Crusaders of Might and Magic
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Crusaders of Might and Magic is a third-person action/RPG video game developed and published by 3DO's Austin, Texas studio (PlayStation) and Redwood Shores studio (PC). Different versions of the game were released for both Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation. The protagonist Drake was voiced by veteran voice actor Kevin Conroy.
Development
The Windows version of the game was intended for simultaneous release with the PlayStation version, targeting the 1999 Christmas season. However, while the PlayStation team had been working on their version for several years, the Windows team was given only 7 months to generate a full-length game's worth of assets and retrofit an existing first-person shooter engine to handle third-person combat. In the end, both games shipped for Christmas, though received lukewarm reviews.
Plot
The game takes place in the
A young boy named Drake, the only survivor of the massacre, escapes into the
The first playable portion of the PlayStation version takes place in Stronghold following Drake's capture by Shamblers, the lowliest of the undead. Drake escapes Stronghold with the aid of Celestia, Lady Archon of Citadel, and is enlisted into the ranks of the valiant
Traveling to Corantha, city of the
Returning to Corantha, Drake discovers that Earth Elementals have awakened while both Dain and Tor have gone missing, with the Ironpicks continuing to battle the Stonefists. Drake navigates the deep mines and defeats the revenant of King Aiden, Dain's recently slain father raised through necromancy, thereby saving the Prince and gaining Corantha's favour against the undead.
Returning to Citadel, Drake is then tasked with retrieving a talisman named the Star of
Upon his arrival, Drake encounters Celestia fleeing the battlefield, and finds the leader of the crusaders, Captain Ursan, missing. Nevertheless, while the crusaders fight on the front lines, he penetrates the walls of Stronghold, battling the Legion's armies. Drake finally comes face-to-face with Necros in Stronghold's depths, but the wily Necromancer departs through a portal, leaving the crusader to combat his lieutenants. Drake claims victory, and follows the Necromancer through the portal.
Finding himself in Necros' floating
Necros claims that Celestia sought the power of the Kreegans just as much as he did, taunting Drake into doing battle. Instead of attacking the invincible Necromancer, Drake destroys the Gate itself, causing a rift in space. Drake targeted the outer pillars with Exploding Gems right where the bolts of electricity travel to the Kreegan Gate. Necros is drawn through the Gate's portal, screaming promises of revenge against Drake. Drake, triumphant, returns to Citadel, finding the crusaders victorious against the Legion. With Celestia still in hiding from Necros and her newly enlightened armies, Drake becomes the Lord Archon of Citadel, and the new leader of the crusaders.
Numerous aspects of the storyline differ in the Windows version. Before reaching the Citadel, Drake must pass through the small village of Cador-Sûl, which is not present in the PlayStation version. Also, Prince Dain must be rescued from the Ironpicks before he can be spoken to, and Tor is not present. Two dungeon-like locations, the Catacombs and the fallen Starship, are accessible only in the Windows version. Ursan plays a larger role, Celestia does not flee Citadel and the final battle takes place on Necros' Battleship, with no mention of the Kreegan Gate.
Gameplay
In both the Windows and PlayStation versions, Drake starts with no
Drake himself also gains in experience as he defeats enemies. With each new experience level, he is restored to full health and gains an increase in maximum hit points, mana and offensive ability. The game has three difficulty levels to choose from. Selecting an increased difficulty rating primarily affects Drake's ability to dodge and attack enemies.
Over the course of the game, the player can discover
While similar locations are present in each, both versions of the game feature vastly different level design. One such common location is the Citadel, a floating city depicted as a standard
The PlayStation version features the ability to "empower" weapons and armor by purchasing elemental-, essence- and aether- based talismans and runes, attuning each to different properties - respectively Fire, Earth, Water, Air; Spirit, Mind, Body; and Light and Dark. Every individual character in the game is based upon one of these nine properties, and use of separate runes and talismans allows the player to defeat certain foes more easily.
