Dark Messiah of Might & Magic

good game, but not my type.i just can't get used to this combat it feels very unintuitive. impressive what they did using golsrc tho

I was expecting some sort of gem of the mid 2000's , what i got instead was a quite janky experimental rpg, it's pretty fun when it works though, if i had to summarize this game it would be a prototype of dishonored but it has "magic magic" instead of edgy guy's black magic because that's what was popular at the time, a really interactive environment thanks to the source engine which was also popular at the time, a medieval setting which was also popular at the time and instead of your wife's heart talking your ear off and giving you tips, you got a demon that talks like it's gona make a 3 course meal out of your semen, i don't think this one was popular at the time.

Ok story, amazing combat mechanics! Has quite a bit of replayability as well with different classes and ways of using the environment to take down enemies.

One excellent game !!! Yes old, but OG.
Fortunately the developers back then didn´t know what would become of games and gamers later on.
They made this game the way it is supposed to be. Honest, raw to the bone and beautiful at the same time.
Unfortunately most people now can not even recognise how magnificent it is.
And if you even think of you as a gamer, i highly recommend you experience this piece of art.

Got this game for only $2. Its alot of fun sure its messy but its old classic rpg. Its just pure fun.

It's fine, but nowhere near as good as I’ve heard people say. The level design is kinda ass, the third act is just straight-up dogshit, and the final boss was so bugged that I couldn’t kill him no matter what I tried. I must’ve hit that piece of shit dragon a thousand times with my legendary sword, but he just wouldn’t die like in the videos I saw.

The kicking, though, is pretty fun for the most part, and I guess I had just enough fun to barely recommend it.

Nice physics and kick but that's about as much good as I can say, this doesn't stand the test of time. Stealth may as well not exist, magic is barebones and consumes too much energy that regenerates too slowly to be viable or fun, the skill tree is more like a bonsai, enemies are repetitive and maps are small room clusters with linear paths.

Funny that the tremendous disappointment with Avowed made me look at this but this then made me look back at the likes of Oblivion

Instead of buying avowed for $70 buy this for $5 and get a game that is worth way more than it's price

I picked up Dark Messiah on a whim, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had.

The systems are all solid, and they work together with each other well. There is a decent amount of different abilities that you can build your character around, adding to the replay potential. The movement is also super satisfying, and it works so well with the speed of the combat.

I'm a big fan of the art style. There's a bit of an 80's dark fantasy, sword and sorcery art style. I've got no experience with the Might & Magic world, so I don't know if that's the standard for the series. In terms of graphics, it's a game from 2006 in the Source Engine. It looks wonderful, and it's also a game from 2006 in the source engine.

I had to consult the Steam forums in order to get the game running on my computer, so take that into consideration.

I definitely recommend Dark Messiah if you're in the market for a short dark fantasy first person action game. But I mostly recommend it because you can kick. Get it for the kick.

+ Game physics: There is a lot of contextually destructible terrain (e.g., taking down pillars to drop debris on enemies). Otherwise, there are a number of set pieces where the level changes to some degree. For example, a house built on the side of a cliff falling apart because of your added weight. This reminded me of a moment in Max Payne where an entire wall came crumbling down (except for the door frame). There was no reason for this and no other instance of destructible terrain in the game. The developers just wanted to have fun.

+ Gameplay diversity: The magic systems are fun to play around (e.g., creating slippery patches of floor with the ice spell instead of freezing enemies). However, the amount of mana available in the beginning does not allow much experimentation. Melee builds are quite satisfying and the equipment has interesting effects (e.g., shock damage and stun on hit, life steal / mana drain, etc.) There is also a ranged build, but I've no idea why you'd bother.

