I like a good dungeon, maybe a bit more than most gamers. There are about three parts to this. First, there’s an element of exploration. Second, there’s tons of loot to find and sell. And third, there’s a fair amount of customization in one form or another. Maybe it’s a guy thing. Or, more accurately, it’s a “me thing.” All genre specific humor and supposed snide “gamerism” mannerisms aside, allow me to introduce you to Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor on the PC. Anyone looking for a solid dungeon crawler should definitely check this game out.

First things first, folks: This is not an easy game to get to work on my computer. I don’t know how well GOG.com version works, but the physical copy is a bear. The installation application told me that my computer will not run it, and the game will randomly crash in its natural state. There is an official 1.1 update, but it never properly installed on my computer, and the game crashed — especially when videos were played — and corrupted ultimately corrupted my saved data. The plus side of attempting to use that version is that it recognized my video card. Then there is an unofficial fan-made 1.4 update. This seems to be the necessary version as I’ve been using it for the past few weeks now. It seems to work awesomely.

Now that the crashing is out of the way, what is the game about? You control four adventurers who have answered the call to participate in a contest. The winners get to be named the lords (and ladies) of Harmondale. Doesn’t seem like a bad deal, right? Well, you are dead wrong. You have to search for someone to repair your ruined keep, protect your lands from the neighbors and, ultimately, choose to lead the land in the pathways of either light or darkness. Need I write more?

Gameplay is practically identical to its prequel: You create four heroes of various classes and attempt to save the day. You explore the lands, run into people who need help inside houses/buildings, rotate items around your characters’ inventories, learn and cast spells, loot corpses for money, and basically repeat the process until the game is completed. What’s new here is fourfold. First, you can create heroes of different races: goblin, human, elf and dwarf. Second, there is the addition of the monk, ranger and thief classes, and they also have their own strengths and weaknesses. Third, you can obtain much more information about monsters than you could before. And fourth, the rank of “master” of a skill is no longer the highest rank; it is now “grand master.”

This is where things get interesting. As you already know, figuring out how you want to create your party is a big part of the challenge as it determines if it is a long- or short-term growth process. In other words, how easy is it going to be overall? Taking a monk in the short term is tough because he relies on his fists to cause damage. However, when you get into the game, he slowly becomes a powerhouse. Certain classes learn a variety of different skills, and the “purist” classes can be a grand master in more skills than the more “generic” classes, such as the ranger. This is a major break from its predecessor as Might and Magic VI allowed any class to master a skill if the character can learn it. That game also allowed you to create complex potions right from the get-go. This is not the case in Might and Magic VII as a character actually has to be a grand master in alchemy in order to craft those highly coveted stat potions (and that means a druid needs to be on your team). On the plus side, it makes the constant findings of ingredients much more palatable as you’re able to craft stronger potions. Overall, the classes are differentiated a bit more, though there is a lack of differences between the light and dark classes.

Graphically, Might and Magic VII looks horrible by today’s standards. Really, there’s no two ways around the issue. The world is grainy, and it can be challenging to locate what you’re looking for as many areas as it is impossible to know which surfaces are too sharp to climb and what’s a “gentle” slope. Monsters fail to look very imposing (well, except for ghosts, ghasts and dragons). However, it is a much more consistent in style than previous games. Remember the clashes between realism and cartoon? Well, there are no more clashing of styles. Instead, it sticks completely to the latter, which helps create a more coherent world. I love how all of the various backgrounds inside buildings are animated and give off various feelings. For example, there is a spirit floating up and down (in pain?) inside some of the houses.

Sound design, on the other hand, is much stronger than its predecessor. Yes, the usual long-term sound effects are present: flares of fireballs, electric balls, slashes and arrows and bashes. What’s different here is that there is music constantly playing in the background. Although this isn’t new on any level in gaming, it is a major step forward for the series. It’s pleasant background music that keeps one interested in the game’s space. Voice acting is also present but is kept to a minimum. You’ll hear the characters speak up when they meet someone or they enter a special room. It’s pretty good, and I wish there was more of it.

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is just as addictive as its predecessor. Of course, it should be considering that the game runs on what could be considered the exact same engine. The game also feels much smaller as you’ll find all of the important hotspots much more quickly. So it is easy to debate which of the two games you should grab. I admit I am a bit more partial to the seventh installment just because it is a bit more refined and, more important, it’s willing to “ease” you into its world. And did I mention that it practically throws money at you?

Regardless of which installment you choose, you can easily find it on GOG.com for less than $10. Might and Magic VII is well worth the dough as it can provide countless hours of entertainment and challenge. Just be careful which “version” of this game you get as the game can crash with the CD version. Plus, be careful: Its high fantasy adventure can get your blood going and keep you playing late into the night. What better way to honor the genre?