Last year, right before our eyes in the three-stepped two popular series. Many scoffed at angular soldiers Age of Empires III and prophets of-age of Civilization IV, but in general has embraced the new look of the old games is warm enough. Noise around the Heroes of Might and Magic V was much higher. The new publisher and new developer promised, burying an unsuccessful HoMM IV, to continue the tradition of the third part of the series, but - in a fully three-dimensional world. I must say, the promise is fulfilled, and over, so that those who were waiting for "Renaissance Erathia in 3D, may miss the rest of the text and run to the store for the game, if not yet done so.
HEROES OF THE OLD AND NEW Those who stayed, we would like to say that the three-dimensionality - it's cool and modern, but not when the victim becomes the beauty of visibility. Take a look at the screenshots of the global map. Can you say with certainty what is going on in the background - in particular, what monsters are there? I think not. Not only because of the prospects they look like tiny, so some of them are still hidden by lush vegetation. Yes, you can click on them, right-click to find out who they belong to and how many of them. But, first, unaccustomed to get them the cursor is not so simple (as in all other objects on the map) - to avoid suffering, guided by his head "horses." Secondly, the number of enemies still denoted by words like "Horde", "mob" or "legion". Of course, fans of the previous series by heart remember that the "horde" - it is only fifty enemies, and the "Legion" - almost a thousand. But what about newcomers?
 | Michael Razumkin |
I will not talk about the multiplayer, since I play exclusively in the single. The game is good, even with the little guard training mission and combat cheat AI. Beautiful 3D-graphics with a handy camera, the majestic city, a familiar game mechanics, backed by an innovative line of "initiatives". Initially, however, be confused with the cursor and types of troops (a long time to get used to that griffins swapped with the Crusaders) ... The general picture somewhat spoil the absence of descriptions of abilities unit, the puppet scenic spots and strange spontaneous stop the hero during the course.
I can not remain silent about the presence of only one 3D-model to all the heroes of the faction. Well at least in the scenario of characters unique avatars. In a word, waiting for patches.
 | |  | Neither the game nor the documentation says nothing about what specific meaning behind the word "many" and "little". | | The city looks great, but suffer from gigantism. The game would not prevent the possibility of erecting buildings and purchasing troops, not loading once again all this beauty. |
Well, for starters, you can listen to our story about who are these "heroes": "They lived in a fantasy country. Earth there were just fabulously wealthy. Go horse riding hero - or necessarily finds a treasure chest, or a bunch of semi-precious stones, or an entire sawmill orphaned. Were carried out, however, Forests and scary monsters, but the same monsters and heroes to their locks to grow. Not free, of course - first home for soldiers operation and then every week in this house Hire (whence were taken?). But the characters were even and fantasy, but all the same medieval. And without strife could not. How to meet on a narrow path, immediately a fight zateyut. Fought, however, not anyhow, but by etiquette. Initially, one side attacks, the second is protected. Then vice versa. Who lost the army - in disgrace is removed. Who won - the experience gets, develops their skills in combat, magic, Ali, Ali has what. "
And for beginners is the first campaign for the people, like any "tutorial" incredibly boring. In it we learn to walk on the map, select the chests of gold and resources to war and to develop character, to rebuild the city and look for the Grail (change its name, but not the essence). The point is certainly correct, but that's why it was stretched to five missions and be sure to pass?