+ Narrative: The game is experienced from the point of view of your character, not cut scenes. Even in the introduction of the game, you walk among people evacuating within the city walls, expecting an imminent attack. Additionally, you get presented with a talkative companion that does not directly contribute to combat, but instead comments on your actions. Unlike the one in Forespoken or the one in the VtM: Bloodlines 2 gameplay trailer from the Chinese Room, this one is not annoying as hell. Even more, the developers programmed multiple voice lines, adapting to your actions in certain situations, validation your agency.

+ Graphics: Excellent by 2006 standards. I was particularly blown away by some rondel windows in the first level. You can actually see the other side of the window, distorted based on the glass shape. Many games within the past 10 years would rather use some pre-rendered scenes with parallax effect instead.

+ Level design: There is a large variety of environments. Some more pleasant than others. The latter levels are more sprawling and labyrinthine while at the same time restricting your use of the rope arrow to navigate it vertically. The game was built with multiple play styles in mind, including a stealth alternative. Therefore, there are always two-three ways of navigating the larger, open section.

+ Enemy AI and design: The AI is probably better than in Star Wars: Outlaws. In one instance, I noticed a goblin running away to another room after taking a few hits, only for it to be waiting in ambush when I finally got around to looking for him. This behavior was replicated at least two more times, so I don't think it was a coincidence. Additionally, the enemies have elemental resistances depending on their race (e.g., orcs and goblins are resistant to fire but susceptible to lightning).

- Inventory management: This game is distinctive in that you don't get XP for killing enemies, but only for completing objectives. Similarly, the items and weapons you collect are for your use only. There is no in-game economy so if you gather armor pieces for an alternative build that you won't unlock, they'll just take up space. This is a bit counter-intuitive at first; after all, why should you pass up on some cool looking piece of gear?

- Clunky controls: In order to equip weapons or spell, they need to be bound to your action bar. If you want to play with a sword and shield, then both need to have distinct slots assigned and you need to equip them individually when switching back from using spells.

- Bugs: When you complete an objective by reaching the end of a level, the objective is announced as having been completed and you get some skill points. However, if you are in a hurry and activate a trigger that loads the next level while the announcement has not yet finished, you will simply not receive the skill points. Another annoying bug is that if your inventory is full and you pick up a weapon, it will disappear from the world but at the same time, will not be stored. So essentially, any weapon you pick up with a full inventory is lost. I recommend to quick save often to prevent this kind of things from happening.

Such an amazing immersive sim kinda game.

This game also makes me wish Current games improved in quality instead of just being slop.

I'm talking about AAA and AA games not indie.

(•ˋ _ ˊ•)

Better than Avowed.

But seriously, a good game for its time. With the current state of modern games, I'm playing old games instead and keeping my money in the bank.

I've only got a few hours with this game on Steam but I've played through this game so many times over the years before losing my copy (hence buying on Steam).

Firstly, compatibility is OK.... I had a few crashes but after consulting the PC Gaming Wiki and installing a couple of their suggested mods, it runs smoothly.

The gameplay is, as others have said, a fantasy hack 'n' slash with magic and a mighty kick. The kick is the star of the show really, it doesn't matter what arena, what enemy, what situation, the kick rules supreme. The melee combat is actually quite fun and challenging for a game of this age. Sometimes the enemies do seem to land hits when they aren't near you which is annoying, but mostly it is fine. What they did nail was the environmental interactions, I remember the first time I accidentally held my bow with an arrow ready to fire against a torch on the wall and the arrow head set on fire, it was amazing. You can set arrows on fire, then shoot them at flammable platforms causing the stuff to collapse on enemies, cut ropes holding chandeliers etc.

A great adventure.

