Dark Messiah of Might & Magic

why did she buy this

Much has been said about this game. It is a strange kind of immersive sim, as much you should not expect level design with multiple paths (not even a single air duct), but instead multiple ways to approach combat. The combat is very unique: you have physics based magic, stealth attacks, a good variety of weapons and the famous kick. From the tutorial onward, the game makes it clear that combat can be broken down into countless possibilities. You can kick enemies into spiked planks or off cliffs; trip them and finish them on the ground; freeze them solid; or use telekinesis to blow up an oil jar near a fire pit and watch orcs go up in flames. Dark Messiah through it's 14 or so hours ask you to play not as a hero, but as a dungeon master, looking to your rulebook and asking yourself "ok, what I'll throw in this fools this time?". It's amazing, nothing after it hit those exact notes - in a triple A scale and scope Avowed kinda tried, I guess, but it falls short.

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Do not buy. Doesn't work at all.

Still holds up as one of the best action-rpgs ever made.

Jank-ass game that depending on hardware crashes more than it plays. Calling the story vanilla is insulting, this ♥♥♥♥ is water. Combat is a bit janky, but was innovative for for its time. It uses a four-direction power attack system based on player movement, which can be used along with an extremely over powered kick to essentially trivialize encounters by pushing or slamming enemies into environmental hazards. The game doesn't excel in any specific area, but somehow manages to amalgamate all of its different parts into a stupid but enjoyable fantasy cheese fest.