Can Ubisoft Shanghai's upcoming AAA Might & Magic game stack up to the most-iconic entry in the franchise?

sportskeeda.com:

Might & Magic is making a return, according to a new listing from Ubisoft. Its Shanghai studio is hiring for a brand new AAA entry in the long-running classic RPG franchise.

The job description for the Brand Manager position states:

Considering this is a PR/marketing position, the job requirements do not offer any clues about the game's technical nature. However, it could suggest that they're gearing up for a reveal soon - perhaps this year, at E3?

It's a series of (mostly) turn-based fantasy RPGs, with a heavy focus on dungeon crawling. Starting with Might & Magic: Book One in 1986, the franchise was considered one of the early pioneers for the RPG genre back in the day. But now it has been forgotten to the sands of time - just like its peers, The Bards Tale and Ultima.

The entries throughout the 90s were well received, however newer entries that were released towards the start of the 2000s were criticized for being lackluster and technically shallow. The franchise is now under Ubisoft, with the latest main entry being 2014's Might & Magic X: Legacy - which also saw mixed reviews.

Amidst all of these installments, the gaming world saw a fresh spinoff from an unexpected developer. In 2006, Arkane Studios - of Dishonored and Deathloop fame - launched Dark Messiah: Of Might & Magic. First released for PC and later ported to the Xbox 360, it also saw mixed reviews and critics frowned at technical issues, subpar plot and repetitive combat.

While those criticisms may hold true, the game was a stark departure from what the series was known for. Dark Messiah was fully real-time, with a focus on hand-to-hand combat and spells. Powered by Valve's Source engine, physics and ragdoll mechanics played a key role in combat.

Players could