The game starts off with you on a scavenger hunt. The winner gets to become the Lords of Harmondale, a land that is caught between the Elven and Human wars. Near the beginning of the game you can choose either to join the dark side or the light side. When a judge dies, you get to choose the successor. This adds to the replay ability because quests will be different as well as the outcome of the game. For example, if you decide to join the good side, a quest would require you to rescue a kidnapped girl, while the dark side would require you do kidnap the same girl. Also, a very interesting ingame element is Acromage. This game is similar to any fighting game with cards such as Magic: The Gathering. It is highly addictive, and you can earn money by playing that game across the land.

Different races and more classes have been added to MM7. In MM6 you were restricted to just using humans and six different classes. Now nine base classes are included. What I mean by base is that, in the game each hero must perform a quest in which they become a new class. Take the thief for example. After a few quests here and there the thief becomes an assassin. There are many attributes and skills in the game to learn. Some include skills such as stealing, arms master and alchemist. There are dozens more, each with it?s unique ability. Note that not all classes can learn each skill, which makes the party creation vital. For example, there is no way that a monk can have the ability to wear plate armour. Along with the attributes and skills there are numerous spells in the game which are divided in to several categories such as Mind, Body, Spirit, the four elements, and the light and dark magics. Each spell caster has to attain a certain level before the spells can be learned. This is new to the Might and Magic series, as in the past basically if you could buy the spells, you could cast them. It is often said that first impressions count. MM7 fails in this department with a pitiful game engine. It is about two years old (same as MM6). Although it has fixed up minor flaws such as smoother textures, it is still behind in today?s standard. The game sprites look like ?cardboard cut outs? as my friend described them. They all have jagged edges, and they become blurry when the player comes up close to them. Also the lightning bolt spell looks like a white line shooting across the screen. The game supports D3D, although I see no difference in software render except for a few minor lighting effects. Every time the heroes enter a new building or dungeon, there are beautifully rendered scenes. With this being said, it is important to note that MM7 is not a 3D game. The graphics do not add to the enjoyment of the game, nor do they take anything away.

The computer AI is nothing desirable. The monsters get stuck in walls, they attack each other (maybe apart of the game) and they run around in circles when there is no direct line to attack the heroes. One of the spells in MM7 is Wizard?s Eye, which allows you to be able to see all monsters and NPCs in the area. With this enabled, you can see that the computer AI just randomly moves the units until they find a path to attack you. This makes the game extremely simple when fighting. Basically arm all your heroes with bows or crossbows, run around and shoot the monsters. This strategy often works because of the poor design, however when monsters have surrounded you, an interesting option is available. You can switch to turn based combat. Basically with this, you have bought yourself more time to consider what spells to cast or to use melee attacks.

The sound is also outdated. Walking around the dungeon sounds like some retro 286 game with the cheap footsteps. As well, the annoying parade noise the game makes when you switch into turn base mode gets on your nerve after hearing it for the billionth time. However, the background score is incredible. It really sets the mood for the game, however it contains a flaw that it doesn?t loop. Which means if your exploring a dungeon for more than 5 minutes, you will soon discover that there is no more music.

Overall Might and Magic VII is a decent game if you have no other game to play. The RPG scene has been dry for a long time, and if your looking for a game to keep you occupied during the summer Might and Magic VII is an admirable choice. For those who already love this series, you should buy it no matter what because it is overall pretty fun with all it?s flaws. For those who are seeking a thrilling shoot?em up style of game, search elsewhere. If you can overlook the graphics and the sounds, Might and Magic VII is an excellent game to spend your time on.