I've Played 3, 4, and 5 and I like them in that order too. Heroes 3 is the best by far. Heroes 4 is very different from the norm of the series (from what I hear...) but I still liked it quite a bit. Heroes 5 didn't impress me as much as it did most people it seems. My biggest problem with heroes 5 was the creature designs (some of those were embarrassingly bad) and I wasn't all that fond of the skill system either. I kinda lost interest when Ubisoft took over, to be honest.
Seriously though... who ever heard of a lich that looked like a southern belle?
I did, for some time, but eventually HOMM3 took the number one place. I started playing HOMM2, so it's ofc close to my heart (I don't think I ever played HOMM1, but can't really remember). Loved me some genies in HOMM2, they were for some reason always my favorites there.
I think one of the many reasons HOMM5 was so liked was that it was so similar to HOMM3 after that atrocity which was HOMM4.
HoMM3 is one of the defining games of the golden era of PC gaming. Let me break it down for you:
The graphics are in 2D, but the art style is awe-inspiring. Wonderful sceneries and bright colors MORE than make up for the graphical definciency, and I say "definciency" when comparing it to more modern games. It was probably at an advantage at the time because 3D graphics were horrible. If it had been made in 3D, it would've felt nowhere near as immersive as it does now. Besides, it feels more genuine when you see how the whole game looks like it was taken straight out of the illustrations of a fairytale.
The music is among the best I've ever heard in any video game. Paul Romero did such a good job with the music, he should've won more accolades. Again, it really immerses you in a world of fantasy and imagination. Every particular "town" has their own theme song that automatically gives you a sense of what place you are in. For instance, Tower town has a sense of mystique and sorcery, as it is primarily made up of wizards. Necropolis town has a sense of death and decay because....well, that's obvious. The battle music really sets the stage for intense clashes, as it has that "life or death" feel to it.
The gameplay is hard to get used to at first, but you are forced pretty quickly to learn the ropes, as it can be pretty brutal, even on the easier difficulties. You are made to feel like literally everything you do is life or death. LITERALLY. I'm not kidding. I've had times where I've forgotten to leave some units back at base, and an enemy hero managed to capture it just because I was one footstep away from being able to get back before my turn ended. The turn-based gameplay means that mistakes aren't easily rectified, since you have to actually wait to see how the enemy capitalizes on them first before you can do a single thing about it. It is a very punishing game, but it adds to that challenge factor. If you want a tough experience, this will give you that. It doesn't require reflexes or fast decision making; it actually encourages you to think long and hard about how you go about things, because once you've done it there is no going back. Tactics are the be-all and end-all in this game. If you hate tactical games (obviously you don't hate them, because you're on a BG forum), this game is not for you. If you love tactical games, you will have no problem with this, especially if you love TBSs.
The multiplayer mode is great.....if it's 1v1. The fact it's turn based makes games with any more than 2 players tedious. 4 v 4 or 8 player games will take you all day, and I mean that. I could never get into the multiplayer. I'd imagine that the length of time you spend with people playing it would turn it into a great social experience
Overall, I highly encourage you to spend a little bit of time at least trying to understand all of the game mechanics before you get frustrated and put it down. There is lots to be admired with this game, and it is well-worth putting hours of time into in order to fully achieve that fantastic immersive fantasy experience. It won't let you down. It hasn't let me down since it came out 15 years ago. Only BG and SC: Brood War are closer to my heart than this game is.
It confused me when I was younger because the liches in HoMM looked so different in comparison. The liches in HoMM definitely look more menacing, but it's interesting how different games imagine liches.
Shoot, you guys are tempting me to leave my current IWD run and play HoMM today.
I started playing the HoMM series right when HoMM 1 was released, and the series as a whole claims second place on my list of "games I've spent the most hours of my life playing".
My top three are: 1) Might and Magic 6-8 2) HoMM 1-4 3) Baldur's Gate series
Yep, for me, the MM series beats out even BG.
I wouldn't recommend anyone start with HoMM 1 as their first experience with the series, but for people who are already fans, I think HoMM 1 is a very fun and charming blast from the past. The GoG version works great on modern computers. The campaign maps are among the hardest in the whole series, especially the infamous barbarian's map for anyone not running Lord Slayer, and the fairy tale storybook art sets the tone for the rest of the series. Some of the music tracks from HoMM 1 are among my favorite music ever.
@wraith5641 , LOL, while I like the Sorceress' theme, it's my least favorite of the four town themes in HoMM 1, and I thought I'd make my post a little shorter by omitting it. Wouldn't you know it was someone else's favorite?
@Xeroshi and @mashedtaters , The general consensus among fans is that Homm 3 is the best of the series, so I'd start there. There's an HD remastered version of the original Homm 3 campaign on Steam, but it's controversial, because it doesn't include the expansions.
Most people would probably recommend getting it on GoG. They have a package that includes the base game with original campaign plus all the expansions, and if you get really into it, you can also buy the five standalone "Chronicles" sequels (sort of mini-expansions with one big campaign each that expand the lore of the world of Enroth, pre Homm 4, which changed the setting and majorly changed the gameplay elements).
@BelgarathMTH The HD mod is better than the HD remastered version, but the disappointing thing about it is that the battle screen won't go to full screen. I have tried to find a way of changing it to no avail, and that does suck a bit. It's definitely not a huge deal, by any means, but it would be nice if that was fixed.
@wraith5641 , I'm in the minority who don't like the HD mod, because it makes the interface so tiny I almost need a telescope to see it on my large screen TV, and some other elements just look *wrong*.
