Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor

aka: MM7, Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honour, Might and Magic VII: Pour le Sang et l'Honneur, Might and Magic VII: Za Krew i Honor
Moby ID: 645
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Description official descriptions

Eight adventurers were traveling in a spaceship, pursuing the Guardians Corak and Sheltem. The Guardians went to the world of Xeen, but the adventurers drifted off-course and crash-landed on the planet Enroth. There, they had an argument concerning what to do next, and split into two groups. About the same time, Archibald Ironfist, the brother of King Roland of Enroth, escapes from his homeland and arrives on the continent of Antagarich, becoming a new necromancer leader.

Meanwhile, a nobleman named Lord Markham announces a scavenger hunt on Emerald Isle. The first prize is the deed to the Castle Harmondale, and it is won by one of the two parties of adventurers from another world. From that point on, the two groups become antagonists, pursuing their own agenda and allying themselves with the local forces, attempting to change the fate of the planet.

For Blood and Honor is the seventh installment in the Might and Magic series of role-playing games, and a sequel to both the third and the sixth one plot-wise. It uses the same 3D engine as its immediate predecessor in the series, and also allows the player to generate and control a party of four characters and alternate between real-time or turn-based battle systems. As opposed to the human-only party of the previous game, the player can choose between humans, elves, dwarves, and goblins. The class and skill system from the sixth game returns as well, with a few minor adjustments.

This installment of the series places an emphasis on moral decisions, allowing the player-controlled party to ally with different factions and ultimately choose either a good or an evil path. There are also side quests in the game, some of which are time-sensitive and require the player to consult an in-game calendar. The card mini-game Arcomage is introduced as well.

Spellings

  • 魔法門 7 - Traditional Chinese spelling
  • 魔法门VII: 血统与荣耀 - Simplified Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

176 People (160 developers, 16 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 76% (based on 31 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 60 ratings with 5 reviews)

The last "good" Might and Magic game... but not unforgettable

The Good
If you liked MM6, you will probably enjoy this one, because the basics of the game are the same, with some enhancements. More skills, races, items... Graphics are a bit better, with D3D support (when your graphic card is recognized, that is. Don't expect to play in "hardware mode" if you have a recent card). The music is very good, the plot interesting, there are plenty of quests and tasks to accomplish... The game is very addictive, and I spent hours showing those goblins what "king of the hill" means. The game is also a bit easier than MM6 (but still challenging). That's for the good.

The Bad
There are a few things. First, the graphics are still outdated, and D3D support doesn't add much. Then, the gameplay is mostly based on the old "door-monster-treasure", and that involves fighting dozens of foes per minute. And, as you can guess, it quickly becomes repetitive... And, last but not least, there are bugs. There are still many of them, and even more in the french version (that I own).

The Bottom Line
If you like old-school CRPG, with a good plot and a catchy atmosphere, you'll like Might and Magic VII.

Windows · by Pirou Julien (2968) · 2004

Honoring the old, adapting to the new

The Good
After this behemoth of role-playing had re-defined the series' formula and re-invigorated its spirit, it was to be expected that these highly skilled designers would continue building upon the highly successful template. They did, and the result is Might and Magic VII - a game that feels like a more interesting, less over-the-top, polished and refined version of its predecessor.

Non-human playable races (the familiar elves and dwarves, but also the very handy goblins) make a triumphant return, accompanied by resurrected classes such as the Thief - which, true to his name, has the cool ability to steal from people (a feature that, among others, allows the player to bypass a rather nasty - and otherwise mandatory - battle late in the game). Other than that, all the wealth from the previous game was retained - the deep character customization (with an extra level of specialization, Grandmaster), the variety of magic schools, the enormous amount of equipment and items to experiment with, plus an intricate alchemy system, a new card game, and more - all this is guaranteed to entertain the player for many, many hours.

One of the most intimidating features in Might and Magic VI was the sheer amount of enemies the game threw at the player - which, frankly, bordered on the ridiculous at times, and led to tedium and repetitiveness. I was pleased to discover that the seventh game fully corrects and balances this issue with somewhat more formidable opponents coming in distinctly lesser quantities. There are still quite a few monsters to hunt down, but nothing comparable to the insanity of, say, those Egyptian guardians patrolling the pyramid-like gigantic spaceship navigated by Star Trek characters.

