Heroes of Might and Magic® 4: Complete

It deviates a lot from the much-loved formula set by HoMM3, but it still manages to be fun in its own way. The music especially is really nice.

My first piece of advice for this game is: don’t be discouraged at the beginning. Long-time players of previous entries might indeed be a bit shocked upon first contact with this game. But after playing the game for a bit and experiencing it, I realized how surprisingly well it works, mixing novelties with some old rules. The new model of the heroes’ skills system rewards consistent development and offers different possibilities depending on the chosen path (for example, you will do better if your hero develops in one school of magic initially, then in a second one later, as high-level spells reward that effort). I personally like the presence of the hero on the battlefield, as well as the great novelty of blocking the fire line with bulkier units—a feature I missed in previous games. The caravan system is great and greatly improves the use of neutral dwellings. Removing the second-tier upgrade may feel like a drawback, but with the aforementioned caravan system, it works better (no more situations where you need to grab units from neutral places, carry them to your castle to upgrade, and then bring them to your hero). Due to the different model of generating gold in your castle (a maximum of 1,000 gold per day), it encourages active exploration and the development of Nobility skills. Sadly, Heroes 4 has some shortcomings, such as siege sequences where you can efficiently defend yourself only if you have some decent ranged units placed on towers, controversial graphic design (not terrible, but some units don't look good, e.g., leprechauns or behemoths), and not to mention the small number of unit types per side of conflict (although the idea of choosing between paths is very interesting). Definitely install the Equilibris, as it improves balance and fixes many bugs. And please, give this game a chance—its single-player campaigns are incredibly fun and interesting, and its skirmish/multiplayer modes are great as well. Not to mention its powerful map editor.

I waited for this game with such anticipation, and bought it as soon as it was available in stores. It was buggy, messy, unstable, and the AI didn't work. The ideas the developers had, like forked town buildup, where you go one route or the other, sounded good on paper. Unfortunately, the execution was uninspiring. Heroes 2 and 3 suck you into the game world. Heroes 4 just never could do the same for me.

one of those games that didn't get the credit it deserved

The best game I have ever played! This was my first game on my computer, when I was a little child.