Might & Magic III: Isles of Terra (PC) (1991) Gameplay

A small video of my low level characters getting in way over their collective heads just outside Wildabar.

After having spent 80+ hours playing through Might & Magic 6, I decided to try out an older game in the series.

So far, I must say I'm rather impressed by "Might & Magic 3: Isles of Terra" (1991), which despite its age neatly combines deep, non-linear, turn-based RPG gaming with thoroughly modern conveniences such as a very intuitive interface, a detailed automap system, mouse support and the ability to save (almost) anywhere in the game. Moreover - and in striking contrast with the dull and utterly conventional high fantasy aesthetics of MM6-9 - the artistic style in MM3 is highly distinctive and memorable (not to mention technologically impressive for a game released in the early 1990s).

In short, anyone who hasn't yet played this RPG classic has no excuse not to try it out now. Really, the only difference between this game and, say, Oblivion is that MM3 is actually fun to play and won't kill your brain cells. ;)


For much more information as well as invaluable help for players new to the game, I recommend the following very comprehensive site;

http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/pc/mm3/

Another useful resource is the insanely productive RPGenie's complete walkthrough (of a console port), which is available from his channel;

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=759F5F4649F5EE1E

Finally, I would like to recommend an interesting article on what classics such as Might & Magic 3-5 can teach us about RPG game design today;

http://www.gamebanshee.com/editorials/whatanoldrpgcanteach1.php

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Might
• Magic
• III
• Isles
• of
• Terra
• New
• World
• Computing

[HaganeSteel]

Just wow. The Might & Magic games seem to have gotten exponentially better with every release, except for IX, I hear.

I'm playing M&M6 now and it's got me hooked. A big part of me can't wait to go back and play I-V. This video's also helped me understand why I've taken more of a shine to this series than others. The M&M games really were kind of ahead of their time.

[Demiath]

@HaganeSteel From what I can tell, the majority of long-time M&M fans tend to agree that MM3-5 (especially 4-5) are the best in the series. I personally like MM6 the most because it's more accessible, but the gameplay in this series has undeniably become less complex and sophisticated over time (which some people appreciate while others don't).

[HaganeSteel]

@Demiath Yeah. I feel M&M6 is a good "starter" M&M game, and I can't wait to check out 3-5. So far, this M&M6 at least has been philosophically brilliant as far as game design goes. Lots of content, huge quests, huge rewards.

Some people complain about becoming god-like in this game, but after getting my butt handed to me in the first half of the game, I feel that my party's near demi-god status later on is a just reward and something I earned for surviving this long. Amazing.

[Demiath]

@HaganeSteel I completely agree about the difficulty progression; going from a party of weaklings hardly capable of surviving a seemingly hostile sneeze in their general direction to a group of god-like creatures who soar through the skies raining death and destruction on legions of foes is a big part of what makes MM6 so immensely satisfying to play.

[kneteanimator]

is this 8 or 16 bit? or what?

[Demiath]

@kneteanimator I'm only familiar with the use of "8-bit" and "16-bit" in relation to various console generations, and this version of Might & Magic 3 is for the PC. The game *was* also released on SNES (i.e. 16-bit) and other consoles but didn't quite look the same as this.

[wade2341]

This Game is SOLID!!!

[TheGabaman123]

its SOLID!

[mendali]

oh my god I want to play this game right now. but I can't :(

[decho112]

Lol music

[randomwords7007]

Is there any way to detect traps in this game? Like pitfalls or trapped treasure chests? Can the robber class disarm any traps or is there a spell to do so?

[HaganeSteel]

@Demiath Yes!

[leandrusi]

hey did any of "heroes of m&m III"´s heroes was in this game? :D