Heroes of Might and Magic games

[Skatan]

That's very good, I think? I just had a great convo with some young colleagues who played HoMM3 (mainly) and was surprised how it can find even new players being that old and (I thought) quite niche. I will try this one day, but not yet. (side note: can't write that without thinking about Gladiator)

 

[Antimatter]

Yes, it's very, very good, a bit unexpected even. Just like 5 years ago, BG3 (with the game as big and popular as it could be) could boast having 1 mln players in the Early Access, now we see 1 mln players in the first month of Early Access!

And I like what I see in the roadmap. This game needs everything it can get for random map generator features, and also MP. But yeah, I'll wait until the game is released fully.

 

[Antimatter]

It's interesting to read takes on the freshly announced remake of HoMM3 from the new generation, people who never played the original:

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/strategy/after-playing-heroes-of-might-and-magic-3-remake-i-want-to-go-back-in-time-and-make-homm-my-entire-personality/

For me personally, it's hard to find anything good about this remake. I wouldn't call those "improvements" (from the Ubisoft page), considering the original sound cues are iconic:

"Audio Improvements
The remake will also feature a modern audio system, featuring voice acting, layered tracks, and rich, ambient sound effects, drawing you deeper into the game’s atmospheric world. You’ll also experience new sonic cues tied to gameplay actions like combat, spellcasting, and morale shifts, reinforcing the feel of the original game while striking a delicate balance between nostalgia and modernity."

Heroes of Might and Magic III Remake: Return to Erathia in 2027

Remaining faithful to everything that made the original game so beloved, the remake will feature updated visuals and audio for current-gen consoles, a cohesive narrative, and improved UGC features.

news.ubisoft.com

I agree with this take from the RPGSite:

"The visuals, on a basic level, look quite good. Artistically, however, I’m starting to feel like this Remake is losing a bit of the original’s panache; a bit of its flair. Might and Magic, especially the third game, has such a unique visual identity — and this remake takes maybe one step too far toward generic fantasy. It’s hard to put your finger on it exactly, but something about the overall visual style just doesn’t gel for me. It feels kind of like a painting you might find at a Renaissance festival, and not bat an eye."

Heroes of Might and Magic 3's Remake Transported Me Back to My Childhood, But I Have Some Worries | RPG Site

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake successfully recaptures the feeling of the beloved RPG, but some of its aesthetic changes don't feel like they land quite as well.

www.rpgsite.net

What do you think?

 

[WarChiefZeke]

I will occasionally make runs through some of the campaign maps of HOMM3. I prefer the creature specialist heroes for the RPG flavor; you get one unit who becomes very strong in their hands if you level the hero up and invest in a big army of that unit. I quite like the monster hero who has Troglodytes as his creature specialty, you can stack them in the hundreds fast, they are common as extra recruitment spots on many maps, and it's just fun to keep low tier units viable.

The final campaign map of HOMM2 for the hero side is legitimately quite difficult and I recommend trying to reach it for anyone.

 

[BelgarathMTH]

@Antimatter , thanks for the heads up that this is being produced. I heard it here first.

There's a chance I'll buy it out of sheer curiosity about what they've done and how it plays. I did that with last year's Sacred 2 remake.

I've been considering playing another HoMM 3 main campaign run recently, and the remake might be a good excuse to play again.

If they do "early access" again, though, I won't consider buying it until it's in "final release", especially if what they initially release is a bunch of standalone multiplayer-slanted maps and no complete single player campaign.

 

[O_Bruce]

I have played HOMM3 extremely casually, and yet even I can easily recall the music and sound effects. They are iconic and I can agree that changing things like that may not be considered improvement.

In general when it comes to remakes, there's always risk that they will miss their mark when it comes to recreate the spirit of the original work, I think no videogame series is safe from that risk.

That being said, I think there might be more reasons to make this remake than the HD version they made several years back. I've heard nothing but many problems with HD version, ranging from not supporitng expansions, custom scenarios etc.

 

[O_Bruce]

Some gameplay of the remake, shown by Grubby (former pro Warcraft 3 player)


People's reactions in comments are not ecnouraging.