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Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen (originally released as Might and Magic: Darkside of Xeen) is a science fantasyrole-playing video game published and developed for multiple platforms by New World Computing in 1993. Based on the Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra game engine, it is the fifth game in the Might and Magic series, and is a direct sequel to Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen, concluding the story arc started in the original Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum.

Released: Unknown Developer: New World Computing Publisher: New World Computing Packaging: Disk (1 CD-ROM). Map of Light Side of Xeen. Map of Darkside of Xeen. Installation guide. This was released only on one CD so it is unknown if it has the full audio speech. If it did the audio was not standard CD. Xeen is the world in which Might and Magic IV and Might and Magic V take place. Like the other games in the original universe continuity, Xeen is an artifical nacelle enviroment like VARN, CRON, and the Isles of Terra.Its original name, given by the Ancients, was X.E.E.N., which stands for Xylonite Experimental Expansion Nacelle. Interestingly enough, Xeen is a world in two parts, and each.

World Of Xeen Maps

Like its predecessors, it was well received by both critics and players for its large game world and graphics, and was among the earliest games to make use of both animated cutscenes and PCM sound-based speech. Its unique integration mechanic with the game world of Clouds of Xeen, allowing both games to be played in a combined format – World of Xeen – was considered revolutionary at the time.

Gameplay[edit]

Might and Magic V uses a game engine based on that used by Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra. General gameplay is very similar. Because it is designed to be played alongside Might and Magic IV, with characters that have obtained some levels and other enhancements through play in Clouds of Xeen, gameplay is considerably more challenging for starting characters.

Plot[edit]

Darkside of Xeen concludes the story arc started by Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum – the interstellar campaign against the Ancients' renegade creation, Sheltem.^[1] Picking up where Clouds of Xeen left off, the adventurers take King Burlock's advice and follow Prince Roland's trail to the other side of the world, where they find the rogue Guardian of Terra has already conquered its inhabitants, under the pseudonym of 'Alamar' (the name of the king he impersonated on VARN in Might and Magic I).

Meanwhile, the Guardian of the Darkside – the Dragon Pharaoh – contacts his rebel allies one by one, discovering that all have been imprisoned or converted to Sheltem's cause. In a desperate gambit, the Pharaoh sends a dragon hatchling into the night skies of Darkside, carrying a command orb holding some of his power. The hatchling is killed in flight by a magical bolt, directed by Sheltem, from his castle. The orb survives its fall to earth and is discovered by the adventurers. Passing through the city of Castleview, they scale the tower of the elvenwizard Ellinger Hofenhager, an ally to the Pharaoh.

Because Alamar moved Castle Kalindra, seat of power to the eponymous Queen of the Dark Side, out of phase with the physical realm, Ellinger instructs the adventurers to gather enough energy discs to power a spell capable of restoring it to reality. They travel the realms of Darkside, liberating the city of Sandcaster from Alamar's sorcerer agents Morgana and Xenoc, collecting discs along the way. With Castle Kalindra restored by Ellinger, the heroes enter, only to find that Queen Kalindra has been defeated and captured by one of Alamar's minions, the vampire Count Blackfang.

Invading Castle Blackfang with the aid of the knight Ambrose and his griffin, the adventurers slay the Count only to find Kalindra has been turned into a vampire. They restore her from undeath using her lost crown's powers, and with her aid are able to reach the Ancients' pyramid where the Dragon Pharaoh resides. After they return the Pharaoh his command orb, he explains that Alamar holds the Ancients' Cube of Power, which enables him to direct the dual-sided nacelle world of XEEN (Xylonite Experimental Environment Nacelle) through the Void. Using the Cube, he plans to land Xeen on his homeworld, Terra, and continue his rampage against the empire of the Ancients.

The Pharaoh reveals that when Alamar fell to Xeen in his 'shooting star' (in actuality an escape pod), a second pod also landed, but was snared in the volcanic mountains of the northeast. Investigating this second pod, the adventurers discover Corak, Sheltem's nemesis from Might and Magic II and III. Corak instructs them to somehow teleport him into Castle Alamar so that he can put an end to his old enemy once and for all. The Dragon Pharaoh leads them to the airborne city of Olympus, where they obtain a Soul Box.

Transferring Corak's essence into the Soul Box, they fight their way to Castle Alamar and, battling Sheltem's hordes, manage to reach his throne room. Casting the Soul Box inside, they retreat as Corak emerges to battle his old foe, though the two are evenly matched. After a destructive skirmish, Corak is defeated, but compels Sheltem towards him and sacrifices himself, initiating their dual self-destruct command. The resulting explosion of power destroys both Guardians along with Castle Alamar, bringing the threat of Sheltem to a bittersweet end.

World of Xeen[edit]

If Might and Magic IV and V are installed on the same system, they can be combined into a single game. The combined game contains all of the content from IV and V, as well some additional quests,^[2][3] and is known as World of Xeen. In 1994, NWC released an enhanced World of Xeen CD, which expanded the amount of digital speech in the game.^[4]

The combined World of Xeen game contains a series of additional quests providing an epilogue to the events of Might and Magic IV and V. After Sheltem is defeated the party is summoned to the Ancients' pyramid by the Dragon Pharaoh to complete the quest that Prince Roland had been on all along: the uniting of the two sides of Xeen into a single, continuous world. Once the remaining quest lines are completed, Roland and Queen Kalindra are wed in a ceremony^[5] that invokes the world's transformation.