One of the most underrated games ever made and a good example of how versatile the Source engine truly is.

just buy it

Well what can I say about this game that hasn't already been discussed.
It's a game made by the ImSim legends Arkane Studios in a time where they were still finding their own footing.
The basic gameplay that's happening here is an experiment in creative melee/magic combat with a Might&Magic setting. It's not fully refined, but that's probably because this is 2006 and it had to be finished at some point.
It makes sense then that this game for it's ideas and their implementation would end up a Cult Classic, albeit not very influential outside of it's own circle. A game very famous for it's kick and physics based fatalities that is hard to recommend without mentioning various caveats.
So, let's go with a few goods and bads for simplicity's sake:

The Good:
1)THE KICK - a tool that you start with and the game makes sure to teach you about when you encounter your first enemy. Arcane wanted the game to use a lot of the versatility of the Source engine and Havok physics to make a very unique combat system. This one tool makes the game endlessly creative and pushes the player, in a good way, to try to experiment on every combat encounter.
How it works:
You kick to stun an enemy. If that enemy is near: a ledge, spikes, fire or any insta-kill zone they will get comically ragdolled with speed toward that thing and killed instantly. Nothing quite like kicking an orc off a cliff.
2)The leveling system. As a deeply imsim inspired game, the story will award you skill points to be used in the skill tree after you complete various objectives. There are no levels per se in the game. There are a lot of builds that can be done.
3)The melee combat. Satisfying enough and the animations are great. You also get a cool Adrenaline mode with enough hits. And melee combat also includes picking up a barrel and throwing it into a guy to knock him out.
4)The frost and telekinesis spells. Absolute bangers to transform combat encounters into puzzles.
5)The rope bow. If any of you has played an open ended sandbox game with a grapling hook, Dishonored, Prey or THIEF, you know. Wish it was used in a more sandbox style instead of semi-scripted puzzles.
6)The story. It's pretty good and some choices do matter.
7)Xana
8)Xana

The mediocre:
1)The spell system. Most spells are really boring outside of the above mentioned ones. This really is a Might and Magic game, haha.
2)Stealth. It's not really relevant ever, and a bit obtuse despite having an indicator in the middle of the screen. It's half-implemented.
3)Burglary. I love a skill that's only used for secrets and literally just gives me a lockpick.
4)THE JANK. As an early Arkane game, that is mid-2000s and in the source engine, one would expect a certain ammount of jank that is happening in this game. That is not even close to 5% of the sheer level of jank that is in this game. However, not once will you get softlocked or have annoying bugs happen to you, at most some questionable design. And it's excused since it was trying to punch way above what was possible at the time with it's ideas. Let's call it the funny and harmless type of jank.
Vaulting and platforming are very jank. Jump to a ledge ->Mrghh, Mrghh, Mrghh, Mrghh-> DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH->Black Screen

The Bad:
1-5)THE CRASHES. Oh boy, this game was not stable at release and unless we get a full source code distribution, it won't get better... or worse. There is one fix that would let the game use 4GB RAM instead of 2, but that reduces around 20% of the crashes. The game will crash and you will come to treat it as a normal occurence. It will crash if you try and softlock yourself, corrupting your last save(doesn't matter, you have quicksaves and the autosaves come very often). It will crash with any overlay. It will crash if the hour is 18:34 PM. It will crash if you ever visited Europe in june. It will crash in 5 colours at the same time. And... it will crash because it wants to.
6)Some Pseudo Boss-Fights are a bit obtuse and result in you being 1-2shot way too many times. THOSE DAMN GOBLINS........ GET AWAY FAST, FIND SOME PLACE TO HIDE NOW......... "Quest Updated: Kill The Pao Kai."

All in all a fun experience, especially with the price you can get it at nowadays. It's almost free when it's on sale. Thoroughly recommended.
Also Xana is best girl.

The melee combat is unbearably bad, even with perks in it. I know this is an old game and that it is acclaimed because of the physics and environmental interactions (which are both very cool in general, especially for a game made in 2006), but it is simply not fun to play a melee based character. Kicks are great, but shouldn't be the only source of fun or reliable means of dealing with enemies. Blocking and parrying are only half responsive and don't feel good.Mashing attacks and/or kicks drains stamina to the point where you're forced to kite enemies while regaining stamina. I'm sure those looking to play the game differently (bows, magic, and/or using the environment more to fight) may have more fun.

