Heroes VI is a good game for both fans and newcomers, but it still needs some polishing.
The sixth heroes instalment is refreshing and fun to play for both fans and newcomers. Ubisoft has taken a slightly different step with this game compared to its predecessors.
First off the gameplay. The basics are still the same. You have a hero whom explores the lands (or seas) and frequently fights with neutral or enemy armies. However, Ubisoft has made tremendous changes to the details of the gameplay. A few examples:
- Spells can only be learned from levelling instead of learned in magic guilds.
- Your heroes have a reputation (basically whether they're good or bad) which allows them to unlock a skill or ability.
- You only have gold and 3 resources (wood, stone and gems).
Personally these changes gave a bad impression at first, but once I got used to them they actually worked pretty good. They also made some changes in the factions. In this game there are 5 factions: Haven, Inferno, Necromancers, Sanctuary, Stronghold. It is a waste how they left the sylvans out as many players considered that faction as one of their favourites. On the other hand I think that sanctuary does a great job in replacing the sylvans. Besides, there is still a possibility that they will be released in an expansion. In other words it might take some time to get used to these changes, but that's what makes this game refreshing.
Next up is the campaign (the story). The campaign is played a little different compared to the previous instalments. Normally when you play a chapter you're only limited to 1 (main) quest. However in heroes VI you get much more quests which could make you spend loads of hours on just a single chapter. The good thing about all these quests is that the map never seems to get boring, because a lot happens in a single chapter story-wise. The story also doesn't disappoint. The story is basically about 5 siblings whose father got killed. These 5 siblings get scattered over the 5 factions and that's where their story begins.
Next up is the graphics. Ubisoft has made a great improvement with the graphics of heroes VI. The map which you'll see most of the time doesn't look as childish anymore compared to heroes V. The very same thing goes for the creatures. The greatest part is how one of the updates gave every city their own screen. It gives a nostalgic feeling to the heroes III fans (That's what it did to me). This game is most likely the best of its series graphic wise.
The music in the game is just wonderful. The soundtracks they've made illustrate each factions really well. For example the sanctuary soundtracks has these very calm and peaceful sound. It really shows how the sanctuary faction is all about inner peace.
Last, but definitely not least is the online part. I haven't played a multiplayer game yet so I can't really judge but it wouldn't change my score or thoughts about the game because I've always played the series either offline or using hotseat. The biggest mistake Ubisoft has made is the "necessity" to play this online. The game is extremely focussed on your dynasty, achievements and other in-game goodies you can purchase with your achievement score (New dynasty weapons, Extra trait slots and more). The save files are also saved in an online database. This makes the game almost impossible to play if you don't have a proper internet connection.
Here's a list with all pros and cons of the game in case you don't want to read the whole story.
Pros:
- The details of the gameplay has made tremendous but refreshing changes, which might take some time to get used to.
- The graphics and soundtracks are possibly the greatest of the series.
- They've added achievements and the possibility to buy in-game goodies with achievement points.
- The new Sanctuary faction is a great addition. It personally became one of my favourite factions.
- I haven't finished the campaign yet, but it has been the best campaign of the series by far.
Cons:
- A proper internet connection is a MUST. This is probably not a problem for most players, but it's still a big flaw.
- There are only 5 factions instead of the usual 6, but hopefully this will change with (possible) upcoming expansions.
- Your Dynasty (A levelling system that can unlock extra's) is kind of a joke. It's too easy to get to platinum (the highest rank).
- The only downside on the campaign is that because of the length, the fights will get repetitive as you usually stick to a single or 2 tactics.
Overall the game is one of the best, though heroes III will remain my personal favourite. As long as you have a proper internet connection and like the changes you'll definitely have hours and hours of gameplay. It's a great game for both fans of the series and newcomers, but it still needs some polishing.