Heroes of Might and Magic® 3: Complete

I think it is pointless to heap any further praise on the best game of all time. Instead, here is some secret knowledge: There is a comprehensive mod loader and HD mod all rolled into one, and it works either with the old install CDs or with this here GOG version. It runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux and even Android (if you must). It is called VCMI: https://vcmi.eu ...which stands for the Quenya phrase Vinyar Callor Meletya Ingole ...which means New Heroes of Might and Magic in English So go ahead, it's free. Oh, and buy the game, in case you still haven't done that.

I love playing, I love building up my base and armies and collecting items and buffs on my heroes, and the music and graphics are memorable and classic That being said, I hate this game, it's hard, it's incredibly difficult and time consuming and unforgiving and my brain cannot seem to grasp it well enough to win any medium+ difficulty map, so why do I keep playing? I want so bad to win, I've tried replaying the same maps hundreds of times, tried using guides, my wife left me, the kids have stopped calling, bills are piling up, I have a strange rash working its way up my leg, I'm worried that if I neglect it too long it might reach my heart and kill me, but I'm still trading blows with a max CPU Necropolis and I won't move until one of us dies.

I really, really like this game. I played it years ago at a friend's house and loved it, but somehow never ended up actually buying it. This is one of the reasons I joined this site. HoMM 3 is an amazingly complex and addictive game. Building up your town--and any you conquer!--adventuring through the landscape, and battling it out with opposing armies are all equally fun. Scenarios can last incredibly long times, if you have multiple players of even mediocre skill; the maps can be quite large, and it can be a bit difficult to finally pin down an opponent and completely eradicate him. The campaign itself is engaging enough, but the real awesomeness comes from the multplayer. Levels can be handcrafted using the editor, you can pick one of the pre-built ones, or--because of the inclusion of the expansions--you can have the game randomly generate a map based on a set of criteria such as size, underworld inclusion, water, etc. This literally allows for near-infinite matches that will never be the same. This holds doubly true because of the massive diversity between the various factions; each favors different kinds of fighting and different tactics, and each has a completely unique set of units to offer. The heroes, too, add yet another layer, with each faction being able to choose from between two kinds of hero: one more physical, who boosts his soldiers attack and defense ratings, and one more magical, who instantly has access to potent spells to aid in combat. On top of that, however, there are multiple variations of each of these two hereoes for each faction, with each specific character having a focus in a certain unit or spell to further boost its effectiveness, as well as their own set of starting secondary skills. I really can't say enough about it. The statements from other reviews about how you just want to do one more turn, just get that next building, get into next week so you can restock your army . . . they're all true. The game is addicting and immensely fun. Buy it.

Long story short. I discovered Heroes of Might and Magic series 25 years ago. And since then I play it all the time. Heroes 2 took my heart, Heroes 1 keeps me hooked from time to time and Heroes 4 still tempts me. But Heroes 3 keeps me for the longest time ever game has. With its replayability, hot seat, one more turn effect and still live community that game is timeless. Show it to your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/children/grandparents and you will be playing soon even more. Don't forget about HD mod (high res support and interface improvements) and the Horn of the Abyss mod (new content like: fractions, creatures, artifacts, campaigns, mechanics and more on the developers' level of quality).

Buy the game, download the HD mod, download Horn of the Abyss, and enjoy the best fantasy turn based strategy game of all time.