i feel strangely underwhelmed by this review...

Preview.

 

[Scruffy]

right
still, it doesn't make me want to buy it
and i really want to buy this

 

[Mortmal]

Turn-based blobber.

Grid movement.

Many attempts to preserve old school mechanics.

Year 2013.

"But, like, the setting is all dumb and stuffies! 0/10 Kotaku, would not buy."

Codex, Codex never changes.

Turn based blobber , ah that changes everything , turn based means good game by default and a free pass from the codex according 7 brofists you already got for your politically correct post . I watched that gameplay video with spiders fighting in the dungeon, i have yet to understand why they went for turn based with so little options . You can say what you want about cleve but when i play the grimoire demo i see immediately why its turn based,from the very begining, i cant do it in real time theres many many spells to chose from , you can raise or lower the mana you invest in, fighters have several attack options too, from what i've seen of might and magic legacy they may as well went to waltz like grimrock or hiking and slashing like skyrim.
Yeah 2013 indeed, i can play better RTS(wargame airland) , better grand strategy games(EU4), better adventure games(primordia) than in the 90's why should i be satisfied by watered down versions of classic rpgs ?
Newfags, newfags never changes...

 

[Infinitron]

The combat does not appear to be any less complex than any other Might & Magic game. Grimoire is a Wizardry clone.

Famous old image:

 

[Zeriel]

Yeah, man, I'm really a newfag, that's why I've been here on various accounts since 2003. Your complaints just don't hold any water, summarizing them as "well, all the fundamentals are good, but I don't like one detail of the setting, so it's a shit game" isn't far off the mark at all.

I'm sorry you think shitting on everything ever is what the Codex is about, but sometimes a spade is a spade, and sometimes a new Might & Magic game that stays true to the series is actually a good thing. Congratulations on judging a game's depth based on a 10 minute video of some guy killing spiders in literally the first combat zone in the game, though. Really incisive criticism, that.

Incidentally, M&M X is showing all the signs of being less "dumbed down" than Might & Magic 6-8.

 

[Grunker]

Codex gonna Codex. Assuredly this game is hardly the epitome of tactical depth, but it isn't less so than any other M&M game, and in terms of variety it so far looks deeper than both Wasteland 2 and other Kickstarters that arguably look very good.

It's one thing to say the game could be better. I would agree. So could the old Might & Magic. It's another to say that this is a watered down RPG based on a preview that looks about as if not more complex than the bar it set for itself.

The Codex sure is demanding its cats be dogs a lot these days.

You can say what you want about cleve but when i play the grimoire demo i see immediately why its turn based,from the very begining, i cant do it in real time theres many many spells to chose from , you can raise or lower the mana you invest in, fighters have several attack options too, from what i've seen of might and magic legacy they may as well went to waltz like grimrock or hiking and slashing like skyrim.

Oh ho ho

I'll take an actual game with excellent Might & Magic gameplay - tactically mediocre as it may be - over the vapourware 17-year work of an imposter with one-tenth of a broken dream of a Wizardry-sequel to show for it any fucking day of the week.

 

[Excidium]

Phew I almost expected a sequel to improve upon the formula. You could say there's some improvement in the ranged combat area but considering the generally steamroll encounters we've seen it doesn't really seem to matter

 

[IDtenT]

And so the fight between different types of RPG crowds rages on...

 

[Grunker]

Phew I almost expected a sequel to improve upon the formula.

Codex pre-2012: "STOP CHANGING OUR FAVOURITE GAMES!"

Codex post-2012: "MAN, YOU DON'T MAKE ENOUGH CHANGES TO YOUR PROPOSED SEQUALS."

There's a difference between demanding more variety in Wasteland 2 and then demanding M&M X Legacy to be a vastly different game. As it is, it will still be huge incline if everything about it is true.

You know I agree with you 100% Excidium. Yes, this game could DEFINETELY do with more tactical options in combat. What you apparantly fail to realize was that Mortmal's original claim was this:

What is there in common with early might and magics

And this is a completely and utterly bullshit question seeing as every single problem he has identified in M&M X Legacy's combat so far was also an asset of the original Might & Magics in most ways. The puzzles will be in the final game as well, and they've stated that exploration will have a heavy focus. All that's really left of Mortmal's poorly constructed argument is "but spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!" and yeah, I can deal with Might & Magic not having that as long as the gameplay is tight.

