Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

About Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998) is New World Computing's first-person RPG set in Heroes of Might and Magic's world of Enroth, with freely explorable 3D lands, real-time or turn-based combat and a flexible skill system.

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven in Depth

Seven years after Heroes of Might and Magic II, on the Night of Shooting Stars, meteor-like spaceships full of Kreegans fall on Enroth, as the long war between the Ancients and the devil-like Kreegans spills onto nearby worlds, and King Roland Ironfist leaves for the north. The player guides four adventurers, all human, from humble beginnings to heroes who must save the land. Leaving grid-based maps behind, the world can be explored freely, mountains included, with full 360-degree turning and looking up and down, and battles fought in real time or a turn-based mode that limits movement. A calendar and day-night cycle govern events such as the solstices and the Circus of the Sun.

Characters choose one of six classes, Knight, Druid, Paladin, Cleric, Sorcerer or Archer, which set their starting skills and how health and magic grow, and distribute points across Might, Intellect, Personality, Endurance, Accuracy, Speed and Luck. They age as time passes, with penalties after fifty. Levels are gained only by training in towns, statistics rise through barrels, cauldrons, shrines and fountains, and class promotion quests, such as Paladin to Crusader, grant two further tiers. Skills have a Rank and an Expertise of Normal, Expert or Master, the latter taught by a single Master teacher per skill, and since advancement is not restricted by class, an archer can become as good with a sword as a knight.

Making Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

New World Computing developed it and 3DO published it in 1998 as the sequel to Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen, continuing the story of Heroes II and running alongside Heroes III. It compared favourably with RPGs such as Daggerfall, and critics praised its non-linear, user-friendly design, detailed interactive world and polished, bug-free release. GameSpot called it "a standout game in what should be a great year for role-playing game fans" with "the best yet seen" graphics in a 3D first-person RPG, IGN said "any fan of role-playing games should already own this game", and RPGFan said its exploration and character development could keep players going for over 100 hours, though it could get tedious. It was nominated for RPG of the year by the AIAS, Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, GameSpot and IGNPC. Three sequels followed, beginning with Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, which continued its story and made the skill system considerably more restrictive.