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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....

 

[BennyBlanco]

 

[Ainem Enamas]

The way this game feels

 

[struggler_guts]

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

Theres an actual canon story timeline!?

I only played like 5 story missions across all of them but I figured the pre mission write up was just an excuse for the mission parameters lol

 

[Kadve]

Theres an actual canon story timeline!?

I only played like 5 story missions across all of them but I figured the pre mission write up was just an excuse for the mission parameters lol

Oh yes. A quite complicated story line too that intertwines with that of the Might and Magic RPG series.

Also Aliens. Lots of aliens.

 

[Sentenza]

I know I should keep the expectations low because it's Ubisoft, but... I'm getting kind of hyped for this.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I know I should keep the expectations low because it's Ubisoft, but... I'm getting kind of hyped for this.

Devs are clearly fans and saying all the right things. The other game they made is pretty good and convinced me this won't be shit.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

The art style looks amazing, wish it played like Warlock Master of the Arcane.

 

[BennyBlanco]

 

[BennyBlanco]

Every update video makes me more optimistic, smart choice bringing out the euromilfs for these videos too

 

[ReyBrujo]

Oh, that looks so nice.

 

[Mr.ODST]

PLEASE BE GOOD, one of the games of my childhood just sitting around taking turns around a PC

 

[Sentenza]

They just announced that the new publisher of the game will be HOODED HORSE.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era - New partnership announcement — teaming up with Hooded Horse! - Steam News

Greetings everyone! Three weeks ago, we announced that we had to delay the release of Olden Era’s early access release to ensure we could review and apply the extensive feedback we’ve received from you! However, we have a new surprise that we can FINALLY unveil today. We’re proud and extremely...

store.steampowered.com

Ubisoft will remain involved just as the IP owner (translation: they'll get their slice of the money from sales but apart for that they don't give a fuck anymore).

 

[diffusionx]

They just announced that the new publisher of the game will be HOODED HORSE.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era - New partnership announcement — teaming up with Hooded Horse! - Steam News

Greetings everyone! Three weeks ago, we announced that we had to delay the release of Olden Era’s early access release to ensure we could review and apply the extensive feedback we’ve received from you! However, we have a new surprise that we can FINALLY unveil today. We’re proud and extremely...

store.steampowered.com

Ubisoft will remain involved just as the IP owner (translation: they'll get their slice of the money from sales but apart for that they don't give a fuck anymore).

I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not.

 

[Sentenza]

Hooded Horse is usually solid.

The only thing not good about it is that Ubisoft is still vaguely involved.

 

[Mercador]

If we can get rid of Ubi launcher, I'm all-in!

 

[Hudo]

Hooded Horse is usually solid.

The only thing not good about it is that Ubisoft is still vaguely involved.

Unfortunately, Ubi still own the IP (no one knows why they still cling to it). But at least it seems that they don't try to mess with the project, which is what they did with Heroes 6 and 7...

 

[MSduderino]

Do you think it will have low system requirements?

 

[Sentenza]

If we can get rid of Ubi launcher, I'm all-in!

That's basically confirmed, yeah.

 

[Ziglax]

If Ubi is out this might actually be worth looking at.

 

[Evil Calvin]

When's the damn beta test?

 

[SomeNorseGuy]

Someone at PCGamesN had a guided playsession of Olden Era at Gamescon. Took the liberty to cut out some of the uninteresting stuff and added some gifs.

-----‐-------------------------

Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era could be Ubisoft's redemption

Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era could be Ubisoft's redemption

Heroes of Might and Magic has always passed me by, but Olden Era may just be the thing that kickstarts a new chapter in my gaming career.

www.pcgamesn.com

At Gamescom 2025, I sat down with Unfrozen's game designer Dmitrii Tripolskii to see what all of the fuss is about - a ten year wait, an iconic franchise… the stakes are certainly high. But, if what I saw is anything to go by, Olden Era looks like the return to form ( - SNG) that the strategy series sorely needs - and a much-needed win for Ubisoft, too.

Tripolskii introduces me to the game's six factions, some of which are familiar, while one is completely new. We have the traditional Dungeon faction which borrows from various mythologies (Greek being the most obvious); the insectoid Hive; creepy and kooky Necropolis (my personal favorite, shocker); the nature-focused Sylvan; classical high fantasy, human-driven Temple; and, of course, newcomers the Schism. The latter are the star of the show, and Tripolskii tells me they were inspired by a mixture of good ol' sci-fi and Lovecraftian fiction. Characterized by their ice magic mastery and eerie rituals, their citadel is built in a frozen wasteland, its primary refuge a giant icicle formed around the skull of an ancient, tentacled horror. While we don't play as them this time around, they're a marked departure from the traditional mind-bending, psychic damage-dealing Lovecraftian monsters we see in other media.