So yeah, Excidium, you and me can agree quickly that increased tactical variety would be sweet, but the bottom line of Mortmal's criticism is that he is either calling Might and Magic as a series terrible (in which case his opinion on no. 10 is pretty useless to the rest of us) or he is a hypocrite.

(saying that the combat might as well be that of Skyrim's or Grimrock reveals the hyperbole of his post for the bullshit it truely is)

And so the fight between different types of RPG crowds rages on...

Nah, this is just retardation. Mortmal likes blobbers.

 

[Zeriel]

I love that shit. Apparently now we've moved on to demanding every sequel to old-school games change every fundamental element, while claiming we want nothing to change. This is in common with the people on the Steam forums who begin with, "I love Might & Magic and am a fan of the earlier games," and end with "so change everything to real-time, no grid-based, this is modern gaming and everything should be the same game".

 

[IDtenT]

And so the fight between different types of RPG crowds rages on...

Nah, this is just retardation. Mortmal likes blobbers.

There's more to RPG playstyles than presentation.

 

[Infinitron]

@Zed Here's a question for you. How long did it take you to play through all the content once? That could give us an estimate of total gameplay length.

 

[Grunker]

And so the fight between different types of RPG crowds rages on...

Nah, this is just retardation. Mortmal likes blobbers.

There's more to RPG playstyles than presentation.

I suppose, but which crowd-IDs seperate Wizardry-players from M&M-players? Most that play one play the other I'd say.

 

[the_dagon]

more worrying, I found the preview to be lacking in the puzzle department. A charming thing about these sort of games was that they often provided some really good logical challenges in-between combat and exploration"

Hmmm... The Might & Magic serie was never really focused on logical puzzles, but on combat & exploration. That's the reason why I always had mixed feelings about this serie.
IMHO There were much better turn based 3D RPGs where you had to use your mind...

 

[Excidium]

There's more to Might and Magic than a technical checklist of turn-based CHECK grid movement CHECK open maps CHECK puzzles CHECK, this would work for Wizardry maybe, but Might and Magic series is defined by the sheer amount of content, the speed of play and the memorable monsters and enviroments. From what has been shown, this doesn't have the quirkness and variety of assets, it's slow as fuck, has very boring itemization and generally looks really easy and watered down. 'B-but it's beta" "B-but it's only the first chapter" Sure...

 

[Grunker]

There's more to Might and Magic than a technical checklist of turn-based CHECK grid movement CHECK open maps CHECK puzzles CHECK, this would work for Wizardry maybe, but Might and Magic series is defined by the sheer amount of content, the speed of play and the memorable monsters and enviroments. From what has been shown, this doesn't have the quirkness and variety of assets, it's slow as fuck, has very boring itemization and generally looks really easy and watered down. 'B-but it's beta" "B-but it's only the first chapter" Sure...

Now this, this I pretty much agree with, although I don't think it's nearly as bad as you do. We'll see.

 

[Zed]

@Zed Here's a question for you. How long did it take you to play through all the content once? That could give us an estimate of total gameplay length.

I don't think it was the entirety of Act 1 because it ends kinda abrupt. But, who knows.
If it truly represented 1/4th of them game, well then it was kinda short. I'm not sure how long it took me exactly, but now I think I would be able to plow through it within 3 hours. For someone playing it for the first time it would probably take one or two hours longer.

 

[Infinitron]

@Zed Here's a question for you. How long did it take you to play through all the content once? That could give us an estimate of total gameplay length.

I don't think it was the entirety of Act 1 because it ends kinda abrupt. But, who knows.
If it truly represented 1/4th of them game, well then it was kinda short. I'm not sure how long it took me exactly, but now I think I would be able to plow through it within 3 hours. For someone playing it for the first time it would probably take one or two hours longer.

Hmmm. I doubt the first act is meant to represent 1/4th of the game, it's probably more of a tutorial. Would be nice if Limbic could tell us more about this, though.

very boring itemization

How do you know, and compared to what

 

[Junmarko]

I think, with the release of MMX, what people are beginning to realise is that these games were only good when there was nothing else. After they started to die off, the RPG formula was perfected by games like Fallout/Baldur's Gate etc.