While not as uncompromisingly huge as the sixth game, Might and Magic VII still offers a vast world with plenty of areas providing hours upon hours of meticulous exploration - including, naturally, many locations you don't have to visit in order to complete the game. The world is also livelier and more exciting than that of the previous title. While there was something schematic and generic in the large, fairly monotonous towns of Might and Magic VI, the sequel presents a wider variety with such highlights as a dwarven underground city with a mountain cave system, a beautiful desert with towers, a picturesque elven settlement with adjacent islands, and a hellish, lava-filled realm of demons, necromancers, and warlocks. The world of Might and Magic VII has more personality and more detail, which contributes to its quality of immersion.

The game also has a noticeably stronger plot with much more interesting characters, which involves war intrigue, and a subtler, smoother, more ingenious introduction of sci-fi elements, the background story of the entire series and the way it affects the medieval society the game takes place in. The re-introduction of dwarves, elves, and other races also helped in creating a more colorful game world, which has more appeal than the "monoracial" realm of the sixth game.

The best part about the plot, however, is its connection to the gameplay. Here Might and Magic VII learns from the new school RPG design, introducing meaningful choices and moral decisions that move the story in different directions. Going back and forth between the humans and the elves was quite fascinating; but the best part occurred later, about halfway or so through the game, when a single choice determined an entire line of quests becoming the "mirrors" of each other, forcing you to align with either the benevolent rulers of the sky city Celeste or a traitorous member of the royal family and his alien and demonic allies.

The Bad
I can't exactly say that I missed brobdingnagian dungeons like the dreaded Tomb of Varn of the previous title - and yet, I did feel a tiny sting of disappointment after completing the game's last two areas. Make no mistake, the final dungeon is by far the game's most dangerous location, where even experienced, powerful parties can get crushed; but it's fairly small, and, in terms of exploration challenge, not even remotely comparable to the monstrous offerings of the earlier game.

Otherwise, it's mostly nitpicking - for example, I didn't like the restriction imposed on learning high-level spells. In Might and Magic VI, you could teach Fly to your Archer very early in the game; here, you'll have not only increase the skill and train to master level, but complete two promotion quests, one of which is only available after you've completed a significant portion of the main quest.

The Bottom Line
Might and Magic VII has found the golden middle way between old and new: it retains the gameplay value, the depth, the complexity, the scope, and the design generosity of its predecessors, but gets rid of quite a bit of tedium and learns from the "new wave" of RPGs, giving us a more memorable and immersive world. It is an exciting, wonderfully crafted game, and a delight for fans of the genre.

Windows · by Unicorn Lynx (181788) · 2018

CRPG fun in its purest form, but nothing else...

The Good
Fun gameplay, good story, multiple game sructure and endings, well done cutscenes, good light humor, fantastic music... and well, the best game concept to deliver endless CRPG fun in all the quests through the game, never in another game you will feel so much fun in leveling up (just some more skill points... ;) and a toned down difficulty for the enjoyment of a wider gamer society.

The Bad
outdated graphics, dull sound effects, ridiculuous AI (but it can be counted as a good thing as it tones down the difficulty), supposed 3D-acceleration support is plain bad and essentially the same as Might and Magic 6... the toned down difficulty may displease some hardcore CRPG fans...

The Bottom Line
Simply the best game in delivering the most CRPG fun to hardcore CRPG fans and casual players alike. The multiple paths you can take in the game add in some variety and replayability, and its low difficulty won't frustrate the gamer. However, this game is essentially the same as Might and Magic 6 except a new (and very interesting) plot and some minor improvements. Overall a good game to enjoy and lots of fun but definitely not a classical...

Windows · by DarkTalon (156) · 2000

[ View all 5 player reviews ]

Trivia

Arcomage

In the taverns a card game called Arcomage can be played (to win in-game money). 3DO published Arcomage later as stand-alone game.

References

  • As usual in Might and Magic games, there are big in-jokes about other games in the series. One of them is about "Red Dwarf Mines". It was also the name of a dungeon in Might and Magic: Clouds of Xeen. In Might and Magic VII, if you ask a dwarf about the medusas that invaded the mine, he will be worried about "fighting them with staffs". In Clouds of Xeen, Red Dwarf Mines were full of mad dwarves armed with staffs.
  • In a quest for the light path you have to rescue a woman who is held in William Setag's tower. Setag is Gates spelled backwards and Bill is short for William. They were having a poke at Bill Gates of Microsoft.
  • The necromancers land is called Deyja. Deyja is Icelandic for "death" or to "die".
  • There is an area in the game called The Barrow Downs. This is a place in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books.

Information also contributed by festershinetop and jsparky.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by DarkTalon.

Additional contributors: Andy Voss, JRK, Alaka, jaXen, Pirou Julien, vedder, jsparky, lord of daedra, CaesarZX, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger.

Game added January 2, 2000. Last modified February 13, 2024.