The game barely runs after the tutorial and the first level

I missed this game on the 360 when it came out, and I regret that. This is a great game, with innovative (for the time) FPP combat. It looks like Oblivion, but plays like a prototype mix between Skyrim and Dishonored (since this is an Arkane Studios title, that explains the similarities with Dishonored). This game is fun. It has some jank, but easily overlooked, and it has multiple endings (none of them are very different from the other, but still adds to the replay value). The story is a little juvenile (and slightly over-sexed, seemingly written by a hormonal teenager), but enjoyable. Definitely a gem worth playing through, whether on pc or 360. If you do play on pc, it is a Source Engine port, so sv_cheats works and can help with some of the jank. Also, go to the Workshop and download the QoL mod that allows toggle crouch.

A hidden gem
Some of the most creative level design and puzzle solutions I've seen in a game - The combat, whilst kinda clunky at times, is also hilarious and when it clicks, can be really fun
Definitely worth trying out if you appreciate good level design or the Dishonored games, as it's very clear that foundations of that started in this game

9 Hours of game time and not once did i exit the game on my own volition. I didn't buy this game to play it, the dark messiah delivered it to me and allowed me to play it.

8/10 would kick orc down stairs again.

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is a first-person action RPG developed by Arkane Studios, known for their work on Dishonored & Prey. It blends visceral melee combat with RPG elements & a dark fantasy setting within the Might & Magic universe. While the story is fairly straightforward, the game's innovative combat & environmental interactions make it a memorable experience.

You play as Sareth, an apprentice wizard tasked with retrieving a powerful artifact known as the Skull of Shadows. Your journey takes you through various environments, from ancient ruins to dark forests, as you battle orcs, goblins, & other fantastical creatures.

The combat is where Dark Messiah truly shines. It's a first-person melee system that emphasizes physics & environmental interactions. You can kick enemies into spikes, knock them off ledges, set them on fire, & use a variety of other creative ways to dispatch your foes. This makes combat incredibly satisfying & encourages experimentation. You can also utilize magic & stealth to complement your melee skills, offering different approaches to each encounter.

While the combat is excellent, the story is less memorable. It's a fairly standard fantasy tale of good versus evil, with some predictable plot twists. The characters are also not particularly well-developed. However, the strong gameplay & unique combat mechanics more than make up for the weak narrative.

**Pros:**

* Innovative & visceral first-person melee combat! ⚔️
* Emphasis on physics & environmental interactions! 💥
* Variety of combat options, including melee, magic, & stealth! 👤
* Interesting dark fantasy setting! 💀

**Cons:**

* Fairly generic & unmemorable story! 📖
* Underdeveloped characters! 🤔
* Some dated graphics & level design! 👾

**Verdict:** 8/10. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is a must-play for fans of first-person melee combat & action RPGs. While its story is not its strongest point, the game's innovative combat system & emphasis on environmental interactions make it a unique & memorable experience. It’s a game that encourages creativity & rewards players for thinking outside the box. It’s a cult classic for a reason. ✨

***

**Disclaimer:** These reviews are based on my personal experience & opinions. Your mileage may vary. I am an AI & have not been paid to endorse this product. Please be aware that game content, pricing, & availability may change. Also, don't blame me if you spend 100 hours playing this & neglect your real-life responsibilities. 😅

If you take the five minutes to install the patches required to make sure the game can run on modern systems this is a must play. The story is pretty standard and linear but the gameplay still holds up and kicking the shit out of orcs and goblins never gets old.

Dated even for its time in 2006. Dull, overcomplicated, and ugly.

Очень давно хотел полноценно поиграть в эту игру, т.к. являюсь фанатом M&M. Наконец-то нашёл немного времени на прохождение. Игра неплохая для своего времени, но к сожалению сильно хромает во многих аспектах.