I very much enjoyed playing the HD remastered version of the original campaign, because it looked fantastic on my TV, and the interface and other elements were appropriately scaled. It was the same thing to me as the difference between BG Tutu with Widescreen Mod, and BG:EE. I'll take the EEs any day over Widescreen Mod, which zooms the picture out so far the characters look like ants, and the interface is again so tiny I can barely see it, and the same goes for Homm HD vs. the Homm Widescreen Mod. I was one of the few people who liked Homm HD very much.
If I ever play the Homm 3 expansions or Chronicles again, I'll be doing it in 4x3 aspect, 800x600 resolution.
Comments
HoMM3 is an absolute beast, it's VERY recommended.
HoMM5 is a good game, I've liked it a lot as well.
Might and Magic: Heroes 7 is currently still being patched up, but it looks to be a promising game, although not as magic as HoMM3 and HoMM5 are.
We have several threads about HoMM here:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/37276/baldurs-gate-meets-heroes-of-might-and-magic-3#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/37375/your-favorite-heroes-of-might-and-magic-3-faction#latest
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/38773/might-magic-heroes-vii#latest
Personally, I really recommend to try HoMM3. @procco has been trying it recently, and went to acquire the tablet version on top of the PC one.
This game is a turn-based strategy, with several (or more) elements of an RPG. Very-very cool!
Seriously though... who ever heard of a lich that looked like a southern belle?
[spoiler=lich]
I think one of the many reasons HOMM5 was so liked was that it was so similar to HOMM3 after that atrocity which was HOMM4.
The single player part has never really captivated me for long ( never finished a single campaing, but started 3,4,5,6)
The graphics are in 2D, but the art style is awe-inspiring. Wonderful sceneries and bright colors MORE than make up for the graphical definciency, and I say "definciency" when comparing it to more modern games. It was probably at an advantage at the time because 3D graphics were horrible. If it had been made in 3D, it would've felt nowhere near as immersive as it does now. Besides, it feels more genuine when you see how the whole game looks like it was taken straight out of the illustrations of a fairytale.
The music is among the best I've ever heard in any video game. Paul Romero did such a good job with the music, he should've won more accolades. Again, it really immerses you in a world of fantasy and imagination. Every particular "town" has their own theme song that automatically gives you a sense of what place you are in. For instance, Tower town has a sense of mystique and sorcery, as it is primarily made up of wizards. Necropolis town has a sense of death and decay because....well, that's obvious. The battle music really sets the stage for intense clashes, as it has that "life or death" feel to it.
The gameplay is hard to get used to at first, but you are forced pretty quickly to learn the ropes, as it can be pretty brutal, even on the easier difficulties. You are made to feel like literally everything you do is life or death. LITERALLY. I'm not kidding. I've had times where I've forgotten to leave some units back at base, and an enemy hero managed to capture it just because I was one footstep away from being able to get back before my turn ended. The turn-based gameplay means that mistakes aren't easily rectified, since you have to actually wait to see how the enemy capitalizes on them first before you can do a single thing about it. It is a very punishing game, but it adds to that challenge factor. If you want a tough experience, this will give you that. It doesn't require reflexes or fast decision making; it actually encourages you to think long and hard about how you go about things, because once you've done it there is no going back. Tactics are the be-all and end-all in this game. If you hate tactical games (obviously you don't hate them, because you're on a BG forum), this game is not for you. If you love tactical games, you will have no problem with this, especially if you love TBSs.
The multiplayer mode is great.....if it's 1v1. The fact it's turn based makes games with any more than 2 players tedious. 4 v 4 or 8 player games will take you all day, and I mean that. I could never get into the multiplayer. I'd imagine that the length of time you spend with people playing it would turn it into a great social experience
Overall, I highly encourage you to spend a little bit of time at least trying to understand all of the game mechanics before you get frustrated and put it down. There is lots to be admired with this game, and it is well-worth putting hours of time into in order to fully achieve that fantastic immersive fantasy experience. It won't let you down. It hasn't let me down since it came out 15 years ago. Only BG and SC: Brood War are closer to my heart than this game is.
I'll leave you with a piece of Paul Romero:
It confused me when I was younger because the liches in HoMM looked so different in comparison. The liches in HoMM definitely look more menacing, but it's interesting how different games imagine liches.
I started playing the HoMM series right when HoMM 1 was released, and the series as a whole claims second place on my list of "games I've spent the most hours of my life playing".
My top three are:
1) Might and Magic 6-8
2) HoMM 1-4
3) Baldur's Gate series
Yep, for me, the MM series beats out even BG.
I wouldn't recommend anyone start with HoMM 1 as their first experience with the series, but for people who are already fans, I think HoMM 1 is a very fun and charming blast from the past. The GoG version works great on modern computers. The campaign maps are among the hardest in the whole series, especially the infamous barbarian's map for anyone not running Lord Slayer, and the fairy tale storybook art sets the tone for the rest of the series. Some of the music tracks from HoMM 1 are among my favorite music ever.
Maybe I will try it.
Most people would probably recommend getting it on GoG. They have a package that includes the base game with original campaign plus all the expansions, and if you get really into it, you can also buy the five standalone "Chronicles" sequels (sort of mini-expansions with one big campaign each that expand the lore of the world of Enroth, pre Homm 4, which changed the setting and majorly changed the gameplay elements).
I very much enjoyed playing the HD remastered version of the original campaign, because it looked fantastic on my TV, and the interface and other elements were appropriately scaled. It was the same thing to me as the difference between BG Tutu with Widescreen Mod, and BG:EE. I'll take the EEs any day over Widescreen Mod, which zooms the picture out so far the characters look like ants, and the interface is again so tiny I can barely see it, and the same goes for Homm HD vs. the Homm Widescreen Mod. I was one of the few people who liked Homm HD very much.
If I ever play the Homm 3 expansions or Chronicles again, I'll be doing it in 4x3 aspect, 800x600 resolution.