I'll start by saying the same thing that no doubt most of the reviews for this game will say: Heroes 5 is not Heroes 3. That being said, it sure does try hard to fool you.
That might be unfair, as HOMM 5 isn't openly deceptive. Rather, it's a repackaging of many of the core gameplay mechanics from the series' perennial instalment with a few updates. Considering the controversy that erupted over Heroes 4, this will likely come as a relief to a lot of Heroes fans, however the question remains: Is it worth purchasing?
To its credit, the game does offer some solid improvements over Heroes 3. Most notable is the skill system, which allows each hero to take three "sub-skills" for every secondary skill. So for example, skills such as Navigation and Scouting are now sub-skills of Logistics, allowing the player to pick those skills when necessary without having to miss out on other secondary skills. This adds a new level of depth to hero development and helps balance out the skill trees a bit.
Adding to the flavour, each town now has it's own unique special ability. The Necromancers can raise the dead, of course, while the Haven can train lower level units up to higher levels for a fee, and the Inferno can summon in reinforcements who disappear at the end of battle. Some of these abilities become very interesting, such as the Academy who can create artifacts to enchant their soldiers. This diversifies the towns and allows for more strategic options. The Tribes of the East expansion also adds alternate upgrades for every unit, and while the distinctions are usually fairly minor, this still adds an additional layer of strategy to the recruitment process. For example, when upgrading your Archers, you can choose either the Marksman, who ignores enemy defense at close range, or the Crossbowman, who ignores range penalties.
Not everything about HOMM 5 is good, though. First, and most notable, is the campaign. The quality of the voice-acting, story, and cutscenes is painful at times, but more noticeable is the bizarre change of setting. Fans of both the HOMM and M&M series will be disappointed to find themselves transported into a much more generic fantasy world, that at times feels like Warcraft-lite. Distinctive factions, such as the collection of subterranean monsters that was HOMM 3's Dungeon, or the mysterious swamp creatures of the Fortress, have been replaced with the standard fantasy fare of Dark Elves and Dwarves (respectively). While this might seem like a cosmetic change, atmosphere is a significant part of fantasy TBS, and the series lost a great deal of its charm with this instalment.
Conversely, aside from the special abilities, many of the towns themselves have an awfully familiar ring to them. Specifically Haven, Academy and Necropolis are nearly identical to their HOMM 3 counterparts, while Sylvan seems suspiciously similar to HOMM 2's Sorceress town. As a result, many of the towns end up feeling rehashed from past games, just more dull.
Additionally, the new "Town Points" system, in which each building requires a certain amount of other buildings to be built first. For example, the Castle, Capitol and top tier creature dwelling each require 15 points, and so likely will not be available until late second or early third week. This may seem balancing, but in the end it only forces players to adapt the same build orders over and over again, rather than allowing them to diversify between economic and military development depending on the situation.
The 3D is no doubt a controversial decision as well. While I never had an issue with it, some have found that it makes the game too clunky.
All in all, however, even though Heroes 5 has its flaws, and hasn't quite got the same depth or level of immersion as Heroes 3, its core gameplay is nonetheless still quite enjoyable, and fans of fantasy TBS would be doing themselves a favour to pick it up. Long-time Heroes fans, if they are able to look past the butchering of the game world and a few issues here and there, will end up finding the same classic gameplay that they grew to love, with a few tweaks and improvements that they may come to appreciate.
Is this helpful to you?
Yes
(297 )
No
(53 )
Report abuse