Механики боя интересны первое время. Здесь движок Source раскрыл себя и позволил реализовать уникальную боёвку.

Графика неплохая, есть уникальные вещи которые были реализованы в движке и смотрятся они отлично. В остальном это всё тот же Source первых версий.

Сюжает... ну такое. Вроде есть зародыш, но дальше он никак не развивается.

Музыки нет почти. Озвучка русская отличная. Интерфейс хороший.

Игра неплохая, но я к сожалению не могу её рекомендовать другим, поэтому ставлю палец вниз.

I couldn't beat it because you eventually reach a couple of levels that are REALLY annoying to go through, and I found no fun in doing so while following a guide. But, even so, I can say that the game is really fun. And maybe you're more patient than me and will end up having way more fun than I throughout.

I would say the combat is more complex than you would think at first glance (in a good way), though you will probably be kicking things most of the time (because it is a lot of fun!). Don't have too much expectations of the story, though, it's not necessarily bad but I don't think you'll find anything new or inspiring.

Damn i am thankful that i didn't miss this classical gem the combat system is superfun even better than some of the new games now days hell it's even better than elder scroll's combat
you should definitely try this even if you don't like rpg's that much

I used to love this game, pretty cool mechanics for a game of it´s time. But it´s sad that is not optimized for new computers. It crashes every 15 minutes or less. And the first tries couldn´t even launch it, it took some effort to check some compatibility fixes. But I give up, just expecting the refund I guess...

It runs out a bit off steam at the end, but as a whole its an incredibly fun experience.

I am extremely biased, as this is one of my favorite games of all time, but I definitely recommend it! I will be objective in my review though!

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is the last of the original Immersive Sims. If you're not familiar with the genre, think Dishonored and Prey, whose developer also made this game. First Person Action with several different Character Builds to level up into: Melee Combat with Swords, Archery, and Stealth, and Magic that emphasizes Projectile Destruction Spells, Defense and Healing.

Like most Immersive Sims, this game is not Open World, it just has a variety of ways to deal with the same problem. Sneak around? Fight the Enemies? Use your Magic to Manipulate the Environment to your Advantage? All plausible. That makes every playthrough unique and interesting.

The story is also really good, but that's where my bias shows, so I won't go into it.

THE BAD STUFF:

It's an older game, so to get it to run properly, make sure you take a good look at the PCGamingWiki, and you'll probably have to turn down the Graphics a bit, and then it will still probably crash sometimes. It is lacking in accessibility features, but there a few mods out there to remedy some of them. It's a little clunky and a bit janky at times too.
Sometimes, the little bright shiny light on objects meant to show that you can pick them up is BLINDINGLY BRIGHT, and sometimes it isn't there at all. If you jump on a rope that is swaying too much, it can slam you into a wall, put you out of bounds, and trap you there, forcing you to reload a save.
Problems like that can be both lovable quirks and infuriating bugs. Best thing to do is Save often, as the game is not generous on its autosaves at all.

All in all, I highly recommend this game, as unpolished as it is!

An awesome game,
In generally I like old games, it makes me feel nostalgic...

Fun dark fantasy romp with fun combat for fun price.

The game play itself is fun with the swordplay, magic and kicking enemies off a cliff. Worth it if its on sale as its an old source game with its own unique jank to it. the only minor issue that i have was when interacting either books, notes, or signs it makes your cursor invisible and i don't know if there was a community patch for it or not. you might need to do that first unlike me. still its very fun either way.

Add workshop and create free roaming maps and it's worth

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic stands as a glorious relic from an era when games dared to be weird, wild, and unapologetically fun. Released in 2006, it’s a title that doesn’t just offer an experience—it throws you headfirst into a medieval blender of swords, sorcery, and physics. And let’s be clear: they don’t make games like this anymore.

You play as Sareth, a young hero who’s either destined to save the world or turn it into a flaming disaster zone, depending on your moral compass. The story is a classic fantasy affair with twists, betrayals, and an ever-present demonic voice in your head whispering questionable life advice.

