Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven Windows game

Might and Magic 6 may look bad in todays standards, however what lies underneath its dated engine is a complex storyline outclassed only by the depth of its class, skill system, non-linear plot and critically acclaimed musical score.

Might and Magic VI allows the player full roam over the terrain, as opposed to the grid-based maps of the previous titles. Battles can be conducted either in real time or in a turn-based mode, where the player can take time determining what enemies to attack or what spells to cast. However, the player's movement is severely limited in turn-based mode. As in the rest of the series, all action is shown through the eyes of the party.

The characters improve in ability using a mix of class-based and skill-based systems. Upon party creation, the player chooses classes for each character, which determines their abilities. As characters gain experience and advance in levels, they accrue skill points which make them more powerful in their fields of expertise.

The magic system in MM6 is unique within the series in that most of the more powerful spells are already available to low-level players. In earlier games more powerful spells become available as characters attain higher levels. In later games the more restrictive skill point system prevents characters from learning powerful spells until they have completed the necessary promotion quests. MM6 players can choose to concentrate their skill points on spellcasting skills, and, providing that they can gather enough money to learn them, can begin casting the biggest spells at relatively low character levels.

The skill point system also affords the player an abnormal degree of liberty. While most weapon, armour and magic skills are restricted to certain character classes, characters' advancement in their learned skills is not restricted by class: an archer, for example, can become no less skilled at using a sword than a knight can. Also many adventuring skills, such as Repair and Merchant, are fully available to all classes. The skill system was made considerably more restrictive in later sequels.