Gaming, like politics these days, seems to be full of extremists. HH makes HOMM seem like a dumbed down mobile game. AI cheats and the game will crush you if you aren't playing optimally 100% of the time. But instead of turn based actions it's real time, sort of like an autobattler. It appeals to a very niche, hardcore type that seemingly could solve all of humanity's problems with their apparent level of mental capabilities but instead choose to play this game. A lot of it boils down to just playing so much or looking up a guide to figuring out the perfect composition... if RNG is on your side as well. The graphics are extremely basic, no real character to the game visually or with audio. It's a spreadsheet with a thin veneer of colorful pixels overlaid on top. Seems novel at first, but probably won't appeal to most people.
It sucks when companies demand a game get removed when what they offer is not the same product. If you're looking to get the experience of 1994 then you'll have a little novel fun. WC1 has not aged well at all. And is actually a step down from Dune 2 which, IMO, was better and more complex despite coming out 2 years before WC1. However, without WC1 there would be no WC2 which was ahead of their competitors and paved the way for Starcraft and WC3. Yes I played WC1 as a kid, but I took off the nostalgia goggles and it's just not that great. WC2 is still quite playable, though feels quite primitive even for its time. Consider Red Alert came out a year before in 1996. Westwood was just better than Blizzard, but they found their niche in characters which WC2 helped to start focus on and blossomed in WC3. So if you're looking for fun, don't expect it. This is a museum tour that makes you impressed how much changed over the years.
There are plenty of old games that hold up today like Deus Ex and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic with the latter being a good example of what can be done on the Source engine. I don't think VTMB is one of them. For all the raving about being a hidden gem, it is honestly pretty tame and janky to play. It does have some strengths: Voice acting, characters, and atmosphere. Those all still hold up. But I don't see the flexibility fans claim is there. Stealth is pretty much a must have, pacing is weird and I ended up with so many quests on my plate at once. Most of the side missions were not engaging and resolved themselves so quickly. it reminded me more of Postal 2 than anything from DX or classic RPG. And whereas Dark Messiah's combat still feels revolutionary today, VTMB feels even older than it actually is. I think most of the appeal has to be the fact it is centered around vampires and werewolves which is a relatively niche fandom and lacking decent games. It's playable, but is very rough around the edges (even on release that was a big criticism) and it hasn't aged well. The 5 star reviews that also mention the bad combat and rough gameplay really aren't being honest.
Starts with a bunch of platforming in the dark that goes on too long then a COD action sequence, and then a snooze fest of more random quests. The hype from fans is ridiculous, it is nowhere near as good as they are describing it. Some of the missions like Balls to the Wall are just plain impossible and goofy. There really isn't much content here either, it's a few decent missions in a tiny area. The best parts are the interactions with Johnny which help flesh him out a little more and he's got more endearing backstory revealed. But that's about it. I feel like I got ripped off.
