Back when this game was brand-new, people liked to criticize it for not being like 3. Nowadays it is much easier to judge it as its own game - slightly janky and without a good budget, especially for its expansions, simpler yet still with an incredible potential due to how the heroes themselves are designed as units rather than leaders. If you want something familiar yet different that offers a new experience and perspective to the other games in the series, give it a shot.
There's a reason this is the first game that comes to mind when you hear the name "turn-based strategy". It is one of the timeless titles that will never be too old to play. Simple enough to play yet deep enough to have multitudes of strategies and a competitive scene, it is still supported by its community with various mods and such. There couldn't be a better starting point than than this game if you want to check out the HoMM series.
