Heroes of Might and Magic 5 Review

[image:818 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]One of the greatest franchises in turn based strategy is back with its latest installment. Heroes of Might and Magic 5 has finally been released, and for fans like myself who have been playing HOMM for a decade, it’s about time. Like other fans of the franchise, I was worried about Ubisoft and Nival Interactive taking over the license. 3DO and New World Computing crashed and burned shortly after Heroes 4 was released, and it seemed as if Heroes of Might and Magic would be gone for good. Well don't you worry your pretty little head; Heroes 5 delivers.

For those not familiar with the series, Heroes of Might and Magic is a turn based strategy game for PC. Players control kingdoms across a medieval land and battle with a variety of monsters and enemies to amass resources and capture new towns to expand their power. Combat and exploration focuses on heroes, which act like pieces with a set number of moves each turn. These heroes wield magics and lead armies which battle in chess-like combat with neutral monsters and enemy heroes alike.

There are six unique factions in Heroes 5. Necropolis is a town of the undead that uses dark magic and overwhelming numbers to their advantage. Haven is the closest thing to a classic medieval town, employing swordsmen and knights, and being proficient in physical combat. Inferno is the most attack oriented town, employing fast and numerous demonic hordes and dark magics. Sylvan is a nature town relying on elite elvish units and defensive strategies. Academy is an Arabian style faction that specializes in ranged combat and powerful magics to win battles. Dungeon has been re-designed for the fifth installment, employing dark elves and a variety of powerful monsters. It specializes in elite offensive units and wields the most powerful destructive magic in the game. Each town is even more unique than in previous titles, factions have many different strategies available to them and even after hours of gameplay the strategy is fresh and unique among factions.

[image:820 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]The transition to 3D that has been the downfall of similar games is actually successful in Heroes 5. However, limited camera movement can cause real frustration, especially because many objects are hidden or can be tough to spot. Figures can sometimes feel small on the battlefield and get lost. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are good enough to be entertaining and functional, but they can sometimes be glitchy and put a drag on average systems. They are not by any means cutting edge. On the other hand, the city screen is absolutely gorgeous, with beautifully rendered buildings and landscapes, complete with absolutely incredable lighting. Unfortunately, the city screen is one you spend very little actual time in (compared to the game map and battle screen.)

Unfortunately for online gamers, Heroes 5 can more of a test of patience than strategy. Like any online turn based game, most players spend far more time waiting for it to be their turn than actually playing. And many players if they begin to lose will just drop out instead of playing it through. In earlier development an idea was put forward for simultaneous turns, but it seems to have fallen by the wayside. A mode called ghost mode exists, allowing a player to affect their opponents’ turns, but it is more of a distraction than it is worth. But all is not lost! A new duel mode has been introduced where players can select from pre-fabricated high level heroes and duke it out in ten or fifteen minute battles.

[image:821 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]If you are new to the series, expect a steep learning curve. The manual provides very little insight into the functions of gameplay and the individual factions. In fact, many of the mechanisms and formulas in the game are not explained. Lack of documentation can be very frustrating strategically, but fortunately, the possible damage from spells and attacks is viewable before they are actually selected, and most abilities and artifacts have handy tool tips. I highly recommend visiting a fan site like www.heroesofmightandmagic.com for starter info.

Heroes of Might and Magic has always been a great strategy franchise, and Heroes 5 manages to take it up a notch. The game's strategy is deeper and more intense than ever. The battlefield has changed from hexes to squares, making battlefield movement and positioning a key part of battle. Most units and spells have ranges and pattern attacks, making combat far more tactical. Actually, almost every unit now has a unique skill, including pattern attacks and special combat or magic buffs. Some units can even cast spells like your hero can. Another great addition to the game is the initiative system in combat. Units and heroes now have initiative values to determine how frequently and in what order they act. Units with high initiative may get in two or three whole moves before slower units get the chance to go.

As much as the game has gotten deeper, it has managed to simplify many of the more tedious parts of the game. Town growth has eliminated most of its prerequisite based development in favor of a town level style of play, where the number of total buildings constructed is the primary factor. The magic system has also been simplified, with the four schools of magic being destructive, summoning, light, and dark. With only two spells of each five levels per school, combat is easier to plan for and magic heroes have an easier time getting key spells from their guild.

[image:819 align=left hspace=5 size=medium]More so than ever before, hero development is key to gameplay. The system of level advancement has been completely overhauled. In addition to the four classic primary skills, the number of secondary skills has been reduced to twelve. However, each secondary school has three third tier abilities. For example, the Leadership secondary skill has the sub-skills of Estates and Diplomacy, in addition to Recruitment, a new skill to the franchise. Never again will you need to worry about wasteful skills like Eagle Eye taking from your precious secondary skill slots. Also, each faction has a skill unique to its own heroes. Haven has Training, an ability to upgrade units to higher tiers for a certain cost, while Necropolis returns with its staple skill, Necromancy. Heroes may not participate directly in combat like they did in Heroes 4, but they have many attacks and abilities to directly affect combat.

In conclusion, Heroes 5 has the potential to be one of the greatest turn based strategy games ever, and while it will definitely keep veteran strategy gamers endlessly entertained, it does a mediocre job of attracting new players to the genre. Frustrating multiplayer and an only mediocre campaign may be a turn off to gamers who can’t stand a slower paced game. But despite the numerous little setbacks, the game is at its core an incredable strategy game. Heroes of Might of Magic 5 is a title that should be in every strategy gamer’s library. More than anything else, its just incredibly fun.

On a side note to hardcore HOMM fans, the game does not yet include a map editor, although one has been promised for a future patch. (disappointed sigh)