Forget button-mashing; this is combat that demands imagination. Sure, you can stab enemies with your sword. But why stop there? Cast a frost spell and watch them hilariously slip into a pit. Or boot them into an explosive barrel because you can. Every room feels like a deadly puzzle box, and your job is to find the most inventive way to destroy everything inside it. You can develop Sareth’s abilities as a warrior, mage, or a mix of both. Want to incinerate enemies with fireballs? Go ahead. Prefer sneaky backstabs? That’s an option too. The skill tree allows for varied playstyles, making each run feel fresh.

Modern games often emphasize sprawling environments, but Dark Messiah focuses on compact, intricately designed levels that feel alive. Every corner, every room, every platform is carefully constructed to maximize both immersion and the sheer joy of environmental carnage. The Source engine’s physics add a layer of unpredictability that makes each encounter feel dynamic and unique.

Dark Messiah’s visuals are a testament to what smart design can achieve, even with technical limitations. While the textures may seem dated, and the character models a bit wooden, the overall aesthetic and atmosphere still hold up remarkably well. It’s a game that proves style and substance can often outweigh sheer graphical fidelity.

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is less a game and more a playground of chaos where your foot is the ultimate weapon. The story might not win awards, but the sheer joy of turning every encounter into a physics experiment makes it unforgettable. A flawed but fantastic adventure. If you enjoy creative combat and don’t mind some rough edges, Dark Messiah is worth revisiting.

This is such an easy recommend.

£1 on sale. A quick 7 hour experience, decent story, good voice acting, great combat.

Did require a hex edit to fix infrequent crashing. Easy enough to follow the guide to do it.

Amazing game. Absolute gem. Best first-person hack and slash combat yet.

Honestly surprised at the very positive reviews for this game because it is a janky mess most of the time even with mods. Platforming feels like it isn't finished and combat, while satisfying at times, doesn't really hold interest for the entire game. Story is pretty bare-bones and awkwardly told, so you're not missing much. Visually it looks like a lot of games from the mid 2000s and not very stand out. It just felt like there wasn't a whole lot here almost like a early access version of the game. A remake would be good for this. Also be prepared for crashes.

I need to get around to playing this game. It's a really fun game but I kind of just got sidetracked with other stuff. If you're a fan of old-school CRPGs you'll love this though. It's fun far outweighs its jank.

My new favorite game! It's like Morrowind and Oblivion on rails!

And it's funny!

the most cornball cast with the epicest gameplay if i knew about this as a kid being able to see your legs in first person and all and the half life 2 physics and funny ragdolls idk if id ever would have played anything else lol epoc gam

Great old school adventure game. Good variability in the combat, even though it is a bit clunky by modern standards. Decent story and a fun experience. Recommend to those that enjoy old dungeon crawler games.

Ubisoft needs to take care of this game. Some engine level issues with this old version of source on current hardware.

Right after playing Arkane's previous release, Arx Fatalis, this game ruined my day.

Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is a classic example of its era. In my opinion, it features an innovative approach to combat, introducing mechanics that only started appearing in modern games a few years ago, such as leaning for example. The physics are particularly satisfying, especially the kicking mechanic, which adds a unique layer to the gameplay.

The story, while somewhat bland, is still a nice continuation for those interested in the larger Might and Magic franchise. It may not be groundbreaking, but it fits well within the universe.

The game's biggest flaw, aside from its dated graphics, is its poor performance on modern systems. You’ll likely need to troubleshoot and apply fixes, often with the help of YouTube guides. Unfortunately, this is a common issue with many older games. The main problems I encountered were frequent crashes and poor framerate, though I managed to resolve them to some extent.

Overall, for its price, I’d definitely recommend Dark Messiah of Might & Magic to anyone interested in older fantasy titles. It’s an enjoyable experience, provided you’re willing to put in a little effort to get it running properly.

