Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen

Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen
Developer(s)	New World Computing
Publisher(s)	New World Computing
Designer(s)	Jon Van Caneghem
Platform(s)	MS-DOS, Mac, NEC PC-9801
Release date(s)	1992
Genre(s)	Computer role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player

Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen is the fourth installment in the Might and Magic series by New World Computing.

Plot

Might and Magic IV focuses on the events that had occurred after Might and Magic III. Trouble is stirring on the Nacelle world of Xeen. A mysterious villain by the name of Lord Xeen has claimed ownership of the land and is unleashing havoc throughout the Nacelle. A new band of adventurers must be formed to stop him and save the Land of Xeen.

Gameplay

The player's party encounters a monster.

Might and Magic IV uses a game engine based on that used by Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra, and the gameplay is almost identical. More emphasis is placed on cutscenes than in the earlier game, possibly due to the availability of larger hard drives.

This game and its successor, Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen can be combined together to make one large game, World of Xeen. In-game, this is visualised as either game being a 'side' of a flat, rectangular planetoid. In the combined game, areas in both games become available that are impossible to access in the standalone games. Both game's endings can be achieved, after either of which gameplay continues. A third ending is available in the combined games only.

Might and Magic IV and V were some of the very first games to come out on CD. They are also the first games to come out where every character will 'speak' to you via PCM sound that is recorded on the CDs; the software plays the CD back at specific tracks, seeking to the proper second offset within the track.

Reception

The game was reviewed in 1993 in Dragon #191 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.^[1]

Might & Magic: The World of Xeen (comprising Clouds of Xeen and Dark Side of Xeen) was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #201 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the compilation 3 out of 5 stars.^[2]

References

1. ^ Lesser, Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk (March 1993). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (191): 57–62. 
2. ^ Petersen, Sandy (January 1994). "Eye of the Monitor". Dragon (201): 57–62. 

See also

• World of Xeen

External links

• Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen at MobyGames