Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Feb 12, 2008
  • Also On: PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 58
  3. Negative: 14 out of 58
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  1. TankH.
    Feb 27, 2008
    10
    I feel like a god when I
  2. EdM.
    Feb 27, 2008
    10
    Fight to the death! This is a real good game to get yer kill on with. Makes me feel like a combo between Lobo, Roachmill and Martial Law if they all existed in the middle ages. Any of you old school comic book readers will know that this means the game is FRAGGIN GREAT!
  3. Locimento
    Oct 15, 2011
    8
    Very fun game, The Combat is very immersive and diverse and fun to pull off, currently ive been playing the game as a warrior and it is pretty fun. Im kind of disappointing about the class system though such as assassins can only use knives, that's dumb, why can i be an assassin and use a bow as well? Or like Mages can only use stave's and cant use swords. It dumbs down your class to anVery fun game, The Combat is very immersive and diverse and fun to pull off, currently ive been playing the game as a warrior and it is pretty fun. Im kind of disappointing about the class system though such as assassins can only use knives, that's dumb, why can i be an assassin and use a bow as well? Or like Mages can only use stave's and cant use swords. It dumbs down your class to an unnecessary level. The voice acting is ok for the most part, sometimes it feels too scripted but its not too noticeable. Also the lady that speaks to you while your on your journey is VERY annoying and i wish she was removed or i could mute her because it is really damn aggravating. But i also loved that you spend a lot of time exploring and looking for potions, armor, weapons, and other forms of loot. There is a lot of cool puzzles and exploration to be done to find better armor and such witch makes the game feel more adventurous and exiting. If you like adventure action RPGS you will most likely enjoy this great game.… Expand
  4. osprey
    Nov 21, 2013
    8
    This game is lots of fun. It feels more like a first person shooter then a RPG and that might be a good thing. The rope arrow is my favorite part of the game and I don't know if it exists in any other games. This alone makes this a unique gaming experience and the fact the game is super cheap to buy now makes it worth playing. I think it looks pretty good and has some fun puzzles andThis game is lots of fun. It feels more like a first person shooter then a RPG and that might be a good thing. The rope arrow is my favorite part of the game and I don't know if it exists in any other games. This alone makes this a unique gaming experience and the fact the game is super cheap to buy now makes it worth playing. I think it looks pretty good and has some fun puzzles and varied environments. I highly recommend this game.… Expand
  5. WillA
    Mar 2, 2008
    9
    my favorite thing about might and magic games are always the classic fantasy monster elements. this one has them all: orcs, trolls, zombies, skeletons, giant spiders, weird... winged... fuckers... and my next favorite thing is smashing the bejesus out of all of them. GREAT GAME.
  6. RickG.
    Mar 3, 2008
    9
    the reviews for this title weren't so hot, but i'm about a millimeter away from believing there's a conspiracy of reviewers to make most of ubisoft's games look bad. but that's another story altogether... DM Elements is not a bad game - obviously not as in depth as its predecessor, but whoever claims that it was meant to be doesn't understand the game.
  7. PuyaE.
    Mar 3, 2008
    8
    the musical composition for this game is pretty good. that's what drew me in originally.. and the graphics. the overall aesthetics are riveting to be honest, which makes up for the slightly awkward gameplay. 8/10.
  8. RayC.
    Mar 4, 2008
    8
    Pretty impressive! Reviewers are bashing it but their standards are too high. If you're like me and you're not into the kinds of games that take you 5 years to master, it's awesome. Short and sweet, REALLY nice graphics, REALLY nice story to back it up. 8/10!
  9. DoberwomanH.
    Mar 4, 2008
    9
    the fighting system in this is pretty basic, but it's really fun. kind of old school. straight up mash 'em up slashing, fire and iceball shooting - ya know. M/M stuff. highly recommend it!
  10. AmonS.
    Feb 22, 2008
    10
    This is a treat. My computer is fairly old and not up to the system heavy requirements of most of today
  11. JillD.
    Feb 22, 2008
    10
    This is some serious fun. Don
  12. BillK.
    Feb 26, 2008
    10
    There's some good extra content for the 360 version. I played the PC version and really liked ii a lot. I intended to pay through it again but never got around to it. So when this came out on the 360 I picked it up so that I could enjoy the extra content during my second play through. The stuff I did the first time were just as much fun the second time around (using different weapons There's some good extra content for the 360 version. I played the PC version and really liked ii a lot. I intended to pay through it again but never got around to it. So when this came out on the 360 I picked it up so that I could enjoy the extra content during my second play through. The stuff I did the first time were just as much fun the second time around (using different weapons and strategies changed the experience quite a bit) and the new 360 content is rad! Excellent version.… Expand
  13. MarkS
    Jul 12, 2008
    8
    I have played through the PC version prior to this and have only played this games single player mode. I dont know what the professional reviewers problem is with this game. Possibly Arkane did not line their pockets like EA, Ubisoft or Eidos would. This is an above average shooter. If you are expectiing Oblivion, you will be disappointed, however if you are looking for a medieval/fantasy I have played through the PC version prior to this and have only played this games single player mode. I dont know what the professional reviewers problem is with this game. Possibly Arkane did not line their pockets like EA, Ubisoft or Eidos would. This is an above average shooter. If you are expectiing Oblivion, you will be disappointed, however if you are looking for a medieval/fantasy FPS with some RPG elements this is a great choice. The game uses Half Life 2's Source engine w/ HDR effects. It looks pretty good on the 360 but not near as good on the PC. The voice acting of one of the main characters is downright terrible but I cant say that has a huge impact on gameplay. If you like mainstream FPS games, get this and you will enjoy. I typically own and play only shooters rated 7.5 and higher on here/IGN but I can honestly say this should be rated MUCH higher.… Expand
  14. LT_Gruber
    Jan 10, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very hard but amazing game with a lot of realism.

    Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is a unique experience. It shares story and characters from the Heroes of Might and Magic series but is a completely standalone game with a surprisingly good story, solid mechanics and an unforgiving difficulty.

    In Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, you are an apprentice called Sarteh, trained by a master magician named Phenrig, trained in the arts of combat and magic. You complete your training and need to go to an expedition to the city of Stonehelm. Your master plants a spirit inside your head named Xana, who guides you on your travels.

    You need to search for the Skull of Shadows, an artifact that your master Phenrig and his buddy Menelag, lord of Stonhelm want you find. You eventually meet Leanna, a chick that helps you on your journey.

    You learn that Xana is actually a demon that possesses you and besides finding and destroying Arantir, you need to banish her from your system, what you eventually do. Then you take the fight to Arantir, getting hindered by Orcs, Goblins and a Pao Kai in the process. You dispose of the Orc war chief and start your battle with Arantir. After defeating him, you decide the final fate of the Skull of Shadows, spawning one of the four different endings the game offers.

    You can earn skill points in combat to improve your skill tree. There is no bound class for you to master so you are free to spend your points however you want. However, you need to think about the feats and skills you want to master because “a little bit of everything” is not going to work out for this game.

    For the time, I thought (and still think) that Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is one of the best-looking games out there. I was stunned by its realistic graphics, its animations, the view bobbing of the main characters, the fact that you could see your own feet and limbs and the incredible detail of the environments. Even today, this game looks like it is just four years old or something, but it is actually almost thirteen years. The enemies look horrifying and very detailed, and the overall tint is colorful but very grim at the same time. A unique combination.

    The music has that typical Heroes of Might and Magic vibe and never fails to impress when in combat, running away from hordes of zombies or when fighting epic bosses. The sound effects are solid, and this is one of the games in my personal top ten when it comes to sound. The *kling* sound of the swords, the impact of your kicks, the footsteps, the magic attacks, the sounds and speech of enemies, it is all just perfect.

    The controls work fine but because of the realism this game offers in movement and platforming, it can be a little stiff and clunky sometimes. Jumps need to be perfect, and your range is limited. It takes some time to master but when you do, it could just as well be a VR game.

    The combat mechanics and style of fighting in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is also really unique and still one of the most realistic ones out there. You can block, dodge, kick and really need to get control of the situation. Mainly because of the outstanding AI that enemies use, in which they can outsmart you easily, drive you into a corner or simply land a hit on you before you got time to figure out what they are going to do. You can also interact with the environment, kicking enemies in spikes for example or smashing them off ledges. It feels so epic and satisfying when you nail an Orc to the spike wall behind him and overall, I think it is perfection. The enemies are almost human players in their actions and behavior and to this day, I believe it is one of the best and most realistic combat experiences I have ever played.

    The realism in combat, movement and platforming makes this game also really, really hard. The whole game has a vibe of danger, helplessness and caution over it. You cannot rush towards your goal and hope for the best, every step can be a trap, an enemy lurking around the corner or a jump that you need to plan carefully. I also thought this game had a very grim atmosphere. Your character Sareth is really cautious and overall, not that positive about the events around him and because this is one of the few games that let you bond automatically with the fate of the main character, you can feel his questions and cautious behavior too. It is a little hard to explain.

    In conclusion, I thought Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements was an amazing game that came out of the blue and it still a unique specimen in the Might and Magic series and games in general. It is hard as the seventh layer of hell but well worth it in the end.

    Definitely recommend this awesome game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
38
#38 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 27
  3. Negative: 8 out of 27
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    88
    A well-polished remake of the excellent action RPG from PC. It is only due to the far too simplified and illogical character class system that the new version falls slightly behind the original. [Jan 2008]
  2. Games Master UK
    58
    Just the combat would have been dumb fun. Sadly, too much clag gets in the way. [Feb 2008, p.58]
  3. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    50
    It's just a bit shallow, and technically flawed with it: the frame-rate is nowhere near as solid as you'd expect from a game that looks only "all right" and the physics system is prone to craziness. Despite all the time in development, it lacks polish. [Feb 2008, p.96]
See all critic reviews »