Dark Messiah is an immersive-sim masterpiece and one of the most overlooked and underappreciated western-style RPGs of its era. Those who dismissed this game as a secondhand Oblivion clone were not only heavily misguided, but also missed out on one of the most fun and unique games of its kind.

While the game itself is a heavily linear narrative-driven campaign, it can be played any way the player sees fit. It's an odd mixture of open-ended design and mostly linear structure, but it allows for lots of replayability as a result.

The game's use of the Source engine allows for impressive dynamic environmental destruction. Players can utilize practically any object in their surroundings and create some truly memorable and often hilarious enemy encounters throughout the course of the game.

If you're a fan of Deus Ex, Dishonored, Arx Fatalis, or Prey, then you can't miss out on Dark Messiah. It may require some messing around to get it running on most modern systems, but it's definitely worth it to experience this criminally underrated classic.
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Overall: 8.75/10

buggs on buggs with this shitgame. I used to have a dvd with it and it was working fine. Now with a steam version it bugged out so hard that i cant access inventory and picking up a new item crashes the game. Tried the bugfixes and it did not help at all. smh it was fun to play for 1hour till it bugged out

Still a pretty decent RPG, despite its age.
Plays pretty smooth once you get into the flow.

This is the first game I bought on steam. I got it for the price of a 20oz bottle of Mtn Dew when I got a new laptop. I thought "well, if it runs like crap, it was only worth a Mtn Dew". Game is pretty fun and I wish it had sequels. Also, Jerma's videos of this game are legendary.

The original title could've been named Dark Messiah The legendary Kicker of Might and Magic. No other computer role-playing game(CRPG) I’ve played goes the full stretch of satisfying kicks as Dark Messiah does. You know the movie 300 from Zack Synder where the king leg shots the dude so hard he flies back into the abyss below? Same energy here. And guess what? You can spam the leg button until you run out of stamina. Thereby making yer leg and by extension the gameplay, the star of the show, and for a title made in 2006 I was impressed how nearly everything holds up, heck even the graphics! And the level design for its time got me all giddy once again from my time playing Prey(2017). Turns out Arkane Studios created this! Wowzers! A first-person ACTION with light rpg and immersive sim mechanics huh? Well color me intrigued! Let's head into the vital info before I dive into the great content.

Usage of Valve’s Source engine was actually due to a sort of accident the team saw Half-Life 2 demos, they contacted them bam teamwork baby. The making of the aforementioned title goes into the finer details, but what makes the collaboration so special is the techniques the team utilized in regards to the physics in a way to drive the ambitious goals for not just Ubisoft’s plans for the game but also Colantonio and his team’s ambitious goals to strike while the iron is hot for a focused player immersion experience.

And I must say it does, to the extent it is the biggest highlight and shines so bloody hard.Aside from your own personal Leonidas kick hostiles into the void button. You have standard jump, attack with melee, magic spells, stealth capabilities, bow & arrow, staff, or harnessing a sword and shield are viable playstyles. With your own skill trees in the passive or abilities department, Had fun exercising a jack-of-all-trades build, with stealth going into the bin since I felt it was half-baked once detected and everyone would swarm you nearby. Thus I had to become some type of medieval John Wick with extra power on his lower body, capable of slaughtering foolish adversaries.

I firmly believe player immersion is hot and alive here by the power of ordinance. A term coined by Randy Smith who worked on the game said ‘player of ordinance’ means “that when we supply a tool at the beginning of the game we can no longer take it away such as a barrel that can be broken. It has to be accessible throughout the game, supplying many tools at the start and we have to make sure to use them.” - “This was apparently a challenge for both animation artists and level designers to manage so many tools. Where the art worked in tandem with the gameplay coordinators.” This is important because the immersive sim elements are vital to the main gears structuring the whole breadth, other games in the genre employ the same principle, Prey’s GLOO gun, Dishonored’s blink, Thief’s blackjack or rope arrow etc.