MacUser named World of Xeen one of the top 50 CD-ROMs of 1995, and gave it a score of 3.5 out of 5.^[6]

Swords of Xeen[edit]

Swords of Xeen is a bonus game in the 1995 Might and Magic Trilogy compilation (the trilogy refers to Might and Magic III, IV, and V).^[7] It was developed by Catware.^[8] Subsequently, it was also included in several series anthologies. The game was never published in standalone form.

The game began as a mod based on the Might and Magic V engine. Personalities from Catware were responsible for leading the modding effort, with story contributions from Ellen Beeman. As development progressed, collaboration with New World Computing was established, and the mod received publishing support. Swords of Xeen exploits some quirks of the engine to great effect, such as morphing monsters by using the regular animation of one monster and the attack animation of another. The game also contains bugs in scripting, which allow the player to bypass many encounters by walking sideways.

Swords of Xeen takes place on an entirely new world that is under attack by 'The Source', which claims to be the genius behind Alamar, the main enemy of Might and Magic V.

The game's graphics and sound, which had not changed from Might and Magic V, were dated.^[7] However, the game was praised for its gameplay, receiving a 4/5 from one review.^[7]

Reception[edit]

Computer Gaming World's Scorpia wrote in 1993 that Darkside had 'almost trivially easy' puzzles, criticizing some as 'pointless and boring', but nonetheless concluded that the game 'is a satisfactory conclusion to the current Might & Magic saga'.^[3] She advised players to install and play Darkside and Clouds together for 'the most enjoyment', and stated that the game was 'a must for those who have followed the series since its inception'.^[9]Darkside of Xeen was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World's Role-Playing Game of the Year award in June 1994, losing to Betrayal at Krondor. The editors called it 'the most impressive linking of two CRPGs in computer game history' and 'a major step in the advancement of virtual world building'.^[10]

Might & Magic: The World of Xeen (comprising Clouds of Xeen and Dark Side of Xeen) was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #201 by Sandy Petersen in the 'Eye of the Monitor' column. Petersen gave the compilation 3 out of 5 stars.^[11] In April 1994 Computer Gaming World said that the CD version's 'enhancements make it the preferred choice'.^[12] In CD-ROM Today, Neil Randall praised the World of Xeen compilation as 'fun, consistent, and addictive.' He awarded it 4 out of 5 stars.^[13]

References[edit]

1. ^Might and Magic History at Celestial Heavens
2. ^Might and Magic: Darkside of Xeen, MobyGames
3. ^ ^abScorpia (September 1993). 'CGW's Role-Playing Expert Has Xeen It All'. Computer Gaming World. p. 28. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
4. ^Might and Magic: World of Xeen at MobyGames
5. ^YouTube video of final cutscene
6. ^Echler, Nikki; Olson, Rebecca (October 1995). 'Top Spins: 50 New CD-ROMs'. MacUser. Archived from the original on July 26, 2001. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
7. ^ ^abcMullins, Clint (January 1996). 'Might and Magic: Swords of Xeen Review'. Quandary. Archived from the original on January 6, 2006.
8. ^'Might and Magic Trilogy for DOS (1995)'. MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
9. ^Scorpia (October 1993). 'Scorpia's Magic Scroll Of Games'. Computer Gaming World. pp. 34–50. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
10. ^'Announcing The New Premier Awards'. Computer Gaming World. June 1994. pp. 51–58.
11. ^Petersen, Sandy (January 1994). 'Eye of the Monitor'. Dragon. No. 201. pp. 57–62.
12. ^'Invasion Of The Data Stashers'. Computer Gaming World. April 1994. pp. 20–42.
13. ^Randall, Neil (April–May 1994). 'Might and Magic: World of Xeen'. CD-ROM Today. No. 5. p. 91.

External links[edit]

• Might and Magic 5: Darkside of Xeen at MobyGames

Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games from New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company. The original Might and Magic series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the Might and Magic name were purchased for US$1.3 million by Ubisoft,^[1] who 'rebooted' the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games Heroes of Might and Magic V and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

History[edit]

Main series[edit]

• Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum (1986; Apple II, Mac, MS-DOS, Commodore 64, NES, MSX, PC-Engine)
• Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World (1988; Apple II, Amiga, MS-DOS, Commodore 64, Mac, Sega Genesis, SNES (Europe only), Super Famicom (Japan-only, different from the European SNES version), MSX, PC-Engine)
• Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra (1991; MS-DOS, Mac, Amiga, SNES, Sega Genesis (beta), Sega CD, PC-Engine)
• Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen (1992; MS-DOS, Mac)
• Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen (1993; MS-DOS, Mac)
  • Might and Magic: World of Xeen (1994; MS-DOS, Mac)
• Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998; Windows)
• Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor (1999; Windows)
• Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer (2000; Windows)
• Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate (2002; Windows; )
• Might & Magic X: Legacy (2014; Windows, OS X)

Spin-offs[edit]

There have been several spin-offs from the main series, including the long-running Heroes of Might and Magic series, Crusaders of Might and Magic, Warriors of Might and Magic, Legends of Might and Magic, Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms, and the fan-made Swords of Xeen.

