Being the third game in the Might and Magic series Caneghem has changed things up quite a bit from the previous game. Make no mistake, death always looms near and combat can be tough, but fights feel much more well balanced in Might and Magic 3 that they feel in either 1 or 2. The graphics are quite nice and if you have a MT-32 or a CM-32L or LAPC-1 the music and sound effects are quite nice. Sadly the Sound Blaster only provides speech for me in the intro and then after that, the opl chip provides sound effects, I thought this wasn't the case, but that is all I have been able to get to work. The story is fairly intricate for a 91 RPG that isn't Ultima with plenty of different quests you do that are attached to the main questline. Controls are straightforward with use through the arrow keys, the number pad, or even the mouse. If you liked Might and Magic 1 and 2 then I would recommend you give 3 a try. It's not as brutal, but the story is interesting with the blend of genres and the gameplay is fun.
I loved very much the Quest for Glory series released by Sierra On-line in the late 80's through the late 90's. There was a depth to dialogue that you didn't really see in other Sierra games. The characters all seemed to be living breathing people going about their daily lives in a world where danger lurked around every corner. Fast forward to 2018. To say I have been waiting for this game patiently would be a lie. I was excited ever since the kickstarter went up. Due to my funds I couldn't support the kickstarter (just had become a dad) so I watched the project patiently. So the instant it released yesterday I bought it as soon as I could so I could play. I immediately saw the connections between the Quest for Glory games and Hero-U. The puns, more liberally applied here are as amusing as ever showing a skill with performing a turn on words or phrases. The character you play as can be as jerky or nice as the options allow for, which can lead to some very humorous events. The music is quite alluring and, for me has been placed in appropriate areas for their style. The mix of hand drawn artwork and 3d models was a concern for me at first, remembering how that did not work the best in Quest for Glory V, but technology has come a very long way since then. I have some minor issues with character movement but it's very minor. The story is on a much smaller stage than later QfG games, but no less interesting. I enjoy the fact that character dialogue and interactions take the center stage and help shine a light a very strong point in the game. The dialogue for characters is as strong, if not stronger than the earlier games. As a fan of Point and Click adventure games and the original Quest for Glory series, I'm sure I will be passed off as biased, but if you love interactive fiction, give this game a try. The character interactions are very well done and the setting is beautiful. I can only hope there will be 3 or 4 more games in this series as well.