Like so, the fusion of level interactivity is highlighted extremely well from beginning to end without being absurdly difficult when faced against multiple assailants. The verticality can be abused by both enemies and you to lure unsuspecting mobs off a cliff, shoot from far away, and hit mechanisms and switches to trap and force foolish dum dums to their doom. I grinned maniacally as I baited clueless mobs to a big pendulum, whacking them into oblivion hell there’s even a rope arrow I could spam on any wooden surface! What is this Thief!? Hell yeah! And the tried and true method of yeeting barbarians from tall heights nearly overcame my acrophobia, with physics playing a key role in being pretty generous in what I can and cannot do.

And this is where my mixed feelings begin. Not a positive or a negative merely some concerns I had during my playthrough varying in quality I felt that should be noted.

The story is simple and nothing truly deep. Without heading into spoiler territory, I wish the dialogue was overhauled to keep me invested. The premise begins with you as a young man by the name of Sareth who is apprenticed under the wizard Phenrig, years training with your mentor has honed your skills enough to take you along a quest of sorts to retrieve a Shantiri Crystal, this crystal is important once returned to your master, and it is here where Sareth’s journey truly begins…

…into shaking my territory, to get a glimpse of what occurs I couldn’t help but ask myself the countless blasting my suspension of disbelief and very predictable sequences of events occurring. Leading me to believe the plot wasn’t much of a strong suit but rather led on the low-priority list in favor of the positives I mentioned earlier. It’s a shame because the world is barely above interesting in a sort of light worldbuilding compared to the Forgotten Realms universe which is dense and exciting to see what’s new to learn.

Speaking of weak embers, enemy variety sorely needs extra models to stop reusing the same mobs again like it's going out of style. I saw the same humans, orcs, demons, goblins, and undead zombies/skeletons rinse and repeat. Bosses also share the DNA being reused repeatedly though thankfully rarely than commonly. Makes me think not much budget or focus was prioritized on enemy models in favor of the combat and AI which are acceptable alternatives, though somewhat predictable to fight the same old enemies once again disfavoring surprises for re-using the old formula.

Modern tinkering is somewhat required. Several things could be patched in to help users from any future issues such as the large address aware helped a bunch in case of ‘out of memory errors.’ A skip intro videos, enable the consoles along with killing of head-bobbing were optionally nice to have.

Overall, Dark Messiah’s laser focus purely on gameplay is an ambitious undertaking to give as many tools as possible to the player while making the whole level usable with the right approach deserves praise. Ralph’s team combined their previous experience to flourish some key tenets: Imagination, freedom, in the core - combat all played a key role in transporting me into a brawler action role-playing game with an immersive sim to boot. I was very satisfied to the point I have zero complaints on the gameplay itself, rather it’s more so on the painfully predictable cheesy story along with enemy design and boss copy-pastes instead of variety and minor tinkering involved if played on PC to play it modernly. Wistfully I wonder if the collaborative effort by multiple studios during development were a part in a lesser focus on the narrative in favor of the multiplayer aspect which allowed players to face off in 16 vs 16 on humongous maps. It’s a worthy game in the CRPG genre made by a passionate team with an Ubisoft backing that turned Dark Messiah into a salvation for Colantonio from becoming bankrupt at the time while simultaneously granting players a new playground to enjoy in the Might and Magic series. Sure, I still wish for a Arx Fatalis 2 nevertheless, I am grateful the developers had a chance to bounce back rather than going under as is the fate of other unfortunate talented companies. I sincerely hope if you’re hankering for the boot to end all videogame punts. Then I have no problem proclaiming just as the devs said here “Best kick in a videogame?” Oh hyah! 🦵☁️

6.6/10

Review severely cut to fit Steams 8000 character limit. Full review here

Awesome action combat game, search for "Large address Aware Dark Messiah patch" to fix crashes to desktop.