Well not popular just not as well liked as the others (MM9 never existed okay?). It's my favourite but that's mainly due to nostalgia and rose tinted glasses but why doesn't other people like it as much as the others?

It is a great game, but I find it much, much easier than the previous ones.

Also, being able to swap characters and have a party with both light and dark magics makes any choices made in the game lose their impact.

I'd probably say it's because it's shorter and easier than VI or VII, and just generally whiffs of being a rushed product. Aside from the absurdly overpowered Dragons and the ability to get a level 50 Dark Elf with mastery in all the elemental magics pretty much as soon as you reach Ravenshore (which screws with the game's difficulty curve), I'd also say that having preset party members is less interesting than creating a party from scratch.

I'm not going to deny it isn't a perfectly good Might and Magic game, and the tweaks it does add are fun and interesting, but I'd personally much rather play VII again if I were to be in the mood for some M&M. I hope that answered your question!

(also, I don't think M&M IX deserves the hate it gets, but that's for a different topic)

I finished Might & Magic VIII last weekend. I'd agree that these things are true, but since my life has gotten busier over the years and I've had less and less time for gaming, I actually appreciated being able to complete Might & Magic VIII more quickly than VI and VII. The absurd power of the Dragon characters actually helped with that, too.

So, if you're an RPG purist with a lot of time to play (or just really mad skillz), I can see why Might & Magic VIII is a bit of a disappointment. If you're just an average Joe who likes old-school RPG's... I'd say Might & Magic VIII is pretty darn good, even if it's not as deep as VI & VII.

To be completely honest, I only played this game for less than one hour. I guess I quit because I was tired of the same graphics engine that they used for the last two games. Someday, I might find the time to actually play it.

Exactly... Actually, after playing the cool MM6 and the very cool (and long) MM7... which had already both OLD graphics by the time, seeing MM8 being so... not new was rather... well... not appealling. Even if I'm not "graphism-addict", the first games were long enough and I never felt like spending more time in the same landscapes AGAIN.

I never gave a real shot at this game either.

I also passed on MM8 back when it was released for the very same reasons. But I'm glad I finally played it. It's a fun game.

Thanks gentlemen, when I can, I will give it all of my personal attention. I'm sure I am missing a real gem.