Heroes of Might and Magic® 3: Complete

I'm not as good at this game as others are. Seriously, in eastern Europe it is a requirement to have a Ph.D in this game and can only marry once you have beaten your inlaws in a best out of 5 random faction hotseat games. I maybe slightly exaggerating. This game is an utmost classic with 9 factions including the expansions, with so many maps and campaigns to play to keep you occupied. I also highly recommend checking out the Horn of the Abyss mod. It adds a brand new faction and maps and honestly feels like a 3rd expansion that New World Computing forgot to release. This is one of the greatest turn based strategy games ever made and holds up incredibly well.

Gameplay 10/10 Combat: it's all lovely unintentional murder of your own units with dragon-breath. Outside of Combat: an attempt to keep up birth rate high enough to supplement losses from dragon-breath. UI: discover shortcuts after 10 years of experience with the game. Visual 8/10 Fidelity: not too far from pixel-art. Art direction: You will never mistake it for anything else. Sound 10/10 Music: only battle theme will drive you crazy after couple hundred hours. Speech: silence is golden as they say. Effects: everything is fine until Crusaders move to correct the heathens. Environment: you will never think about it. Writing 5/10 Setting: when reading wiki you will question whether you've played the same game. Main Plot: I think it's some kind of plasticine figures battle royale. Other 10/10 Performance: runs on eyestrain. Fun: Download 'Horn's of the Abyss' which comes with HD mod. Play for just one hour. Then don't be surprised whe you come out of your room to find people surprised you are still alive. Value: Best 2$ ever spent. In Summary I don't think this game needs a summary.

I understand now why HoMM3 is considered one of the best games of all time.

Yes it's that old. Almost 22 years after release, HoMM3 remains one of the best strategy games. There's really no point in writing a review for this. If you're an old fan, get it, get the HD+ mod, and immerse yourselves once again. If you're a strategy fan and have never played this, then... WTF?!

I find it rather frustrating that so many reviews here scarcely discuss the gameplay they're so eagerly praising, so the bulk of this review is going to be spent outlining the particulars of Heroes of Might and Magic III. Heroes III is a turn-based strategy game with some RPG elements thrown into the mix. You have heroes, leaders which you use to explore the world map and gather resources. Resources are used to develop your towns and recruit units. Your heroes can take those units and lead them as an army to wipe out threats on the map. Sounds simple, right? But your opponent is doing the same. Your ultimate goal is to kill all the other players' heroes and take their towns by force. Gameplay is largely turn-based: on your turn you move your heroes across the map, gathering resources and exploring landmarks, all in order to gain more units for your fight against the opposing heroes. As they win fights, a level up system is employed to improve stats, much the same as any standard RPG. Speaking of units, let's talk about combat. When a hero with an army of units runs across another hero, or a stray mob on the map, combat ensues. You and your opponent take turns moving units across a hex grid and attacking until one of you runs out of units. This is where the statistical advantage from leveling up comes into play, granting you advantages in spellcasting or damage dealt. There are different types of combat based on your situation, but the basics remain the same. Graphically, Heroes III gets the job done with nice textures and interfaces that keep with the game's theme. Some of the map styles are a bit distracting, but always look good. Meanwhile the game boasts some pleasant, if subtle, music tracks that suit it well. They're not anything special, but you're scarcely going to be focused on them anyway. Heroes III's appeal comes from its strategy and replay value: the campaigns are great, but the real fun comes in trying to best your friends in a long, drawn out war on the map. It's not a game for folks who dislike strategy gaming, but it's among the best for those that do.