Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer was released in 2000 by New World Computing as the next instalment of the long-running RPG series set in the world of Enroth, or rather, this time, on the continent of Jadame, where the series' main story moves away from its familiar locations for the first time. Unlike earlier games, the player does not start with a ready-made party but with a single character of their own design, chosen by race and class, and gradually recruits further companions of various races and classes. This gives party building a much more personal feel and allows unusual combinations that earlier instalments did not offer.

The combat system mixes turn-based and smoother real-time elements, much like previous games in the series. The player roams an open world full of towns, dungeons and side quests, gradually working through the main storyline tied to a mysterious threat called the Destroyer, whose nature is revealed slowly through dialogue and found texts. Might and Magic VIII keeps the extensive inventory, skill system and schools of magic that series fans were used to, including the option to specialise characters in particular weapons or types of magic. Graphics and controls match the standard of late Windows 9x RPGs: a 3D-accelerated environment with mouse and keyboard and support for the graphics cards of the day.

Within the series, this instalment is regarded as a solid, though less groundbreaking continuation than VI and VII, more of an addition that deepens the world of Enroth before its final end in the next game. For players who have followed the series from the start, as well as newcomers to older RPGs, Day of the Destroyer still offers dozens of honest hours of play in the spirit of a classic fantasy RPG rich in text and numbers from the turn of the millennium, where careful planning of gear and spells matters more than reflexes.