Might & Magic IX Hands-On

ToTheGame follows their trip report yesterday to New World Computing with a nicely done preview of what Might & Magic IX is like to play… something that I think we all desire in a preview, but many fail to deliver for obvious reasons. Included are some decent screenshots of a recent build. Here’s a sample:

In ranged combat you do not have to point the crosshairs exactly on a creature to hit it. Archers seem to know where it is, so it’s enough to just point them in the general direction. Messages on the bottom of the screen tells you whether or not you hit and how much damage you inflict. Your opponents will nearly always surround you in close combat. They will often attack, retreat, throw a few missiles and attack again. Bands of monsters use ranged attacks while two or three enter close combat to keep me busy. The AI therefore seems to be promising.