Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Review - I want to play, not read

Demonic Bugs Attack

After Olden Era's early access release, the campaign became available. For now, you can complete the first act, where the main faction is the Dungeon. You will lead familiar troglodytes, minotaurs, medusas, hydras, dragons, as well as two types of dark elves, to victory.

The plot of Olden Era unfolds on the continent of Jadame — long before the events of the first Heroes of Might and Magic. The time is ancient, and the problems are familiar — an invasion of demon legions. Only this time, the lord of evil decided to use not the hackneyed demons, but a swarm of infernal bugs. And now these chitinous creatures infect and devour everything in their path.

The player will have to deal with the problem by completing assigned missions — in most cases, you need to destroy all enemies. At the beginning, you will be given one hero, and others cannot be hired in the tavern. As you progress, others will join – each representing a separate faction.

The campaign's plot is in its infancy:

• Huge plot holes;

• The Dungeon Triumvirate should be cunning and intriguing, but they behave like paladins — as if they swapped places with the Temple;

• Characters, in general, are neglected;

• Conversations seem forced.

Together, the heroes will explore well-designed and detailed levels. Many resemble levels from other games in the series. Like the mission from Heroes of Might and Magic 3: The Shadow of Death, where you have to fight necromancers with "veils of darkness" that obscure vision. In Olden Era, necromancers don't have "veils," but the developers gave them similar buildings. And each is guarded by a decent garrison of the undead.

Some creatures on the levels ask to share resources, destroy enemies, or fulfill special conditions. They reward you with troops or resources for quests. Decisions made affect diplomatic relations with factions, but at the moment, the game hardly explains how exactly this works and what it affects. You can make friends with everyone except the Rift and the Swarm.

Heroes can improve characteristics in unique buildings. Unlike other games in the series, bonuses only last until the end of the mission. However, learned spells, gained experience, and artifacts enhanced with alchemical dust — a unique resource that was difficult to obtain — are saved.

New Factions

Grove

A hybrid of the Rampart and Conflux from the third part. The Grove is inhabited by forest dwellers and elementals. The army composition allows for different approaches to battles: hunkering down in defense, shooting from a distance, and quickly entering enemy territory. And "Mycelium" allows for quick maneuvering between castles.

Grove heroes can enhance concentration — a mechanic that allows heroes and creatures to activate abilities. With concentration points, elementals become especially malicious, and heroes receive pleasant bonuses.

The camera is active in the city: you can view buildings from different angles. Visiting the Grove most closely conveys the experience of observing panoramic views of cities from the fifth part.

Swarm

The faction relies on speed and aggression. Demonic bugs must quickly reach the enemy, divide, and devour them. They rely on melee combat — there is only one type of archer in the army, and even those are obtained through upgrades. Scorpions boast good defense — their defense is so high that it's simply tedious to exterminate them.

Heroes can lay eggs. Exploding larvae hatch from the eggs, which can cause a lot of problems in the enemy's rear. The ability is similar to opening demon portals from the fifth part.

Castles and creatures from "Heroes" are traditionally associated with various legends and folklore. Against this background, the Swarm stands out. They are more like Zerg from Starcraft or Tyranids from Warhammer 40,000, but with an infernal coloring.

Remaining Problems

The developers have done an excellent job of improving the interface — it has become easier to navigate. But the icons for effects applied to creatures need refinement: they are too small, and you have to hover over them for clarification. Changes in diplomatic relations are accompanied by a tiny pop-up icon, which makes you guess with whom and how much relations have changed.

The problem with the visibility of important objects remains. Sometimes you have to search for the right building on the map or resources, as well as buildings in the city (if you don't use the quick access button). The situation is worst with the Swarm, whose creatures blend in very well with the background.

Siege and castle defense feel underdeveloped. Even with all improvements, half of the defensive functions do not work properly — early access in all its glory.

AI often shows wonders of stupidity:

• Enemies gladly fall into traps;

• They fight either smartly or according to logic known only to them;

• During a siege, defenders climb over the walls at the first opportunity.

Diagnosis

It's amazing how Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era takes you back in time. After starting the campaign, I just disappeared from life.

It's a rare modern game that makes me want to explore every corner of the map to find all the secrets and level up as much as possible. And after completing one mission, I immediately want to start another.

And despite all its shortcomings, the game is magnificent. You can already enjoy it while the developers refine the content and add new things.

And I wish they would turn their attention to the narrative component. The campaign plot, character dialogues, and creature descriptions need the most refinement.