Recycled elements of the plot and the relatively inferior nature of its design in comparison to its peers at the time were also cited as detriments. At this point, however, the aging engine and the similarity of its gameplay to that of its predecessors would take its toll among critics if not the fans of the series.
Players would continue to seek out out quests, fight terrible creatures, and explore another vast world laid at their feet. The basic goals would remain the same as a party-based, open world RPG. The eighth entry of the Might and Magic series continues to use the same engine pioneered with Might and Magic VI.