Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

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PressBot
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Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

Post by PressBot »

By Neil Schneider

If you have about two days of free time on your hands, and you don’t need the luxuries of a good bath and the company of other people, Dark Messiah Might & Magic by Ubisoft is the game for you.

Set in a medieval style fantasy world, you are a wizard’s apprentice named Sareth, and you have just finished your basic training. The story starts simple enough where you must run through underground ruins and find the blessed “Shantiri Crystal”. After getting the crystal, your mentor, Phenrig, sends you on an expedition to give the crystal to an associate wizard named Menelag (who comes up with these names?!?). To make things more interesting, the consciousness of a hot demon sorceress is implanted in you to help guide you on your journey.

Image

Image


As a standalone game, it’s fun. Don’t get me wrong. In stereoscopic 3D, however, this game is downright addictive. I couldn’t tear myself away from it.

Let me explain through example. There is a lot of sword play in this game, and when dealing with the undead or the ABOUT to be dead, it is good practice to kick your enemy to the ground and impale them with your sword. In traditional 2D, it’s cool the first time, but grows tiresome. In S-3D, when your sword plunges in, blood flies out of the screen! I know this seems twisted and violent, but it’s cooler than it sounds!

Image

Image

The environments are also very S-3D friendly. You can pick up objects and fling them, you can light things on fire and shoot them, you can kick support beams that are piled with barrels and watch things fly all over the place - it really gets crazy!

As you play the game and accomplish tasks, you earn training points that you can use to cast more powerful magic, give yourself access to more powerful weapons, or discover unique abilities that will help you along in the game.

Image

Image

Image

The environments are very memorable with every room crafted with unique detail. I was particularly impressed with the physics rendering in the game. Items that really complimented the experience were things like hanging cloth, fire, and countless objects that can be knocked over and broken into pieces.

If you are playing the game old school with an NVIDIA graphics card and the 91.31 range XP stereo drivers, it will be a bittersweet experience. By running Dragon’s utility available in the MTBS downloads section, you can activate an NVIDIA stereo driver feature that allows limited post processing effects. You will have to keep your convergence at absolute minimum or your interface will split off the screen. However, you can increase your separation almost as far as you like and get a good sense of depth in the game.

The current NVIDIA beta driver released earlier this month strike me as being incomplete right now, so I will hold off on reviewing this game until we have a more current release.

Image

The iZ3D driver solution and Dark Messiah Might & Magic were practically made for each other. I get a near perfect mix of pop-out and depth effects and the visual anomalies are few and far between. The only game-play error I can remember is a single spell icon that was to the right of where it was supposed to be, and it was only one spell out of a dozen. The cut scenes could be rendered better on the iZ3D monitor, however. They should be in stereoscopic 3D, but the separation is so minimal compared to the rest of the game, they seem flat. I think these problems are too minor for most players to notice, however.

There is a multiplayer component to Dark Messiah, but it just didn’t hold my interest like the single player campaign.

In multiplayer, you can be a warrior, an archer, an assassin, a priestess, or a mage. The environments are detailed, the 3D rendering is all very good, and they even implemented an award system that lets you upgrade your characters magic and weapon abilities as you progress.

Depending on the server, you are either in a team environment working to capture control points, playing capture the flag, or fighting it out in a coliseum. The coliseum is original in that you can gamble your experience points while watching other gamers play.

It was visually as interesting as the single player campaign, but I just couldn’t get into it. I think it’s because the multiplayer game was missing my favorite kick-stab maneuver. Well, you can’t win them all!

While there is no nudity or swearing, the game is rated 18+ because of its violent nature, so parents be warned!

If you don’t yet own an S-3D solution, grab a pair of red/blue anaglyph glasses and download the iZ3D 1.07 or later drivers from mtbs3D.com. This won’t compare to a modern solution, but you will get a sense of the stereoscopic 3D effect that is being discussed here. In the MTBS Game Reviews gallery section[/b], there are more full sized side by side S-3D images and an anaglyph movie sample ready for download.

Post your thoughts on this review HERE[/b], and let me know what elements would make future reviews better and more helpful to members and gamers interested in S-3D.


