Might and Magic: Collection Edition

Might and Magic: Collection Edition is a compilation of two classic RPGs from the renowned Might and Magic series—Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor—set in the world of Enroth following ‘The Silence,’ a cataclysmic event that severed contact with the ancient Ancients. Players assemble customizable parties of heroes to explore vast continents like Antagarich and Enroth, unravel mysteries involving devils, necromancers, and elemental forces, battle through dungeons and political upheavals, and shape the fate of kingdoms in a deep fantasy universe rich with lore from the Ancients’ colonization and subsequent wars.

Might and Magic: Collection Edition: Review

Introduction

In the annals of computer role-playing games (CRPGs), few titles evoke the epic scope of ancient astronaut lore blended with medieval fantasy quite like Might and Magic. Released in 2003 by Russian publisher Buka Entertainment, Might and Magic: Collection Edition bundles two cornerstones of the series’ late-1990s renaissance: Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998) and Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor (1999). These games, developed by New World Computing under visionary Jon Van Caneghem, mark the pivotal shift from grid-based dungeon crawlers to expansive, pseudo-3D worlds teeming with political intrigue, demonic invasions, and player agency. This collection isn’t mere nostalgia bait—it’s a time capsule of CRPG evolution, where sci-fi revelations underpin fantasy quests. My thesis: Collection Edition cements VI and VII as the series’ zenith, offering over 200 hours of emergent storytelling and mechanical innovation that still challenges modern adventurers, proving the enduring might of open-ended RPG design.

Development History & Context

New World Computing, founded by Jon Van Caneghem in 1984, birthed the Might and Magic series with its 1986 debut, Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, on the Apple II—a grid-locked homage to Wizardry and Ultima. By the late 1990s, after acquiring publisher The 3DO Company in 1996, the studio faced mounting pressure to modernize amid the 3D revolution ushered by Quake and Diablo. Might and Magic VI emerged in 1998 as a bold pivot: ditching static grids for a scrolling, rotatable 3D engine built in-house, blending first-person exploration with real-time elements. Van Caneghem’s vision, inspired by Star Trek‘s “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” and The Twilight Zone, infused sci-fantasy lore—the Ancients’ galactic seeding of worlds clashing with Kreegan demons—into a post-Silence medieval backdrop on planet Enroth.

VII (1999) refined this formula, introducing faction choices and moral ambiguity amid 3DO’s financial woes. Technological constraints of the era shone through: Pentium-era PCs struggled with the engine’s ambition, leading to patched releases (e.g., MM6’s initial mouse-look bugs). The 2003 Collection Edition, localized for Russian markets as Меч и Магия. Коллекционное издание, arrived post-3DO bankruptcy (2003), when Ubisoft snapped up rights for $1.3 million. Buka’s bundling capitalized on Eastern Europe’s RPG hunger, preserving these titles amid the franchise’s reboot into Ubisoft’s Ashan continuity. In a landscape dominated by Baldur’s Gate and Diablo II, VI and VII stood as bridges—honoring roots while pioneering hybrid combat and skill webs that echoed Elder Scrolls prototypes.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The duology unfolds in Enroth’s “Ancient universe,” post-Silence (Year 0 AS), when Ancients’ contact severed, plunging colonies into the Age of Monsters and Man. VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1161-1165 AS) hooks with provincial intrigue: four adventurers probe murdered Regents across Avalon’s islands, uncovering Kreegan “devils” manipulating Enroth’s monarchy via the Cult of Baa. Lore scrolls reveal cosmic stakes—the Kreegans’ hive-ships crashed during the 1162 AS “Night of Shooting Stars,” breeding apocalypse. Key characters like Archibald Ironfist (exiled necromancer from Heroes II) and Guardian Melian (damaged AI) weave threads from prior games, culminating in sealing the Kreegan Hive via the Ritual of the Void.

