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  • Metareview - Heroes of Might and Magic V

    by 
    Alan Rose
    Alan Rose
    05.26.2006

    It's been a trial by fire for Ubisoft and Russian developer Nival Interactive as they have attempted to revitalize the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise. The re-launch of one of the longest running strategy series has suffered delays, beta tester petitions, and negative previews, but Heroes V has finally made its way to store shelves. The game includes a slick new 3D engine, lengthy campaigns, and six colorful factions that fans will instantly recognize. In addition, most of the critics agree that Nival nailed the fundamentals of the traditional Heroes of Might and Magic combat formula. However, a major criticism of Heroes V is its small number of maps, as well as the initial absence of a map editor (due this summer, according to Nival). GameSpot (82/100) was impressed with the enhancements to online multiplayer: "Heroes V makes a few efforts to speed up online play by offering options for quick stat-based combat resolution, timed turns, straight hero-versus-hero duels, and the new 'ghost mode'." GameSpy (70/100) did a lot of camera spinning: "The switch to 3D, while a successful one, has its drawbacks. The camera is a tad finicky when moving on the underground map. It can be hard to place the camera where you need it and it's also too easy to miss objects that are hiding behind a tree or a mountain." Yahoo! Games (70/100) cautions new players unfamiliar with the sometimes complex attack orders and unit stats: "The biggest failing of Heroes V, which you can almost anticipate from its emphasis on looking so good, is that it's stingy with information. And the bad documentation here kills a lot of what makes the series great."

  • A first look at Heroes of Might and Magic V

    by 
    Alan Rose
    Alan Rose
    02.28.2006

    Following a petition by frustrated beta testers to delay Heroes of Might & Magic V until improvements were made, Primotech has added a rather negative preview of the game to Ubisoft's list of criticisms. The reviewer cites problems with the battle system, the resource trading process, and the time limits imposed on town management. So how much time does developer Nival have to polish up this reinvented franchise? Gamespot lists an April 4 release date, the Ubisoft site says May, and Amazon's projected availability is June 30. Unless we see some positive press soon, the later date is probably the safer bet. [via GameBanshee]

  • Might & Magic V: new screenshots

    by 
    Alan Rose
    Alan Rose
    01.13.2006

    Yesterday, we reported that Heroes of Might & Magic V would be making its way to the Mac this Spring. Today, Italian game site Tiscali has provided us with over 20 new screens from Ubisoft and Nival's continuation of the classic strategy franchise. [via GameBanshee]

  • Heroes of Might & Magic V to the Mac

    by 
    Alan Rose
    Alan Rose
    01.12.2006

    Apple enthusiasts already have plenty to be excited about this week and now Mac gamers have reason to rejoice. Freeverse has announced it will publish the Mac port of Heroes of Might & Magic V, to be released shortly after the PC version ships at the end of next month. Licensed from Ubisoft, this latest release takes the classic series into fully 3D animated environments with a new Active Battle System and a variety of customizations for your heroes and armies. Check out Ubisoft's official game site for more details. Now, about that other new Might & Magic game - the one that uses the Source engine. Freeverse? Aspyr? MacSoft? Anyone? [via GameBanshee]