Game Play
8.5/10

Sound
7.5/10

Presentation
8/10

Immersive Nature
9/10

Stereoscopic Effectiveness iZ3D
9.5/10

Stereoscopic Effectiveness NVIDIA
TBD

How Memorable Is This Game
8/10

Overall rating iZ3D:
8.21/10

Overall rating NVIDIA:
TBD

Read full article...
PressBot
3D Angel Eyes (Moderator)
Posts: 4340
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:38 am

Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

Post by PressBot »

By Neil Schneider

If you have about two days of free time on your hands, and you don’t need the luxuries of a good bath and the company of other people, Dark Messiah Might & Magic by Ubisoft is the game for you.

Set in a medieval style fantasy world, you are a wizard’s apprentice named Sareth, and you have just finished your basic training. The story starts simple enough where you must run through underground ruins and find the blessed “Shantiri Crystal”. After getting the crystal, your mentor, Phenrig, sends you on an expedition to give the crystal to an associate wizard named Menelag (who comes up with these names?!?). To make things more interesting, the consciousness of a hot demon sorceress is implanted in you to help guide you on your journey.

Image

Image


As a standalone game, it’s fun. Don’t get me wrong. In stereoscopic 3D, however, this game is downright addictive. I couldn’t tear myself away from it.

Let me explain through example. There is a lot of sword play in this game, and when dealing with the undead or the ABOUT to be dead, it is good practice to kick your enemy to the ground and impale them with your sword. In traditional 2D, it’s cool the first time, but grows tiresome. In S-3D, when your sword plunges in, blood flies out of the screen! I know this seems twisted and violent, but it’s cooler than it sounds!

Image

Image

The environments are also very S-3D friendly. You can pick up objects and fling them, you can light things on fire and shoot them, you can kick support beams that are piled with barrels and watch things fly all over the place - it really gets crazy!

As you play the game and accomplish tasks, you earn training points that you can use to cast more powerful magic, give yourself access to more powerful weapons, or discover unique abilities that will help you along in the game.

Image

Image

Image

The environments are very memorable with every room crafted with unique detail. I was particularly impressed with the physics rendering in the game. Items that really complimented the experience were things like hanging cloth, fire, and countless objects that can be knocked over and broken into pieces.

If you are playing the game old school with an NVIDIA graphics card and the 91.31 range XP stereo drivers, it will be a bittersweet experience. By running Dragon’s utility available in the MTBS downloads section, you can activate an NVIDIA stereo driver feature that allows limited post processing effects. You will have to keep your convergence at absolute minimum or your interface will split off the screen. However, you can increase your separation almost as far as you like and get a good sense of depth in the game.

The current NVIDIA beta driver released earlier this month strike me as being incomplete right now, so I will hold off on reviewing this game until we have a more current release.

Image

The iZ3D driver solution and Dark Messiah Might & Magic were practically made for each other. I get a near perfect mix of pop-out and depth effects and the visual anomalies are few and far between. The only game-play error I can remember is a single spell icon that was to the right of where it was supposed to be, and it was only one spell out of a dozen. The cut scenes could be rendered better on the iZ3D monitor, however. They should be in stereoscopic 3D, but the separation is so minimal compared to the rest of the game, they seem flat. I think these problems are too minor for most players to notice, however.

There is a multiplayer component to Dark Messiah, but it just didn’t hold my interest like the single player campaign.

In multiplayer, you can be a warrior, an archer, an assassin, a priestess, or a mage. The environments are detailed, the 3D rendering is all very good, and they even implemented an award system that lets you upgrade your characters magic and weapon abilities as you progress.

Depending on the server, you are either in a team environment working to capture control points, playing capture the flag, or fighting it out in a coliseum. The coliseum is original in that you can gamble your experience points while watching other gamers play.

It was visually as interesting as the single player campaign, but I just couldn’t get into it. I think it’s because the multiplayer game was missing my favorite kick-stab maneuver. Well, you can’t win them all!

While there is no nudity or swearing, the game is rated 18+ because of its violent nature, so parents be warned!

If you don’t yet own an S-3D solution, grab a pair of red/blue anaglyph glasses and download the iZ3D 1.07 or later drivers from mtbs3D.com. This won’t compare to a modern solution, but you will get a sense of the stereoscopic 3D effect that is being discussed here. In the MTBS Game Reviews gallery section[/b], there are more full sized side by side S-3D images and an anaglyph movie sample ready for download.

Post your thoughts on this review HERE[/b], and let me know what elements would make future reviews better and more helpful to members and gamers interested in S-3D.


