Heroes of Might and Magic V Hands-On: Single- and Multiplayer, Adventuring, and Duels

By Andrew Park, GameSpotPosted Jan 23, 2006 5:49 pm PT

We finally get our hands on the single-player and multiplayer options in next game in this beloved PC strategy series.

Developer Interview

Ubisoft's Guillaume de Butler fills us in on Heroes of Might and Magic V.

Is there anything more heroic than traveling across the land in search of foul villains and fabulous treasures? Maybe, but later this year, would-be heroes will be able to jump back in the saddle and conquer the countryside with Heroes of Might and Magic V. The next chapter in the long-running strategy series will attempt to faithfully re-create and enhance its accessible but enthralling gameplay. If you've been a fan of the series for a while, you might have found the new game to be perplexing, considering that Heroes V is being developed by a completely new team of developers (Russian studio Nival Interactive with production assistance from publisher Ubisoft), and because it's using fully 3D graphics for a series that has traditionally used 2D renders or hand-drawn sprites. We've had a chance to get up close and personal with the game, and we're pleased to report that the Heroes series doesn't seem to have lost a step. The new game will add intriguing new features that could make the classic Heroes formula even better, and more addictive, than ever.

The fiery denizens of the 'inferno' town return for a new adventure.

At its core, Heroes V is built on a refined version of the same classic gameplay that fans have come to know and love. As Ubisoft marketing manager Guillaume de Butler explains, the team has been "very focused on creating a great Heroes game, using the very popular Heroes III as a model." This is good news for Heroes fans (many of whom consider the third game to have been the best in the series so far), and from what we can tell, the new game has all the makings of being a great successor to Heroes III. You'll still play the game as a disembodied lord of the land who belongs to one of six different factions, each of which can build armies by recruiting different stables of fantastic creatures. You'll explore and conquer all you survey by hiring hero characters, who will either be "might" heroes that specialize in fighting battles, or "magic" heroes, who are experts in the use of sorcery. These heroes will still gain experience through battle or by recovering treasures, and each time your heroes gain experience levels, they'll gain new and appropriate skills from an updated list...minus the crucially important "tactics" skill that used to let players arrange their armies on the battlefield before the fight actually began.

Why can't individual heroes learn tactics anymore? Because the skill is now an inherent part of all battles, so all heroes essentially have this ability before any fight. This addition is one of only a few changes that are being made to the Heroes V tactical combat system. Though both you and your enemies will still be able to recruit troops that can use ranged attacks (such as the "haven" town's archers), these ranged troops won't suffer a damage penalty when firing from all the way across the battlefield. Also, even though heroes won't actually take the field like they did in Heroes IV, they'll still be able to stand on the sidelines and cast magic spells, just like in the previous Heroes games. "Might" heroes will also be able to charge onto the field to deliver a direct attack of their own (presumably, this ability was added so that now both types of heroes can take direct action in battle, and not just "magic" heroes with spells).

Combat itself will have a number of minor enhancements. The combat system will continue to be based on "initiative"--that is, a sequence of turns in which the fastest creatures get to move and attack first, followed by slower ones. Heroes V will now also display a series of iconic portraits for each unit at the bottom of the screen that clearly shows which critter is up next.

Heroes V will still pit armies of fantastical critters against each other in battle.

Otherwise, the tactical combat seems very similar to that of Heroes III, which, as most Heroes fans will tell you, is absolutely, positively not a bad thing. Battles take place on a large field divided into tiles on which the ranks of each army sit, and individual units can advance on enemy units and do battle with them, exchanging hits and dealing damage until one side takes enough damage to be wiped out. Since this is a Heroes game, armies can and will consist of knights in shining armor, as well as fantastical creatures like demons, dragons, and undead thralls. You'll be able to quickly tell at a glance exactly how much health each unit on the battlefield has, how much damage each can deal, how quickly each can move, and which special abilities they possess. You can expect to see several classic creature abilities make their return in Heroes V. For instance, sprite units, while still incredibly weak, are still extremely fast and, when they're on the offensive, they can't be counterattacked.

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