Might & Magic 4

Might & Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen
Part of the series: Might and Magic
Studio	New World Computing
Publisher	New World Computing
Senior Developer	Jon Van Caneghem
Erstveröffent- lichung	1992
platform	DOS , Mac OS , FM Towns , PC-98
genre	Computer role playing game
Game mode	Single player
medium	Floppy disk, CD-ROM
language	German English
Age rating	USK
information	Can be combined with part 5 for the World of Xeen .

Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen is a computer role-playing game by New World Computing from 1992. It is the fourth part of the role-playing game series Might & Magic and, together with its successor, Might & Magic 5: Darkside of Xeen , forms a coherent plot , the so-called World of Xeen . A special feature at the time was that the two publications could be technically combined to form a combined program that enabled the seamless transition between the game content of both titles.

action

The game opens after the third part, Isle of Terra , a new storyline with the new game world Xeen, which is threatened by the dark Lord Xeen. He was once known under the name of Roland the Shining and went out as a champion of the good to look for the "land under the land". When he returned he had been changed by dark magic and has since tried to subjugate the land of King Burlock with absolute ruthlessness. For the success of his plan, however, he still needs an artifact, the sixth mirror.

Gameplay

Mechanically, the game is a gentle further development of the third part. The player can choose to take over a pre-generated group of six heroes or create his companions himself from a pool of ten classes and five races. The character system consists of 17 different abilities in which the characters can be expanded. In terms of difficulty, there is a choice between an adventure and a warrior mode, which differs in the number of opponents. The game screen consists of a viewing window on the three-dimensional game world, which reproduces the game in real time. Control elements and information graphics are located below and on the right side of the page. The characters are guided through the game world using the mouse or keyboard, battles take place in rounds. The game has an automap function, which records not only the environment but also information such as quest hints and coordinates.

reception

reviews publication Rating PC joker 85% PC player 79% Power play 72%

“Clouds of Xeen can't quite keep up with the 'Giganto' role-playing games of the order of magnitude Ultima Underworld and Dark Savant , but it holds up quite well. With some improvements in detail and the moderate level of difficulty, it offers a real improvement over its predecessor. "

- Michael Thomas : PC player

“The world is rather empty of everyday people, and this in turn makes it hard to have anything beyond a barebones story. A more populated world, with a more solid foundation, would go a long way to beefing up the enjoyment of the game. "

“The world has hardly any everyday population and that makes it difficult to get anything beyond a minimal core plot. A more populated world, with a more solid base, would do a lot to add value to the fun. "

- Scorpia : Computer Gaming World

Web links

• Might & Magic 4 at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Test PC Player
2. ↑ Power Play
3. ↑ PC Joker
4. ^ Scorpia: New World's Clouds of Xeen . In: Computer Gaming World . January 1993, p. 30. Retrieved July 5, 2014.