The first negative impression is not brightened up and the plot. Foreseeing the demise of an ambulance, the company 3DO decided to burn the bridges behind them all - in particular, to destroy the universe first three parts of the Heroes of Might and Magic (and a few episodes of role-playing series). Which replaced enroth and Erathia Chedian and Akseot not deceive Ubisoft, and action games that go under the revived label, was moved to a new world of Ashan. After the most boring early action considerably enlivened, but never goes beyond the typical heroic fantasy. Accidentally or intentionally, the plot Heroes of Might and Magic V is reminiscent of Renaissance Erathia, ranging from strings "red-haired warrior, an opposing army of demons," and ending with the characters and the ups and downs of the fate of some characters. Only a happy ending do not wait - because "Heroes" are a kind of prelude to the coming Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
| Natalia Odintsova |
Long hours spent in the Japanese tactical RPG, taught me to ensure that the balance of forces in the field must be crystal clear commander. Trample down the enemy's superior number of soldiers - small honor, but the right skills to take advantage of even a small squad - already a science. Surprised unduly prolonged course of study in a single mode Heroes of Might and Magic V. To learn how to plan the composition of private army, what formation the most advantageous for different classes of people and bad people, as it turned out, just ready to tell in the taverns for a modest bribe. Surprised illogical planning of the training. Man in the "Heroes" still very ignorant, I have carefully studied the various branches of the development of abilities of the hero-commander, wondering why my bonus to magical knowledge without actually spells. A spell-it gives only a couple of missions! Narrative chapters not wealthy and tactical puzzles. Colleagues have painted the beauty of multiplayer, but desperately wanted a good single player game: the more explanatory in-game leadership, more dynamic progress of campaigns and more vivid characters in the dialogues.
 | |  | Although trees in the land of necromancers neatly trimmed, see who is hiding behind them, it is still difficult. | | In the multiplayer spells can miss and hit the wrong target, chosen by the player. |
We should also mention the videos on the engine, designed, conceived by the writers to reveal the characters of the actors. They look just a nightmare - the characters, without opening his mouth, utter pretentious speech, occasionally brandishing weapons. Perhaps, the impression would not be so terrible if we sometimes do not show completely normal scene in which a facial animation and "directing" all right.
And that under the hood? Like the story, the gameplay in general is not too far away from the third part. 6 locks (people, demons, sorcerers, undead, light and dark elves), teams move around the map just under the authority of the hero, an increase of creatures in the cities of once a week. A few key additions, but they are not comparable with radical changes HOMM IV.
First, the troops now an option to "initiative", which determines the sequence of moves in the tactical mode. The higher the initiative of the detachment, the more he can act. To help the player at the bottom of the screen there is a special line in which the troops, including characters, arranged in the order in which they will walk. If you hover on the squad, he immediately is highlighted in the initiative list. Change of morality, the use of teams "protection" and "wait" (for which there is no button in the interface - press W) immediately displayed in the list. Very clearly and comfortably, although with an increase in speed battle line is not always kept pace with developments, as well as periodically forgets to count the creatures in the squad and shows how they were at the beginning of the battle.
| Constantine Govorun |
I rarely play on PC, but the episode Heroes of Might & Magic is one of my favorite - in its time a lot of time spent in the second, third and fourth installments. I think the latter - the best. Maybe in the multiplayer and it was not very good, but for me the single most important quality - with an interesting storyline and a variety of missions. HoMM V - a "third three-dimensional characters," neither more nor less. Fortunately, the game (as, for example, Warcraft III) is designed for a top view, so that virtually turn the camera is not required, and it looks very familiar. Innovations in gameplay made in the spirit of "well one must at least something to change, and that's fine. No need to spoil something that works well. The only bad thing that the ideas of the fourth part of developers to use virtually did not (scared opinions of the masses, do not appreciate the game). Look new "Heroes" just fine, except in narrative scenes on the engine during the missions. At these moments, they resemble a bad copy of Warcraft III. But this can close your eyes, believe me.
Secondly, the construction of cities, each new building requires not only the resource costs and the building prior to his buildings, but also a certain level of the city (which is determined by the total number of buildings), and each race has a unique structure. So, people can turn peasants into archers, swordsmen and archers to continue through the levels, and magicians - to supply their troops mini-artifacts.
