Finished another game...

[Bungleau]

Well, been playing MM9 for a week or so now, and I've got a couple of opinions. Whether they're good or not... well, that's up to you. They're worth everything that you're paying to get 'em [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Overall, I like MM9. I like having to figure out what you're supposed to do, and I like having things show up that are just too... well, too far into the future to really worry about now. Overall, I like the newer graphics -- superior to MM6-8.

I disliked the head-bob thing until I read a tip and turned down the mouse sensitivity. Now, after playing a while, I kind of like it.

I do miss the traditional map. It's really a bummer not to have to explore the whole map to see everything. As a player looking for an edge, I like having the full map available immediately. I miss the W&W ability to record notes in the map, though...

Combat is pretty straightforward, although a little bit daunting sometimes. There are several places I've gone to, just to get my butt royally kicked. I actually like that -- means the game is not too easy. Nothing like the excitement of opening a chest to discover that you've taken ten times your HP in damage. If anyone knows of a stronger sign that you're in the wrong place, I'd be interested to know.

I miss the ability to see how many HP a given monster has left, even some kind of green/yellow/red indicator. Would help me figure out when it's time to run like a chicken better... but then again, isn't that more realistic? You never know when they're down until they fall down?

Some of the quests are way too easy, such as errands within the same town or map. Others... are not. I enjoy those.

And as with all games, character management can make a tremendous difference. I'm considering restarting my game (even though I haven't finished) because I neglected some of the basic M&M rules I've used before, such as warrior-types putting all skill points into weapons skills, and mage-types putting all skill points into spells, along with mage-types specializing in a single school of magic (or two).

Is it great, fantastic, and wonderful? Probably not yet, IMHO. Is it worth the money I spent? Yes, given that I'm a long-time M&M player who's more into the story than the technology that makes the story happen.