In August 2003, Ubisoft acquired the rights to the Might and Magic franchise for US$1.3 million after 3DO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.^[1] Ubisoft has since released multiple new projects using the Might and Magic brand, including a fifth installment of the Heroes series developed by Nival, an action-style game Dark Messiah of Might and Magic developed by Arkane Studios, a puzzle RPG Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes developed by Capybara Games, and the mobile strategy RPG titled Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians.

Gameplay[edit]

The majority of the gameplay takes place in a medieval fantasy setting, while later sections of the games are often based on science fiction tropes, the transition often serving as a plot twist. The player controls a party of player characters, which can consist of members of various character classes. The game world is presented to the player in first person perspective. In the earlier games the interface is very similar to that of Bard's Tale, but from Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven onward, the interface features a three-dimensional environment. Combat is turn-based, though the later games allowed the player to choose to conduct combat in real time.

The game worlds in all of the Might and Magic games are quite large, and a player can expect each game to provide several dozen hours of gameplay. It is usually quite combat-intensive and often involves large groups of enemy creatures. Monsters and situations encountered throughout the series tend to be well-known fantasy staples such as giant rats, werewolf curses, dragon flights and zombie hordes, rather than original creations. Isles of Terra and the Xeen games featured a more distinct environment, blending fantasy and science fiction elements in a unique way.

The Might and Magic games have some replay value as the player can choose their party composition, develop different skills, choose sides, do quests in a different order, hunt for hidden secrets and easter eggs, and/or change difficulty level.

Plot[edit]

Although most of the gameplay reflects a distinctly fantasy genre, the overarching plot of the first nine games has something of a science fiction background. The series is set in a fictional galaxy as part of an alternative universe, where planets are overseen by a powerful race of space travelers known as Ancients. In each of the games, a party of characters fights monsters and completes quests on one of these planets, until they eventually become involved in the affairs of the Ancients. Might and Magic could as such be considered an example of science fantasy.

The producer of the series was Jon Van Caneghem.^[2] Van Caneghem has stated in interview^[3] that the Might and Magic setting is inspired by his love for both science fiction and fantasy. He cites The Twilight Zone and the Star Trek episode For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky as having inspired Might and Magic lore.

The first five games in the series concern the renegade guardian of the planet Terra, named Sheltem, who becomes irrevocably corrupted, developing a penchant for throwing planets into their suns. Sheltem establishes himself on a series of flat worlds known as nacelles (which are implied to be giant spaceships) and Corak, a second guardian and creation of the Ancients, with the assistance of the player characters, pursues him across the Void. Eventually both Corak and Sheltem are destroyed in a climactic battle on the nacelle of Xeen.

The sixth, seventh and eighth games take place on Enroth, a single planet partially ruled by the Ironfist dynasty, and chronicle the events and aftermath of an invasion by the Kreegan (colloquially referred to as Devils), the demonlike arch-enemies of the Ancients. It is also revealed that the destruction wrought by the Ancients' wars with the Kreegan is the reason why the worlds of Might & Magic exist as medieval fantasy settings despite once being seeded with futuristic technology – the worlds have been 'cut off' from the Ancients and descended into barbarism. The first through third games in the Heroes of Might and Magic series traces the fortunes of the Ironfists in more detail. None of the science fiction elements appear in the Heroes series besides the appearance of Kreegan characters in Heroes of Might and Magic III and IV.

The Ubisoft release Might & Magic X: Legacy departs from this continuity and is set in the world of Ashan.^[4] Ashan is a high fantasy setting with no science fiction elements in its lore.^[5]

World Of Xeen Walkthrough

Reception[edit]

Might and Magic is considered one of the defining examples of early role-playing video games, along with The Bard's Tale, Ultima and Wizardry series.^[6] By March 1994, combined sales of the Might and Magic series totaled 1 million units.^[7] The number rose to 2.5 million sales by November 1996.^[8] and 4 million by March 1999.^[9]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'Namco, Ubisoft and MS carve up 3DO assets'. 18 August 2003. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
2. ^'CGW's Hall of Fame'. Computer Gaming World. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
3. ^'RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Jon Van Caneghem on Might and Magic'. RPGCodex. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
4. ^'RPG Codex Interview: Might and Magic X - Legacy'. RPGCodex. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
5. ^'Discover World of Ashan'. Ubisoft. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
6. ^Barton, Matt (23 February 2007). 'The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)'. Gamasutra. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
7. ^'READ.ME: NTN Networks With New World'(PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 116. March 1994. p. 14. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
8. ^'Power Play Magazine (November 1996)'. Archive.org. 1 November 1996. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
9. ^'3DO Ships Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer'. Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. 2 March 1999. Archived from the original on 12 April 2000. Retrieved 17 June 2019 – via Yahoo.com.

External links[edit]

• Might and Magic series at MobyGames

World Of Xeen Download