In addition, the PlayStation version contains a New Game Plus feature. Completing the game on any of the three difficulty levels unlocks a "Special" difficulty level, which grants the player all weapons, spells, talismans, runes and infinite items at the outset.
Reception
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
CNET Gamecenter 6/10[7] | N/A | |
Computer Games Strategy Plus | [8] | N/A |
Computer Gaming World | [9] | N/A |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | N/A | 3.125/10[10][a] |
Game Informer | N/A | 7.25/10[11] |
GameSpot | 5.5/10[12] | 6.7/10[13] |
GameSpy | 67%[14] | N/A |
IGN | 4/10[15] | 3/10[16] |
Next Generation | [17] | N/A |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | [18] |
PC Accelerator | 3/10[19] | N/A |
PC Gamer (UK) | 59%[20] | N/A |
The game received a good amount of
In one review, Jake the Snake of GamePro said of the PlayStation version, "If you like RPGs, third-person action, and puzzle solving, you'll probably enjoy Crusaders. The action will seem slow, however, for more casual 3D adventurers."[21][b] However, The Freshman said of the same console version in another review, "There are better games like this on the PSX already, notably Eidos' Soul Reaver and the Tomb Raider series. If you really need Might & Magic, play it on a friend's PC. This translation has neither the strength nor the soul to battle for the best on PlayStation."[22][c]
Notes
- ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation version, two critics gave it each a score of 3/10, one gave it 2.5/10, and another gave it 4/10.
- ^ GamePro gave the PlayStation version two 3.5/5 scores for graphics and control, and two 4/5 scores for sound and fun factor in one review.
- ^ GamePro gave the PlayStation version two 3.5/5 scores for graphics and overall fun factor, and two 3/5 scores for sound and control in another review.
References
- ^ Fudge, James (December 14, 1999). "Crusaders of Might and Magic Ships". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on July 9, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "3DO Ships Crusaders of Might and Magic(TM) for PlayStation(R) Game Console". The 3DO Company. February 28, 2000. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001.
- ^ a b "Crusaders of Might & Magic for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "Crusaders of Might and Magic for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- All Media Network. Archived from the originalon November 16, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Briggs, Rich. "Crusaders of Might and Magic (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Dembo, Arinn (January 20, 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic (PC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Hunt, David Ryan (January 6, 2000). "Crusaders of Might & Magic". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on July 2, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ Green, Jeff (April 2000). "It Mighta' [sic] Been Magic (Crusaders of Might and Magic Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 189. Ziff Davis. p. 90. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Boyer, Crispin; Hsu, Dan; Johnston, Chris; Hager, Dean (March 2000). "Crusaders of Might & Magic". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 128. Ziff Davis. p. 143. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Fitzloff, Jay (March 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic - PlayStation". Game Informer. No. 83. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on December 6, 2000. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Smith, Steve (December 23, 1999). "Crusaders of Might and Magic Review (PC) [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Provo, Frank (April 19, 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "March 20, 2001"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 5, 2004. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Eccles, Allen (January 12, 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 12, 2002. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Ward, Trent C. (December 22, 1999). "Crusaders of Might & Magic (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Bishop, Sam (March 20, 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Erickson, Daniel (March 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic (PC)". NextGen. No. 63. Imagine Media. p. 95. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ Rybicki, Joe (March 2000). "Crusaders of Might & Magic". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 6. Ziff Davis. p. 98. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Ham, Tom (March 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic". PC Accelerator. No. 19. Imagine Media. p. 96. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ "Crusaders of Might and Magic". PC Gamer UK. Future Publishing. 2000.
- ^ Jake The Snake (April 2000). "Crusaders of Might and Magic (PS)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 139. IDG. p. 102. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ The Freshman (March 16, 2000). "Crusaders of Might & Magic Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG. Archived from the original on September 28, 2004. Retrieved June 15, 2021.