Heroes of Might & Magic III – HD Edition Review

In the eyes of the current generation, Heroes of Might & Magic is likely seen as an old relic of the past. Once a great turn-based strategy game, it now survives solely on meager sequels and questionable spin-offs – try explaining to someone who is unaware why the series has such authority and why everyone knew about the evil plan of the necromancer Sandro at the dawn of the 2000s. First, you’ll have to explain who this Sandro even is.

Fortunately, astrologers have declared it the year of remasters, and Ubisoft didn’t miss its chance: while the franchise celebrates its 20th anniversary, the third and most iconic part of “Heroes” is receiving an HD remake. And we are already abandoning the next-gen and eagerly running back to reclaim our childhood.

If anyone truly doesn’t know what HoMM3 is (sigh, you), then I’ll have to briefly explain the essence. Under your control, there are numerous castles and heroes. Castles need to be built to train combat units, and heroes roam the global map, full of useful resources and artifacts. All of this is done in order to gather a powerful army and crush the enemy, who is doing pretty much the same thing.

Yes, it sounds banal and even primitive, but that’s exactly the case where genius lies in simplicity. The unpretentious concept of the game has created perfect conditions for tons of content, the diversity of which ensures endless excitement. In fact, “Heroes” still captivate even after years, constantly providing new surprises.

Special thanks to the authors for the untouched music. Do you remember that victorious melody?

However, the biggest and most ambiguous surprise of recent years has been the remaster itself. Good intentions and colorful promises suddenly turned into monstrous criticism and the title of the worst reissue in the foreseeable universe. Why – is not very clear.

The only serious complaint about HoMM3HD is the lack of expansions. In the restored version, fans will not find “Armageddon’s Blade”, “The Shadow of Death”, or even “Heroes Chronicles”, which contained dozens of campaigns, loads of artifacts, a whole new faction, and the beloved map generator for custom parties. Of course, there is enough original content in “The Restoration of Erathia” to last a long time, but the add-ons could noticeably extend the enjoyment.

The ever-present software bugs are slightly less disappointing. The usual excuse of “what game doesn’t have bugs” won’t work, at least because there are a lot more of them compared to the 1999 release. And even though they don’t primarily hinder normal gameplay, it would still be nice to know why archers suddenly start shooting with the sound of a fireball, and why half of the hotkeys no longer work.

On the other hand, the graphics of the game have definitely improved. The insane cries of the authors of user reviews about how everything is blurry and the style is ruined find no confirmation in reality – everything looks and moves exactly the same as 15 years ago, but with adjustments for modern resolution standards. Whether this is good or bad is up to you to decide, but personally, we forgive the jerky animation and videos. The only ones who can complain are owners of widescreen displays who are forced to tolerate fat black bars on the sides of the screen.

In addition, thanks to the HD remaster of HoMM3, it finally has access to a normal multiplayer. Full Steamworks support eliminates the need for complicated connection rituals through third-party software. Most of the annoying network mode issues were fixed in the first few days, so playing with friends will now be problem-free – isn’t that a joy? Honestly, the only thing missing for a complete package is the Steam Workshop with user-created maps, but that’s just an obvious wish.

The grandiose and all-encompassing remaster did not happen, and yet the legend unequivocally returned. Not in the best quality one could imagine, but in a sufficiently acceptable form to once again immerse oneself in the classics and, if possible, bring along a dozen or so newcomers.