Overview

Developer: Charybdis
Publisher: Bethedsa
Official site

The Early Days

A year and a half ago, Magic and Mayhem was released to a quiet public reception. Magic and Mayhem had its problems, mostly a lack of polish and some balance issues but its influence has been profound. The original M&M blended elements of real time strategy (RTS) with role-playing. This might sound familiar, as numerous other game companies are attempting this same blend. Foremost among them is Blizzard with a similar model for its upcoming Warcraft III. Granted, while Magic and Mayhem pioneered the role-playing RTS, the genre is wide enough to guarantee huge differences between almost all RPS games.

Harpies moving out	A finely placed tornado is like opening up a bottle of death.
Minotaurs double downing on a rival mage.	warven boar riders taking a break

In M&M (incidentally, it is available for free from Freeloader.com) you played the role of Cornelius the wizard. You ventured across the known world, summoning monsters and casting fireballs in your quests to protect the land. You advanced not by gaining levels, but with points that you distributed to make your character more powerful.

Newer, faster, stronger

M&M didn't get the rave reviews. Every magazine and online publication recognized its revolutionary concepts, but the execution and the poor graphics kept the thumbs pointed downward. A year later, Magic and Mayhem is being reborn, and it looks like it has the pizzazz to convince even the most jaded nay-sayers.

Dragons heading to their next battle	So many flames, so much blood, so much victory
Psilocibin, huh? Interesting inspirations...	Excalibur handing out beatings

Under the helm of Charybdis, the new era of Art of Magic casts you again as a young apprentice mage, but this time you have a smorgasbord of new spells, effects, and a brand spanking new 3D engine to play with. FiringSquad received an early demo of Art of Magic, and we played it to our heart's content. Let's take a look at the game.

Wraiths escorting their boss

Storming the gates!