Instead, we lock in Dungeon and I'm introduced to Devir, my minotaur-inspired overlord. Specializing in rallying his troops and granting them extra turns, we charge into battle against a series of Hive beasties that have decided (rather unwisely) to encroach upon our sacred lands. While Olden Era's combat stays pretty true to the series' tried-and-tested turn-based formula, the individual character animations bring everything to life. I watch as my dancers execute some unfortunate bugs, imagining them bringing down a booted foot and crushing them with a flourish. My Troglodites use their spears to swarm and hack away at enemies, but also have the option of spitting at them for a greater cost. Each unit has its own, unique variants (the aforementioned poison-yeeting toads can fire off balls of lava-encrusted goo, for example), letting you really refine your playstyle.

While AI behavior has always been a bit hit and miss in the Might and Magic games (although it's always great to see your enemies casually vacate their base mid-siege), Olden Era's computer is smart enough to make the right decisions. An angry hulk cleaved through a whole slew of my Trogolodites with ease, and my opponents' movements were aggressive and reactive. I only played out the very early stages of a classic match, but it looks like the AI will actually fight back this time around.

Beasties well and truly vanquished, we return to the world map with our spoils. I'd be remiss not to mention how beautiful it is, each landscape changing depending on the faction you're playing. The Sylvan, for example, reside in a beautiful, autumnal world, while the Dungeon's landscapes are reminiscent of the sprawling green hills and magic-infused cities of World of Warcraft. Each one feels hand crafted, the fog of war that obscures encroaching enemies stylized like parchment with rolling, scribbly clouds that remind me of traditional Japanese artwork. If that isn't to your taste, you can swap it out with something a little more celestial, surrounding your city with shimmering stars and the darkness of night. It's a small detail, but a feast for the eyes.

Similarly, as you level up your home base and add various buildings (Mage Guilds specifically), you're granted access to new, game-changing spells that you can use mid-battle. These are assigned randomly (there will be an option to buy specific spells for a chunk of in-game currency), and can be found on a beautifully animated star map. Each spell belongs to a specific magical pathway (Arcane, Daylight, Nightshade, and Primal), which are represented by various mythological symbols. Sure, it's just a spell tree, but the animation style really makes it feel uniquely Might and Magic; truly, it's absolutely gorgeous.

And you can customize all of this to your liking. Tripolskii tells me that modification tools are very much in the works, recognizing that modding is at the heart of the Might and Magic experience. Olden Era has its own map building systems, however, allowing you to customize terrain, size, and so much more. While these computer-generated maps won't have the same level of detail as the developer-crafted ones, at first glance they look pretty damn good.

Similarly, if you're done with the management side of the classic game mode, you can try out One-Hero mode, which kicks your castle to the curb and focuses purely on combat, or Arena, which Tripolskii tells me was inspired by Hearthstone Battlegrounds. Offering you a variety of options, you can customize your hero, choose their army (units can come from other factions, too), upgrade everything, then dive straight into the fray. As a Battlegrounds fanatic, the speed of Arena certainly appeals to me - while Classic requires time, effort, and care, Arena feels like an easy lunchtime 'log in, play match, log out, cry about going back to work' mode that streamlines combat in all the right ways.

What ties Olden Era together, however, is its sound design. Music has been at the heart of Might and Magic for decades. When you traverse your fantasy landscape there's a shimmer to the soundtrack, while combat feels heroic and triumphant. Your hits feel weighty, magic feels powerful, and in those moments of downtime, that familiar sparkle returns and temporary peace ensues. You can certainly tell that longtime series composer Paul Anthony Romero is back, but the addition of the Heroes Orchestra ensemble really helps capture the spirit of all things Might and Magic.

 

[amigastar]

This looks pleasently old school. I have hopes for this.

 

[Sentenza]

Someone at PCGamesN had a guided playsession of Olden Era at Gamescon. Took the liberty to cut out some of the uninteresting stuff and added some gifs.

-----‐-------------------------

Heroes of Might and Magic Olden Era could be Ubisoft's redemption

I mean, the only "redeeming" thing Ubisoft is making with this game is dropping it in the hands of Hooded Horse.

 

[Hudo]

If you know German, PCGames have a preview:



It's positive.

 

[Sentenza]

Yeah, but Early Access fucking when?