Off topic: How are games failing you?

[Agema]

I played M&M 3-9, although I didn't finish VII or VIII because I got bored, and after a lengthy time investment a bug killed my M&M IX game as I couldn't promote a character. I-V are the "old style" ones with turns and discrete squares like Eye Of the Beholder up to about 1994, VI onwards the 3-D ones with continuous movement released after 1996, although that style of RPG was by then obsolete by then. Nevertheless, you're right that the stories kept them viable when all else was miles behind their competitors.

If you liked those, I would heavily recommend Wizardry 8 (released 2002?) which was contemporaneous to the late M&Ms you played and I think rather better in all areas, and going back to the old turn & map square style, Wizardry VII (it came out about 10 years before 8). Also maybe the Realms of Arkania trilogy, which was about mid-90s.