Fan-Favorite Turn-Based Strategy Series
Ubisoft's desire to remake the third installment of the series — Heroes of Might and Magic III — is understandable. Among fans, the "three" is considered the gold standard for the entire series and the turn-based strategy genre as a whole. Enthusiasts continue to release full-fledged campaigns and mods for the game. In Horn of the Abyss, the most popular mod, the gameplay was refined, and three new factions with their unique mechanics were added. And professional players arrange battles in online mode.
There are many reasons for such popularity:
- "Immortal" visual style that pleases the eye decades later.
- User-friendly interface.
- Atmospheric sound design and music by Paul Romero (although the soundtrack in other games of the series is also excellent).
- Beginner-friendly.
- Nuanced game mechanics that allow veterans who master them to work wonders.
- Convenient map editor and ample room for modders.
- Excellent optimization.
To avoid offending anyone, it's worth noting that other parts also have their charm:
- The first two parts are the brightest, most fantasy-like, and even a little naive.
- "Heroes Chronicles" can be called a cheap way to profit, as several campaigns were made based on the third "Heroes" and sold separately. But the campaigns themselves are well-made, and the adventures of the immortal hero named Tarnum are captivating to watch.
- The fourth part is my favorite. The game has its problems, but it has the most interesting story and characters.
- The fifth part is unique. The guys from the Russian company Nival Interactive skillfully combined the mechanics of previous parts into a full-fledged game that can proudly be called "Heroes." At the same time, they changed the two-dimensional graphics to three-dimensional, and it still looks great even now. The "five" has its share of problems, but most can be explained by haste and Ubisoft's decisions.
- Olden Era has plenty of positive and negative elements. But the developers listen to fans and regularly refine the game. And, most importantly, the project has its unique direction.
It can be said with confidence that every fan of fantasy and turn-based strategies will find their favorite among the games in the series.
New Narrative for an Old Game
Ubisoft took into account the mistakes of Heroes of Might and Magic III: HD Edition, when they only released content for "Restoration of Erathia." Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake includes all three parts: "Restoration of Erathia," "Blade of Armageddon," and "Shadow of Death."
A trailer was released, the plot of which is based on the events of "Restoration of Erathia." Demons and underground lords of Nighon subjected the human kingdom of Erathia to fire and sword. In the trailer, Queen Catherine Ironfist swears before her army that the enemies will be exterminated for their atrocities. However, in the original opening cinematic, the basis of her motivation was built on hope — the hope that Erathia would be reborn.
A gameplay features trailer was also shown. In it, the narrator describes various mechanics: movement on the map, city building, magic use, and hero specialties — elements familiar to all who know "Heroes." The conclusion is that the developers hope to attract not veterans, but a new "broad audience" unfamiliar with the series.
New Art Style
Roots of "Heroes"
The visual component of the first two parts is based on many elements. Buildings in the games are drawn from real architectural monuments and legendary castles. Monsters controlled in battle are taken from myths, folklore, and illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons. Developers from New World Computing were inspired by films where monsters came to life using stop-motion puppet animation.
When creating Heroes of Might and Magic III, the developers abandoned the distinctly cartoonish appearance of the second part. The third part was made as realistic as the technology of the late nineties allowed — with more muted and darker tones. At the same time, a healthy dose of fantasy was preserved. The appearance of some heroes seemed to be taken from films about Conan the Barbarian or Red Sonja, where the sexuality of the characters is overshadowed only by their brutality.
The graphics were changed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. Everything was changed: nature, castles, neutral buildings, heroes, troops, resources, and the interface. The picture turned out bright, but less readable — it's harder to discern elements like spells. The classic visual style was replaced with a modern one, familiar from most current mobile and PC fantasy games.
Many visual effects were added. Now, hero actions, creature attacks, and environmental elements are animated in detail. Neutral units take a combat stance if approached closely.
Cities
The cities of the factions and their inhabitants have been transformed. Inside the castle screens, the architecture remained recognizable, but the arrangement of buildings changed. The most interesting innovation is the creatures standing near buildings, indicating their purpose. For example, archers stand next to the archer tower, and griffins nest on the griffin tower. A hero's entry into a city is now accompanied by a separate animation.
Creatures were changed to varying degrees. Some outwardly resemble their original versions, while others seem to have come from other games or external universes. Now, wolf riders are not green-skinned goblins, but people resembling raiders from "Mad Max."
The changes to Inferno and Necropolis are striking. In Necropolis, building windows glow bright red, although green or turquoise would be more suitable for the undead. Demons now resemble beastmen from Warhammer Fantasy, serving Khorne.
Some bloggers were given access to an early version of the game. From the published videos, it becomes clear that the city screens do not play "that same" music — the foundation of the atmosphere of any "Heroes" game.
New Heroes
The heroes we control are more than just rulers and commanders. They are the true faces of their factions, shaping the history of the entire world: many of them appear in several parts of the series. In many ways, they resemble the immortal wizard kings from Age of Wonders.
The developers' attitude towards the characters can be judged by the key art, which depicts the main characters:
- The beautiful, intelligent, and brave Catherine was almost completely stripped of her former charm, encased in heavy, impenetrable armor.
- Xeron fell victim to typical design, where demons are made to resemble ordinary people with red skin and horns, rather than infernal monsters.
- The necromancer Sandro lost his iconic appearance. Without context, I would not have recognized the famous lich.
Hero models on the global map and their "dolls" in the inventory were redone. In the updated portraits, characters are either clad in armor that has little in common with the original, or dressed in unremarkable robes.
Innovations and Features
The main technical advantage of Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake is the ability to transfer custom maps from the original. Although there are serious doubts that the game will correctly interpret content from HotA.
Other innovations are also interesting:
- Ability to zoom out the camera to the maximum and navigate by tactical icons.
- Added a tutorial prologue to help new players get acquainted with the basic rules (although the first missions of "Restoration of Erathia" managed this task perfectly well without it).
- Rebalanced: in promotional videos, heroes not from Necropolis had "Necromancy" learned, although in the original this skill was class-specific.
- Ability to rotate the tactical battlefield.
- Weather conditions on the map change with the change of weekdays.
- Introduced automation of resource gathering by secondary heroes and building construction in cities.
Analysis
The original Heroes of Might and Magic 3 has aged well, and old and new generations of players continue to play it. The remake undermines the foundations of this wonderful game: visual style, creature design, music. In fact, it's already a different game masquerading as a classic.
The fan base of the original is attached to the game's appearance, sound, and atmosphere. The remake hopes to attract them with the opportunity to replay campaigns and custom missions, but in an updated version of the game. However, Ubisoft's main bet is on a more "broad audience" – those who are accustomed to standardized fantasy design, and when the game plays itself for them (automated resource gathering and construction).
The optimization of the remake remains questionable. If the game has so many animated elements, what system will be able to handle it? And how will it fare on giant maps?
The reaction of professional players is also interesting. They might be interested in process automation and the ability to zoom out the camera. But otherwise, there's no reason for them to leave a game where tactics and strategy have been honed for decades.