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New World Computing has done a consistently good job of creating addictive and engaging strategy and role-playing games set in robust fantasy worlds. The names Heroes and Might and Magic conjure up images of knightly quests, hidden futuristic dungeons in medieval worlds, and goofy sprites and liches. In only a few short years, Heroes has become an icon in fantasy strategy gaming, but the New World Computing franchise that by far has greater meaning for older gamers is the seminal Might and Magic series, which is a venerable and storied member of the PC role-playing pantheon. These days, the fates of the two games are intertwined. Heroes II led to Might and Magic VI, which led to Heroes III, which has in turn brought us to Might and Magic VII, which begins where the secret campaign in Heroes III left off.

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Might and Magic VI was a good and very addictive role-playing game. It was huge, filled with monsters, quests, treasure, spells, and dungeons. You could easily lose yourself for a hundred hours in the world of Enroth, and many gamers did. However, there were a few criticisms that cropped up after the addictive experience ended. For one, there wasn't a truly compelling storyline or much worthwhile NPC interaction, as we'd come to expect in the other fine RPGs of the genre. Might and Magic VI was a good hack-and-slash marathon, but it was still mostly hack-and-slash. Then there were a few other small problems, such as a less than intuitive interface and not enough variation in NPCs. And then there was the absence of nonhuman player characters, which had some longtime fans in an uproar.

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In only a few short months, New World Computing will unveil the sequel to Might and Magic VI, and it promises to address the major concerns of its predecessor while making that addictive hack-and-slash aspect even more fun. We received a fully playable beta of the game and can tell you that many fans will be happy with the fixes and the sheer volume of gameplay. And best of all, there is a better story, more NPCs, and the return of dwarves, thieves, and even ninja. Without further ado, let us return to the realm of Erathia, where all has not been well since the end of the Succession Wars of Heroes III.

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