Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen | Things are Getting Weird | Review and Playthrough

Overview

The video is a review/playthrough of Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen (specifically the “Dark Side of Zen” portion of the Xeen trilogy). The creator argues the series is exceptionally well-aged and claims that Dark Side is the best iteration of the game’s engine—doubling down on sci‑fi weirdness compared to earlier entries while keeping the core dungeon-crawling formula smooth and responsive.

Main Plot / Progression (What Happens)

Opening cinematic: betrayal in motion

• A frantic dragon “pharaoh” rushes to a mysterious orb/power source after his pyramid is attacked.
• Through the orb, he contacts Queen Kindra, who has been captured—her signal is cut.

Alamar’s reveal

• The villain Alamar admits betrayal:
  • He stole the cube of power.
  • He attacked the pharaoh’s position.
• The orb’s message partially succeeds, but the messenger/dragon is destroyed, and the orb ends up on the surface.

Your side begins (light side → dark side)

• After defeating Lord Zen on the light side, your party finds a pyramid portal to the dark side.
• Immediately, Zelda the herbalist brings you into the story:
  • She entrusts you with the orb.
  • She points you toward Ellinger.

Quest for access: the locked pyramid

• Ellinger explains that the orb is needed to restore/aid the pharaoh.
• However, the pyramid is locked.
• The key is in Castle Kindra, which has been banished to an in-between state.
• Restoring it requires collecting 20 energy discs.

Disc hunt + world exploration

The game emphasizes “go out and do stuff” traversal:

• quick dungeons
• clear objectives
• lots of odd encounters

Key stops include:

• Temple of Bark: a “root/leaf rule” dungeon that rewards permanent resistances and more discs.
• Sandcaster: a desert city featuring evil guilds; it becomes a base hub.
• Lakeside and other tower-clears: used to unlock castle floors.

Castle Kindra escalation: grief → morale

Inside Castle Kindra’s progression:

• You restore morale by retrieving a rare songbird from Aisle of Lost Souls.
• The Aisle is described as an ironic but punishing early “skill check” dungeon, themed around positivity.
• Vault progression yields:
  • more discs
  • the location of Kindra’s crown

Rescuing Queen Kindra

• The party learns that Ambrose (a knight) is scheming to break into Castle Black Fang.
• Inside:
  • vampires everywhere
  • Kindra is on an underground island surrounded by octopus/octopi-like tentacle horrors
• Kindra’s reveal:
  • She is herself a vampire
  • She claims the crown can cure her
• The party restores her (and gains the pyramid key).

Pyramid confrontation + identity twist

• Entering the dragon pharaoh’s pyramid sets up betrayal and a brutal sequence.
• The ancient lizard reveals the truth:
  • Alamar isn’t really Alamar
  • He is Sheltem
• Sheltem’s plan:
  • Use all of Zen as a giant spaceship to return to Terra
  • Kill life along the way

Korak in stasis + final setup

• The party finds Korak suspended in stasis, with logs from both Sheltem and Korak.
• Korak cannot leave his ship because Sheltem’s power would destroy him.
• To proceed, the party must obtain a soul cube and use it to mask/control the confrontation mechanics.
• They then visit Olympus, filled with NPCs tied to Greek gods—showcasing how aggressively the game blends genres.

Final battle + “dramatic effect” ending

• Korak unleashed, the party invades Castle Alamar.
• Late-game enemies (robots) are treated as mop-up targets due to high-level investment.
• Sheltem is confronted in a tense exchange.
• Sheltem ends with self-destruct, framed as a large emotional payoff moment.

Final Beat / Epilogue Highlight

Even after Zen is “safe,” a prophecy remains. The solution is a wedding-unification ceremony:

• Bride: Queen Kindra
• Groom: Prince Roland (rescued from Castle Alamar)

Then:

• you activate four alignment dishes
• unify the dark/light realms

The scene is notably animated and memorable, including a comedic “wow elevator” moment where something fantasy is used to move sci‑fi tech.

Finally:

• Prince Roland places his scepter into Kindra’s cube of power
• The video jokes explicitly that it’s not innuendo.

What Stands Out (Jokes, Tone, Design Reactions)

• Sci‑fi references inside puzzles
  • At least two puzzles use Star Trek–style answers, framed as a “nerd delight.”
• Smooth turn-based combat
  • Praised as turn-based but not clunky, with minimal interruptions.
  • No intrusive loading screens, boss monologues, or repetitive filler.
• Dialogue choices exist but fade
  • Choices can influence some responses (e.g., handling goblins/ogres), but most impact concentrates early.
• Positivity-themed “cruel” dungeon
  • Aisle of Lost Souls is described as both ironic and tough:
    • minotaurs
    • then gorgons that can stone party members
• Genre whiplash executed well
  • The creator emphasizes Dark Side changes genres effectively from earlier entries while keeping the transition engaging.
• “Google AI” debate segment (comedic bullying)
  • The video mocks an AI chatbot’s negative claims (world nonsensical, trial-and-error dungeons, teleporting, shallow leveling, weak story, sound quality issues).
  • The creator counters point-by-point, especially defending:
    • intentionally weird world design
    • dungeon/puzzle clarity vs “kid gloves”
    • simple leveling being acceptable to keep action flowing
    • the sound rocks

Overall Takeaway (As Presented)

The reviewer concludes Dark Side is likely the best entry in the series due to:

• improved visuals/cinematics
• smooth combat
• clearer guidance and dungeon structure
• stronger story cohesion across the saga
• a sense of timeless aging

They also recommend playing Clouds + Dark Side together as one combined experience (“World of Zen”).

Personalities / Recurring Figures Mentioned

• Narrator/Reviewer (the channel creator)
• In-game characters:
  • Queen Kindra, Alamar (actually Sheltem), Ellinger, Zelda, Dimmitri, Megan, Ambrose
  • Prince Roland, Korak, Peicard the Aged
• Recurring entities mentioned:
  • Greek gods NPCs
  • “bark man”, gorgons, minotaurs, vampires, robots
• “Google AI” chatbot:
  • used as a comedic debate target in the review’s final section.