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[StereoVsn]

Yeah I'll share my take. Just info on me, I really liked heroes2 and loved heroes3, but even though I played all subsequent heroes games I never really liked any of them that much, it was like 3 had this perfect feeling and style. I can point out many legitimate flaws and terrible experiences in these games but sometimes them just doing things in a different way from heroes3 puts me off which may also be the case here. Also I only got as far as partway through the 3rd campaign out of 4 in songs of conquest before dropping it so I'm not an expert on this game.

Regarding the pixel art, I like pixel art, but this pixel art is just okay. It's at its best when exploring the overworld which I think does give a kind of heroes feel. In fact, the exploring and finding mines and treasures part is probably the part of the game that most successfully satisfies heroes3 nostalgia. It doesn't look as good in combat and there is no "building your cool base" screen. You do build a base but you do it with little pixel buildings on the overworld map. So one of the things I love about heroes3, that screen where you start with a tiny hut and gradually build this huge awesome base that is so satisfying to sit back and look at, is gone. Kinda derailing a bit here but someone made this awesome modern interpretation of the castle base from heroes3, check it out:



Anyway regarding gameplay, units can get promoted and then get some kind of ability they can use like in heroes3, so that's good. But in general there's a lot of nerfs and limitations to keep things "balanced" in combat. Like you have a limit cap to how many of each unit can be in your army and it's not crazy high. So fun situations from heroes3 where you have zounds of a weak unit like skeletons and they actually become a threat don't happen. This is really noticeable with spells, there were a lot of really fun really powerful spells in Heroes3, and I guess they were too OP so later games nerfed spells to make things more balanced and that's certainly the case here. In my somewhat limited playtime, spells don't feel impactful or satisfying to use. As an example, around the time I dropped the game I was on a map where I beat an opponent and then he just keeps respawning at his base with a small army and runs around tagging my mines. With cool heroes3 spells like flight and dimension door I would have easily trapped them but in this game I had to slowly bring all my heroes that were out exploring to his region to surround and smother him.

Storywise, I also noticed some very "modern audience" things like the hero of the first campaign is a woman who thinks, talks and acts exactly like a man with no feminine traits whatsoever, and everytime you meet a blacksmith they are always a woman, that notoriously female profession. It's not like the game has sweetbaby game levels of politics or anything, the subversive silliness is relatively minor, but if you are over modern audience cringe you should approach with caution. When you beat a campaign there's a cutscene where they sing a song about what you did, hence the name of the game. That might sound appealing to some people but I personally didn't care about the story or world.

So yeah, that's my take. I'm not even saying it's a bad game for people who like the genre, but as someone who looked at songs of conquest and thought "wow looks like heroes3" it's a pale imitation.

Sigh…. I am going to skip this because it will only make me annoyed. I would rather go back and play some HOMM 5.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Anyway regarding gameplay, units can get promoted and then get some kind of ability they can use like in heroes3, so that's good. But in general there's a lot of nerfs and limitations to keep things "balanced" in combat. Like you have a limit cap to how many of each unit can be in your army and it's not crazy high. So fun situations from heroes3 where you have zounds of a weak unit like skeletons and they actually become a threat don't happen. This is really noticeable with spells, there were a lot of really fun really powerful spells in Heroes3, and I guess they were too OP so later games nerfed spells to make things more balanced and that's certainly the case here. In my somewhat limited playtime, spells don't feel impactful or satisfying to use. As an example, around the time I dropped the game I was on a map where I beat an opponent and then he just keeps respawning at his base with a small army and runs around tagging my mines. With cool heroes3 spells like flight and dimension door I would have easily trapped them but in this game I had to slowly bring all my heroes that were out exploring to his region to surround and smother him.

The gimped unit stacks sucks. Balancing out a strategy game like that for the sake of it makes no sense.

It should all be about obliteration. And if it means a player or CPU builds up an army stack to steamroll the map so be it. There's enough time and counters for other factions to duke it out. But if one side gets lucky and wins big and fast (like a game of Risk) just let it happen. The game is meant to be played over and over again, not just once or twice. So even if a match ends up lopsided, just play another randomly made game and who knows what happens next time. HOMM games also track your wins with how many days it took and a final score. So trying to win fast also has leaderboard considerations.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

The gimped unit stacks sucks. Balancing out a strategy game like that for the sake of it makes no sense.

It should all be about obliteration. And if it means a player or CPU builds up an army stack to steamroll the map so be it. There's enough time and counters for other factions to duke it out. But if one side gets lucky and wins big and fast (like a game of Risk) just let it happen. The game is meant to be played over and over again, not just once or twice. So even if a match ends up lopsided, just play another randomly made game and who knows what happens next time. HOMM games also track your wins with how many days it took and a final score. So trying to win fast also has leaderboard considerations.

yep, if astrologers proclaim the month of the black dragon and a group of black dragons with a desire for greater glory wish to join me...I accept lol

 

[alucard0712_rus]

I was absolutely sceptical and cynic about anything HOMM, then I watched the trailer!
Wow! This maybe exactly what I want!
Is this game out?

BTW looks more HOMM2 to me, which I prefer over HOMM3. Cool!

 

[Hudo]

Is this game out?

Q2 2025. And it goes into Early Access. Which, in this particular case, is not a bad move by Ubisoft.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Time to stack 3k skellies once again.

 

[Hudo]

Time to stack 3k skellies once again.

Ah, a fellow necro enjoyer.

 

[Kadve]

Used to love this series but nowadays it just makes me wish i played Kings Bounty instead. Still mad over how 1C ran that series into the ground...

Nice for actual fans. Though this takes place before the fourth game? The world being destroyed and all.

 

[Nikodemos]

Used to love this series but nowadays it just makes me wish i played Kings Bounty instead. Still mad over how 1C ran that series into the ground...

True, 1C sent Katauri to the mobile slave pits, and contracted a different company for Warriors of the North and Dark Side (which they didn't even properly finish, IIRC).

Nice for actual fans. Though this takes place before the fourth game? The world being destroyed and all.

I think it's supposed to be a prequel of sorts, so it feels like a soft reboot.

 

[Kadve]

True, 1C sent Katauri to the mobile slave pits, and contracted a different company for Warriors of the North and Dark Side (which they didn't even properly finish, IIRC).

Well haven't played Darkside yet (its in my backlog) but Warriors of the North is decent. Just way, way to long and prone to crashing.
Heard nothing but bad things from II though....