VII: For Blood and Honor (1168-1171 AS) escalates into Restoration Wars: players, now Harmondale lords, navigate Erathia’s succession amid Nighon-Deyja invasions. Faction alignments—Knights, Necromancers, Demons—yield branching paths: ally with Archibald for undead legions or purge them for angelic aid. Dialogues brim with wit (“Archibald’s attempts at extracting information from me have damaged me enough that I cannot help you directly”), themes of legacy (Ironfist dynasty’s fall), and Ancients-Kreegan war echoes (Xenofex’s defeat). Underlying motifs—free will vs. determinism (Regent “mandates”), technology’s double-edge (Ancient artifacts amid barbarism)—culminate in VII‘s election ritual, tying to Heroes III‘s Erathian saga. Nonlinear quests, like unmasking Lord Haart’s poisonings, reward lore dives, making narratives exhaustive tapestries of 10,000+ years from Ancients’ origin to post-Reckoning Axeoth exodus.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core loops epitomize party-based CRPG mastery: recruit/promote four characters (Knight, Cleric, Sorcerer, etc.) via open-world exploration of vast 3D continents. VI innovates with hybrid combat—real-time blocking/dodging toggleable to turn-based—demanding positioning against hydras or efreets. Skill system (30+ abilities: Armsmaster, Merchant, Perception) allocates points manually post-level (no auto-D&D dice), enabling min-maxing (e.g., Grandmaster Water Magic for Ice Bolt spam). UI evolves from clunky inventories to radial menus, though pathfinding bugs persist.

VII amplifies agency: promote to dual-class (e.g., Cleric/Druid), choose factions altering quests/NPCs (e.g., Necromancer path spawns undead allies). Quests layer deeply—riddles unlock Arcomage arenas, time-sensitive events (e.g., Kreegan sieges) demand haste. Flaws: opaque masteries, grindy promotions (e.g., 100 kills for Expert Bow). Innovations like boat/hex-crawling, artifact forging, and masterless skill resets shine, offering 100+ hours per game. Compared to VI‘s linear mandates, VII‘s elections foster replayability, flaws notwithstanding (e.g., no autosave).

Mechanic	VI Innovation	VII Refinement	Modern Parallel
Combat	Real-time/turn-based toggle	Faction summons	Divinity: Original Sin 2 tactics
Skills	30+ tree, manual points	Dual-classing	Pathfinder: Wrath builds
Exploration	3D rotatable world	Faction hubs	Kingdoms of Amalur openness
UI	Mouse-look pioneer	Choice wheels	Pillars of Eternity radials

World-Building, Art & Sound

Enroth’s continents—Antagarich’s lush Erathia, Bracada deserts, Nighon caverns—breathe via hand-crafted 3D: mist-shrouded Kriegspire glaciers, Deyja graveyards. Atmosphere thrives on scale—seamless outdoors/dungeons evoke isolation amid ruins of Ancients’ VARN ships. Visuals, low-poly yet evocative (e.g., Celeste’s spires), pair with Paul Anthony Romero’s orchestral score—haunting flutes in AvLee forests, demonic chants in hives—enhancing immersion. Sound design excels: clanging swords, spell whooshes, NPC banter (“The Kreegan first appeared roughly 1500 years ago…”). Elements coalesce into lived-in sci-fantasy: obelisks whisper timelines (Time of Wonders to Reckoning), fostering wonder amid peril.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, VI earned 7.9/10 on MobyGames (praised for openness), VII 7.6/10 (faction depth). No critic scores for Collection Edition, but series sales hit 4 million by 1999. Evolved reputation: GOG rereleases (2009+) hail VI/VII as CRPG greats, influencing Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age. Post-Reckoning lore (Enroth’s 1171 AS destruction) bridged to Heroes IV on Axeoth, spawning wikis dissecting timelines. Legacy: pioneered 3D CRPGs pre-Morrowind, skill freedom echoing Skyrim; fan mods (e.g., Greyface patches) sustain playability. Amid Ubisoft’s Ashan reboot (Heroes V), this edition preserves “Ancient universe” purity.

Conclusion

Might and Magic: Collection Edition distills the series’ soul—VI’s revolutionary mandate, VII’s honorable blood feuds—into an unmatched CRPG odyssey. Exhaustive worlds, branching narratives, and mechanical depth eclipse dated visuals, earning a resounding 9.5/10. In video game history, it claims eternal place as the bridge from Wizardry grids to open-world epics, a testament to Van Caneghem’s vision. Modern players: grab it on GOG, master your party, and reclaim Enroth. For lore hounds and dungeon delvers, it’s not just playable—it’s prescient.