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. The games feature turn-based, fantasy-themed conflicts in which players control armies of mythical creatures. The series began in 1995 with the release of the first title. A sixth installment, Might & Magic Heroes VI, was released on October 13, 2011.

New World Computing closed after the production of Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and since then the rights to the franchise have been owned by Ubisoft. Nival Interactive developed the first game in the series since the changeover, Heroes of Might and Magic V. Black Hole Entertainment developed its sequel Might & Magic Heroes VI, but Limbic Entertainment developed later patches and the DLC, as well as Might & Magic Heroes VII. Virtuos developed the Shades of Darkness standalone expansion for Heroes VI.

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. The producer of the series was Jon Van Caneghem.

Might and Magic is considered one of the defining examples of early PC role-playing games, along with the The Bard's Tale, Ultima and Wizardry series.

The original Might and Magic series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the Might and Magic name were purchased for USD 1.3 million by Ubisoft, who "rebooted" the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games Heroes of Might and Magic V and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

History

There are ten games in the series:

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. The game follows on from both the events of Heroes of Might and Magic III (a prequel to Blood and Honor), and those of Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven. Players form a party of four characters who win a castle in a scavenger hunt and soon become embroiled in political events on the continent of Antagarich, in the world of Enroth, before eventually choosing one of two paths and working alongside a number of characters, whose storyline continues on from the events of Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra. The game, Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer is a sequel to Blood and Honor.

Gameplay

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Might & Magic X: Legacy is the latest installment of the Might and Magic role-playing video game series, announced on March 21, 2013, developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. Instead of being a sequel to Might and Magic IX the game follows the events of Might & Magic Heroes VI and is set in the world of Ashan. It was released on January 23, 2014 as a downloadable title for Microsoft Windows. An OS X version is in development.

The game focuses on events occurring in the Agyn Peninsula of Ashan, on the continent of Thallan, following the war created by the archangel Uriel. A coup has occurred in the city of Karthal, and a party of raiders who arrive in the region are drawn into a complex plot in the region that threatens to escalate tensions in the various nations.

Gameplay

Character Creation and Improvement

Players create a party of four characters, each of whom can belong to one of four different races - Humans, Orcs, Elves, and Dwarves - with each race having two male and female appearances to use. Each race has a choice of three classes to use - a "Might" class, a "Magic" class and a hybrid class of the two - with a class determining what skills a character begin with initially and that can be improved during character creation by allocating skill points to them. While characters can increase in level during a playthrough of the game, unlike previous titles like Might and Magic VI, characters can advance in level without going to a training centre and paying to do so, with each advancement allowing the player to improve the levels of skills known along with increasing one of six new statistics for the game: Might, Magic, Perception, Destiny, Vitality and Spirit.