Thirdly, the hero can not just cast spells, but also to perform a special attack (physical or magic, depending on class), which does not waste mana. Heroes in the game there are only 6 species - one class for each nation and each has a specialty (for certain units, spells and so on). In addition to increased number of parameters (attack, defense, knowledge, and witchcraft), the hero is able to learn and improve skills, which in turn provide access to more highly specialized skills. For example, the ability to "Logistics" allows you to learn the ability to "Navigator", "Pathfinder" and "Scout." To the credit of the developers, among them virtually useless does not occur, and then there is the unique class abilities ... In general, the pumping has to think through very carefully.
 | |  | The walls of the fortresses on the break down surprisingly quickly. | | Hold magic attacks can, and many units. For example, water elementals. |
Assassination SPRAY Unfortunately, an abundance of features puts spanner in the awkward interface and lack of information. Already referred to us Age of Empires III and Civilization IV included available at any time, the encyclopedia with detailed help on all gaming sites. Here we all have to learn on their own experience or on the fan sites. How to decide which building to build the first, if one gives access to the Minotaur, and another - to a beast? After a fifth of the troops can not see the options ahead of time, before the building will be erected in which they are produced.Choose the Magic of Light or defense, if every skill opens up access to the three abilities, the benefits that can only speculate on the names? Capabilities of units can not be decrypted, and if the "shooter" or "flying creature" speak for themselves, the "big board" or "killer sprays (as text in the Russian version and used the terminology - a separate conversation) are self-explanatory, which in game you do not find it. The User's Guide - also. But half of the screen is three-dimensional portrait, and to view all information about the hero and his army have to switch between multiple zakladkami.Ili here who interfered with the caravans of the fourth part? Yes, self-moving beings - an attempt to basics and a step too controversial, but forces the player to hire extras that every week bypassed the home of monsters (and what to do - because no growth is accumulated unredeemed) - a completely unnecessary micromanagement.
| Artem Shorokhov |
The position of the wood elves simple and clear: "Heroes 5 - good." Well - despite what they say in the kitchens of any magazine editors. And here's why. Once upon a time all games were two-dimensional - flat, like a chessboard. Now it is mauvais ton, 3D-graphics is not even a fashion, a tribute to everyday life. Favorite series closely, pressed by developers ... In general, it is necessary. And the way to the creators of the two. Possible to takeoff uhnut in three, to meet the difficulties and try to beat them - or pan, or swim. And you can be careful, painstakingly moved in three dimensions "that same" game, focusing on "how something might make a mess of things, wary of every kind to innovate. The best example of the first track - a serial Worms. How many times have we emit a moan: "It would be better had they left as it was? Nival and Ubisoft avoided this trap, but ended up in another. "Why do we need one more HoMM 3?" - Long-time fans are outraged. God be with them, look at casual gamers - they like. And it's much better than the situation with Worms 3D.
DVEROKRYLY And VEDROGOLOVY Why does fine, so it is the abolition of the permanent soundtrack composer series by Rob King and graphics. The character models are made with high quality and are animated with a soul. Gargoyles was truly stone, and watch as they clumsily slammed his monolithic wings, similar to the gate leaf, and then hitting the enemy hard tablets and pleasant at first, and the tenth time. Good and jumping sideways minor imps and shifty vperevalochku militia with tubs on their heads. Artistic style of each nation is sustained and reinforced by the perfectly lovely portraits.
Of course, race (or "factions" as magnify their leaders) do not differ only in appearance. Say, "Academics" are the most "Mago technologically" advanced party to the conflict. Gremlins can repair mechanisms and, therefore, are good support for the golems. And archmage has its own, albeit relatively small, spell books. In the ranks of elven armies lot of shooters and fast troops, the troops of necromancers, in general fragility, can recover (sometimes at the expense of the opponent) and could not be demoralized, and the demons call on the battlefield reinforcements straight from Hell. However, with the default camera all the battles look like a battle with cockroaches, beetles, and the lack of conventions: the striker at the enemy squad hero runs freely through the logs, allies and even the walls, and storm hovering in the skies of magicians is no different from the others. It seems, specially landed before the battle. Internal view of the locks just huge, but the loss of functionality: to choose among a heap of turrets and annexes required is almost impossible unless you open a construction plan.
