Arkane's next game. It's not Arx 2. It's Might & Magic. - by Digital Nightfall
Fintilgin on 18/8/2005 at 18:18
Yeah, I'm very curious to hear more from Arkane. Fantasy Deus Ex sounds fun. I'm just bitching at the suits. I think that sort of branding can undermine sales, not boost them. People who never played or heard of M&M won't be more likely to buy it, while those who did will feel cheated because it's a completely different sort of game dressed up in the name of thier faviorate series. I think the spin-off strategy is just misguided, especially if they aren't making the core games that made the brand popular in the first place.
I just go batty when seeing the whole thought process of:
1.) Might and Magic was popular.
2.) Might and Magic was a 'nerdy' RPG.
3.) Action games are more popular then 'nerdy' RPGs.
4.) We can sell more Might and Magic games if we make them action games, like Crusaders.
5.) Yay! Money!
I really would have prefered if it were just called 'Dark Messiah'. Brand names can carry so much... baggage. I honestly think big companies would be better off trying to build strong NEW brands and refining and upgrading old ones instead of trying to turn them into something totally new.
PS: I like Arkane. I really do. The ice slippage in the video was tres cool. ;)
Nedan on 19/8/2005 at 00:26
Quote Posted by twisty
...Arx Fatalis was more of an action-rpg hybrid than a lot of people want to admit to.
You maybe right. But because of that great level of freedom the game gave you, I just couldn't call Arx an Action-RPG hybrid. An RPG with some action elements, maybe. Like you said, it set the game apart from the rest.
Quote Posted by Digital Nightfall
But that's not what's happening here.
Is it possible for someone to be too optimistic? ;)
Random on 19/8/2005 at 00:39
Just registering my intense excitement about this game. I thought Arx was great, and this sounds similar in a lot of ways. After reading the IGN preview, I'm putting Ubisoft's action-centric marketing campaign down to just that: marketing.
Quote:
Dark Messiah will stress open-ended gameplay, with different ways to get through the same level.
As you would expect, the warrior took a more direct approach, bashing and slashing his way through the level. The wizard, on the other hand, used his vast arcane knowledge to burn, freeze and levitate opponents. One of the neatest spells we saw the mage use was a shrink spell. After reducing an orc to the size of a rat, the wizard stepped on the now-frightened weakling with a satisfying crunch. The rogue character used stealth and covertness to make his way around the opponents in the level through hidden shafts and walkways, backstabbing the unsuspecting fools with his dual daggers in the process.
Sounds like it will only be an adrenaline pumping action smash if you
want to play it that way. Which is how an RPG should be, I think.
Digital Nightfall on 19/8/2005 at 15:06
There's optimism, and then there's knowing the people who are working on it. ;)
Random has the right idea.
butsomuch on 20/8/2005 at 00:51
Gamespy preview
(
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/might-and-magic/643622p1.html)
Quote:
Producer Romain De Waubert De Genlis calls it "working on the immersion of the player," which doesn't sound too exciting on paper until you see it in action. His team at Arkane Studios (creator of the ambitious Arx Fatalis) is creating Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, a spectacular fantasy epic that should wow people with its interactive environments and open-ended gameplay. It's nominally a role-playing game: you create a character and advance your different skills based on how you want to play the game. But it plays like a fantasy first-person shooter, one where anything goes.
Fafhrd on 20/8/2005 at 01:41
I highly recommend watching the Gabe Newell interview video, it has a surprising amount of actual gameplay footage, and it's beeyootiful.
Twist on 20/8/2005 at 02:24
I'm just here to my express my optimism for this game.
Arkane Studios + Source Engine with Valve input & feedback + real Looking Glass pedigree = deep Optimism.
I think some people are reading too much into a bunch of empty PR gibberish. I mean, really.
Of course, I don't like the name. But I've accepted that game publishers go out of their way to pigeon-hole computer gaming with cheesy adolescent titles. I just have to tolerate these clunky titles and look through them to the core game.
Shadowcat on 20/8/2005 at 11:21
Quote Posted by Fafhrd
I highly recommend watching the Gabe Newell interview video, it has a surprising amount of actual gameplay footage
I have to express the opposite opinion... there's so little gameplay footage in that video, that it's just not worth the download (when you consider that there will undoubtedly be videos dedicated to gameplay footage in the coming months).
Of course if you have a fast connection then you won't care, but don't bother if you're on dial-up and hoping to see a decent amount of gameplay here.
Abysmal on 20/8/2005 at 15:50
I take my skepticism back; this actually looks like it could be fantastic. I think Arkane can pull this style off far better and more engaging than someone like Bethesda (snore), in my not-so-humble opinion. Just that little dynamic ice slip over the breathtaking vista got me giddy; that along with the backstab motion gets me wondering if they're taking some cues from T3. And the magic...well, Arkane already has a proven track record of genius in that area.
Here's to the shaping up of this series with a bit of reimagination. All they need to do now is announce it for Xbox 360. ;)
Shadowcat on 21/8/2005 at 00:23
Quote Posted by Abysmal
All they need to do now is announce it for Xbox 360. ;)