Game Play
8.5/10

Sound
7.5/10

Presentation
8/10

Immersive Nature
9/10

Stereoscopic Effectiveness iZ3D
9.5/10

Stereoscopic Effectiveness NVIDIA
TBD

How Memorable Is This Game
8/10

Overall rating iZ3D:
8.21/10

Overall rating NVIDIA:
TBD

Read full article...
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Neil
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Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

Post by Neil »

How much did or didn't you enjoy this game? Any thoughts on the review itself? What would make the review structure better for gamers interested in S-3D?

Regards,
Neil
da_giz
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Post by da_giz »

Well I started playing the game beginning last year and stopped playing when I ordered my iz3d.
When it finally arrived the game had some artifacts so I didn't play much.
Then Stalker came up and I stopped playing Dark Messiah.

Guess I have to continue now if it really got that good in 3D. :D
______________________________________
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Neil
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Post by Neil »

Yup!

Describe your artifacts because I didn't have any. The new crosshair system introduced in 1.07 is great too - perfect aim!

Regards,
Neil
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martinlandau
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Re: Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

Post by martinlandau »

Neil wrote:How much did or didn't you enjoy this game? Any thoughts on the review itself? What would make the review structure better for gamers interested in S-3D?

Regards,
Neil
Neil, you do an excellent job of getting to the nitty gritty of the stereo, IE how the blood pops out at you. How does this game compare to the industry titan in this genre? Oblivion? Both from gameplay, storyline, and S3D? I have oblivion and could be more informed wether I want to buy might and magic or not based on your comparisons. I have also played old versions of might and magic from way back, does this new iteration keep any history or atmosphere of the old games or is it completely new? Thanks.

Also I am wondering if IZ3d solutions with their LCD monitor is comparable to HMD's like the z800 and Vr920. Also a projection setup. Between the different hardware solutions, you have things like depth of field being very different from a 120 inch projected stereo screen that you sit 12 feet away from versus a 22 inch screen that you sit 2 feet away from corrrect? Without testing on various 3d hardware, I have no clue from your review if there is a big difference playing this game on different 3d hardware solutions. Also take the hmd's, perhaps the head tracking ability adds immersion in this game in a much better way than say oblivion, but again I have no way to determine that from your review because you are only on one kind of stereo hardware it seems. I have an HMD, CRT projector with 120 inch screen, 21 inch crt monitor with Crystal Eyes 3 Glasses, and I have no real sense of how any of these solutions seem to you with this game save maybe the CRT solution compared to the LCD IZ3d solution, but even there, perhaps ghosting issues are better in this game than compared to oblivion, (in what ways I wouldn't know how to describe) but you don't elaborate on any of that. Also what kind of Field of View does the game support? In Oblivion this is a setting you can change, the default is 75 degrees, and working off the CRT monitor I found 75 degrees to be nice, or even 90 degrees, but when I put on my HMD (z800) I find maybe 60 degrees FOV in oblivion to give me a better sense of depth.


Thanks for the review.
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Neil
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Post by Neil »

Hi Martin!

Dark Messiah is a very different game from Oblivion. The feel is different, the nature of the game is different, and it's more action, action, action compared to Oblivion. I think the combat is more interesting and involved than Oblivion, though Oblivion takes the cake in other qualities like interaction, complexity, length of game play, and widespread scenery.

You raise a valid point about how the game comes across on different S-3D solutions. For now, the only option I have is the iZ3D monitor because the NVIDIA drivers don't work for me yet (I tried!). Also, I want to avoid reviewing the game on different hardware solutions because then it becomes a review of the hardware and not the game. I'm interested in finding the best settings, pointing out the stereoscopic 3D benefits and caveats where possible, and setting the expectations of the gaming experience. Key qualities I look for include anomaly free separation and convergence and how or if S-3D compliments the game. These are the components that the game developer can take responsibility for regardless of S-3D solution, so that's what we review here.

Regards,
Neil
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Neil
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Dark Messiah Might & Magic S-3D Game Review

Post by Neil »

The following is an excerpt of a blog article.  Read Full Article

By Neil Schneider If you have about two days of free time on your hands, and you don’t need the luxuries of a good bath and the company of other people, Dark Messiah Might & Magic by Ubisoft is the game for you. Set in a medieval style fantasy world, you are a wizard’s apprentice named Sareth, and you have just finished your basic training. The story starts simple enough where you must run through underground ruins and find the blessed “Shantiri Crystal”. After getting the crystal, your mentor, Phenrig, sends you on an expedition to give the crystal to ...
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