Compared to Might and Magic 6-8: 50% Old - 50% New (Update)

Part 6 and 7 of the Might and Magic series are one of my favorite games that I have played through countless times per part. Accordingly, expectantly, I was in this part, after particularly the last part went thoroughly into his pants about 10 years ago.
I've played through the first two of four acts and would like to draw a brief comparison to the old parts:

Locomotion: The biggest difference is probably that you can no longer move freely (and also not fly later), but runs from tile to tile. In the beta, I found the system quite terrible, now running is significantly faster and more smoothly. Although I am still become not a fan of, but it also does not interfere with the flow of play.

The Battle System: The battles take place clearly tactical. Of course, no comparison with a Dragon Age, but also non-magicians have active skills such ridicule or anesthesia shock and can more than just auto attack. There is also quick access bar for key skills. Once an opponent is facing the group in close combat, can not move it to. This has the disadvantage that correspondingly often dies in strong opponents. Quick Save is here the best friend of the adventurer. Moreover, the drink consumption is extremely high. Was this in previous parts rather a means to wake up now and then even an unconscious group member, you swallow now permanently potions. Opponents hit on hit also like once 80-90% HP of a group member away. Gewöhnnungsbedürftig, especially as the healing spells mana cost quite a bit and there are only "cure" itself in light expert.

The Quests: are partly quite crisp. Not so much the difficulty of fighting, but because it is not known solely from the Quest description of exactly what you have to do: There is no tracking markers like in Skyrim or glowing question mark a la WoW. So you have to scour homes or read books that are distributed throughout the world, as in the old parts at random. (Or you look at the Ubisoft forum over).

Difficulty: There are two levels of difficulty. I play on the lighter and consider this as an entry for suitable. One only has to note that some opponents are much stronger. He had been in the old parts often the pleasure of struggling with 20-30 monsters simultaneously, are here already 4-5 a serious threat. As a rule, you fight better opponents individually.
Towards the end of the game (at least if you have the right group composition) way too easy. Once you are grandmasters in the weapon skills or magic schools, hardly an opponent holds more than 3 strokes of (The damage is increased by 75%). Act 3 and 4 are therefore extremely fast. This is perhaps better on the higher difficulty.

The world: Unlike the previous games is not divided the world into separate areas, but it is a large contiguous map. Taken together, it probably comes from the Large ago not to Might and Magic 7 or 8, let alone part 6 zoom. But things are everywhere in the world hidden chests provided with puzzles, you have to solve puzzles in crypts, etc. The tile system also has the consequence that the world is very winding. She works by mysterious and bigger, but just lack of flies and Stadtportal you walk also often just long through the area. The disadvantage is noticeable that there are only 4 (but relatively large) are cities. After the first act, the world (almost) freely explorable; there are some areas that you can start using a "blessing", obtained in the course of the game, enter.

The classes: there are 12 classes (4 Warriors, Wizards 4, 4 Hybrid), all of which focus only on fighting. Defuse secondary skills such as. Falling, Repairing, haggling, etc. no longer exist or are now spells. This means that it makes little difference whether one. Chooses for example a shaman or druid. In addition, the free magician can already skillen all magic schools to Master / Grandmaster. Pro character there is a promotion quest. Without this you can expand the capabilities only to Master level. It is worth mentioning that you can not ausskillen all abilities. Maximum level is currently about 32-33 (unless you 100 days waiting for the respawn). This means you have to distribute less than 100 points per character. GM needs 25 points and each character can be in 4 skills GM. Accordingly, you must plan in advance how skillt, especially since there is no reset option.

Opponents: come directly from Heroes of Might and Magic VI - as with part 7, the units were built from Heroes 3.

Other: There is a lack of Paperdoll equipment screen. That bothers me more than it should do. Relics drop not, but are only in crypts after loosening the puzzles included, can be found in chests hidden behind Boss opponents or accessible through side quests. These have a level of 1-4 and collect experience. City Portal and flies are missing, but there is a beacon. But since you can always travel from the capital cities of the übigen 3 cities, it is enough to put a beacon in the capital. Man kan again hire 2 companions who bring various skills - the blocking of the first 4 beats to additional inventory space, or the healing of negative effects.

Bugs: I personally have not found any bugs during my first run.

All in all, comes Might and Magic X of course not to the historical and transfigured feeling 1998 approach, but it makes a lot of things right. The sound effects are part of the ancient games and otherwise it starts the Flaire the series a well. However, it is not a game from the 90, you have to make yourself clear.
If now 1-2 patches the worst mistakes in the German edition resolve (I recommend the game also to play English) and the 32-bit problem is eliminated, the German fans might be appeased.
Nevertheless I forgive 5 stars to compensate for the star rating somewhat. For more than a star has definitely earned the game.