GHOST OF A GOOD GAME The complexity of a single game and if increased, thanks to proven recipes "let's put plenty of monsters here," the player does not understand how to evolve and be trampled three times superior forces. " The computer opponent is still using very simple rules, like "first destroy the shooters" or "devils first thing to steal mana from an enemy hero, and locks are also developing their platitudinous. Single cards is small, and the editor only promise in one of the patches.
| Semen Chirikov |
Extremely disappointed with the game, and this applies to both gameplay and technical issues. Still not supported by sound cards X-Fi, if the beta game simply refuses to run, but now there is no sound. In general, fifth does not differ from the third, but the proverbial three-dimensional, but she's not completely necessary! In "Heroes" are not for graphics, and normally enjoy gameplay prevents a terrible imbalance and lack of intuitive control.
Since I always play for the Necromancer, I really liked that one fifth of them become truly invincible. Ability to resurrect fallen warriors and turn them into ghosts, the ability to "Banshee Shriek, and a unique ability to one of the heroes, through which he's joined by all the neutral army of undead - all this gives them a huge advantage over other races.
And what about multiplayer? The developers have attempted to rid the military leaders of the tedious delays during the course of the opponent, while adding elements of gameplay in real time. Now, playing on the network, you can choose the "ghost mode", and each player will be a servant - a disembodied spirit, capable of acting in the "twilight", until their cases heard by the opponents in the ordinary world. Energy reserve ghost depends on how long your opponent did the previous move. The energy expended in movement, as well as "pumping" ghost. Ghosts can query the evil eye on the heroes and field resources.
 | |  | From now on, the cities, like the heroes have unique characteristics that affect the game. | | Some games are so ugly texts that are hard to understand what it all about. |
The idea is that ghosts are able to take control of neutral creatures, allowing you to watch the fight, and sometimes control them. But we did not succeed.The problem is that the "ghost mode" overly complicated, again poorly documented and do not seem very thoroughly tested. In the ghost, there are six skills that correspond to different areas of his subversive activities, but to what level should be raised, for example, "Capture" to one hundred percent chance to take control of neutral monsters, is unknown. In addition, there are situations when the ghost of time and curses, and protects the same enemy hero, or when a neutral creatures are cursed at the same time the ghosts of both warring parties. The effect of the "curse" is often not obvious, and cursed the sawmill can continue to bring the two norms of wood per day. In addition, explored haunted area is closed to the eyes of heroes. However, for all the shortcomings, its function "to take a free player" ghost does. Add to that a small number of cards and a lot of holes in the balance sheet, which only have to fix the patches.
| Marina Petrashko |
Minus the three-dimensional graphics game leaves an impression: "It might look like" Heroes III », if the testers and localizers bad doing their job." Monstrous Russian. Bugs and deficiencies. The possibility of heroes and troops specialization greatly expanded, but are silent on this reference manual and, therefore, for a glimpse of the differences are imperceptible, as happens in combat unpleasant surprises - by one reckoning, you get more.
Lost visibility inherent in a flat world, and the need to rotate the map to find the hidden monsters, annoying. In combat, it is very difficult to distinguish from their strange, plague-zombie from the peasants, and range of priorities, with its different backgrounds for different players, for some reason helps only slightly. The most interesting - to play over the network in a duel with an opponent the same set of units. But such a game existed before "Heroes V», and was called "Chess".
Another nice online mode, for some reason is still absent in the "Heroes" - a duel. Just a single tactical battle between two characters level 15 with large armies. Without a doubt, the best innovation in the network game.
As expected, the project was very uneven, and heated debates on the forums, and in our editorial, evidence of this. The game froze halfway between casual and hardcore fans of the audience Heroes of Might and Magic III and full of controversial decisions, especially in the interface. But be that as it may be, the revival of the series may be declared valid, and the fifth will play - the best "Devourer of Time" today still search, and after the additions, as usual, some claims will disappear by itself.
 | |  | Parameters and composition of the army of heroes, "duelists" You can look but do not change. | | In the shadowy world around you damned creature appears here is light. |
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