Many older games are subject to accusations of being 'objectively obsolete'. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is one older game I can confidently say is straight up addictive. It's easy to learn and fun to play. Herores of Might and Magic 3 is unique because it combines 'questing' mechanics with turn-based strategy. Armies are all led by 'generals' who you will direct around the map looking for treasure, creatures, and hopefully an unclaimed city or two. Battles can automated or directed turn-by-turn at your leisure - every section of your army will be represented by one moving unit. The numbers of your army act like HP and cumulative damage increases. The battles themselves are simple. The real meat of the game is in directing your heroes to treasure, battles, rival generals, and improving and protecting your cities. You will level up your heroes as well, help them learn spells and carefully choose units that work well with the improvements of the general. You have nine 'factions' to pick from which all have their own music and themes, with each feeling very different from the other. If you like playing the 'Evil' side, there's three distinct options. I look forward to seeing different factions on the map, and I always want to collect 'city types' under my banner. Unless you're interested in gaming history for its own sake, the first two titles are just curiosities. Very playable curiosities, mind you. If you're familiar with strategy games, you won't be frustrated with Heroes 1 and 2 at all, and I highly recommend them for people who are casually interested in retro gaming. If you're just looking for a fun strategy game with unique mechanics, get the third.
This game plays fluidly. Though the combat mechanics were a little lackluster, the real point of the game is the platforming. Easy to learn but hard to master. Every level brings on new challenges that rely on precedents set by the game. I played the PS3 version with a controller first and I feared that playing with a keyboard would be difficult., Playing with a keyboard turned out to be easy. Default keymapping is usable, you can change them if you like. Though the combat isn't anything exciting, it isn't bad either. It integrates some of the acrobatics seen in the platforming. The Prince can vault over enemies and I did this a lot because it makes combat easier. It's frustrating to have to do combat again if I die during certain sections of the game. The reverse time mechanic is unique, but during combat it feels more like a quality of life feature than a key part of gameplay. The platforming is inspired. The mechanics behind the platforming are satisfying, with a set of simple moves used to maneuver through increasingly complex levels. Some mechanics may seem odd at first if you are used to other 3D platformers like Spyro or Mario. The ability to jump is based on context with the environment and enemies. Small platforms/obstacles are automatically leapt on and over by moving with the WSAD keys. However, this keeps movement fluid and focused on human acrobatics. The Prince controls like a guy who can really run around and jump from ledge to ledge, which is impressive even now. Hits the right balance between 'realistic' and 'game-like'. As far as the theming goes? It's silly. The setting is a bit stereotypical. However, the great bulk of the game is devoted to gameplay itself rather than story and cutscenes. There's a narrator - he's well voice-acted and the narration doesn't interrupt gameplay. All cutscenes are skippable. It's a great game. Not flawless, but very fun and has value in gaming history to boot.
