We played Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. It's an evolution of proven ideas from previous installments

Initially, let me share some personal details as we haven’t interacted before. My initial encounter with the series was through Heroes 3, and since then, Bastion castle has been my favorite. Among all characters, Jenova is my preferred one. To alleviate any concerns, I have also played Heroes, HOMM 2, and enjoyed the visuals of H5. The oddities in Heroes 4 mechanics still linger fondly in my memory, but it’s the third installment that consistently remains on my computer. I’ve barely scratched the surface of Heroes 6, while H7 is a topic I prefer not to discuss. I don’t have any competitive gaming experience and sometimes find myself purposely getting trapped by prioritizing the Capitol.

“We’re gonna try to tap into some types of players that enjoy specific things.” Interview with HoMM: Olden Era devs

Olden Era, you can engage in battles with six distinct factions. These are the Temple, representing traditional people, the Necropolis with undead beings, the Dungeon filled with dark and subterranean creatures, Sylvan for nature enthusiasts, Hive inhabited by demonic creatures, and another faction as yet unrevealed. The level of challenge was historically symbolized by chess pieces. The hero selection screen was captivating, displaying more than 20 portraits arranged neatly, each with its unique specialization. It felt like I was selecting a fighter in a combat game. Just like in that genre, instead of meticulously evaluating which weapon or magic hero would suit me best, I merely pointed to someone with an intriguing image and name. The multitude of heroes implies that everyone will likely discover their Solmyr, Isra, or Gunnar here.

Tentacles

I was curious to explore an unseen group, a faction that hasn’t been officially disclosed yet. The visual theme for this group leans towards a winter-crystal aesthetic. You can spot water and serpent symbols on the roster, and surprisingly, the fundamental creatures are friendly tentacle beings. They bear some resemblance to the Hanar from Mass Effect, but these are more armored and have a distinctive blue color.

After building the necessary structures, I found that I could enhance my units using one of two potential upgrades. This transformation not only altered their visuals but also shifted their stats, occasionally granting them unique abilities. More significantly, I was free to switch between these improved versions whenever I desired, without incurring any time or resource penalties. In other words, the game offered numerous user-friendly features that greatly enhanced my experience. For example, when recruiting units from the city interface, I could use the left mouse button to buy available troops and the right one to choose a different default variant. Once everything was customized to my liking, I simply clicked the recruit button for as many units as my budget allowed.

Just a couple thoughts on the city’s interface: It doesn’t quite match the unyielding, crystal-clear staticness of the third version or the epic, big-screen feel of “H5,” instead veering towards the former. As I maneuvered my cursor around, the view of the city subtly tilted here and there, adding a layer of depth, but not much more. On the left side, I noticed several icons: one for construction, another for recruitment, an inn, and a marketplace. I find it quite natural to visit the market by clicking on the appropriate building, but the convenience of these shortcuts, especially when I’m still getting my bearings in this new place, is certainly appreciated.

Map

Before embarking on our adventure, I assembled a team by recruiting another champion and borrowing his troops, leaving him with a solitary tentacle beast behind. Then, we ventured forth to conquer new territories. If you’ve been following the game’s progression, you’ve probably observed the visual change as unexplored areas are revealed – they remain gray initially, but as we traverse on our steed, increasingly larger portions of the game world become vibrant and colorful. The developers have announced that players who prefer a more mysterious “fog of war” similar to ‘Heroes of Might and Magic III’ or white clouds like in the fifth installment will be able to adjust this effect according to their preference. Regarding user interface, hero icons are located on the left side, city icons on the right, and the resource bar is at the top of the screen. In the upper left corner, there’s a panel for spells and laws.

On the map itself, there’s an abundance of resources, items, habitats, and generators. I found myself squinting at the screen initially, but yesterday, while playing “H3”, everything was clear. Today, though, I’m overlooking some resources or not clicking on the “wood mine”. It seems like it’s a matter of getting accustomed to distinguishing between items to pick up and background decorations. If you’ve ever taught someone to play “Heroes”, you might remember the awkwardness when they accidentally skipped the Fountain of Youth or the Garden of Revelation. In older versions, accessibility options helped me spot enemy threats and highlight interactive objects by holding down a key. No matter which version you started with, it’s likely that you’ll need to give your eyes a moment to adjust to avoid missing anything.

Sword

It’s true that not all wealth was readily available, and many of Jadame’s treasures were safeguarded by adversaries. When I moved my cursor over the enemy unit, I received details about the fight’s complexity, symbolized by skulls and a message: one skull – simple, five skulls – lethal. I initiated an attack on the troglodytes, and before the battle, a comprehensive window appeared, displaying the number and types of creatures involved, as well as demonstrating the anticipated outcome, indicating how many of my units and theirs would be lost. Much like in the games from the Total War series, I had the chance to either accept the outcome, retreat, or engage in the battle myself. Since the simulation forecasted the demise of two tentacle monsters, acting as a wise commander, I yelled, “Let’s go!” and charged into battle.

The fight on the hexagonal battlefield unfolded much as anticipated for this game series. We’re stationed on one side, our opponent is on the other, and certain hexes are strewn with obstacles like branches and rocks. Above us lies a planning aid called an initiative bar, while below we find a spellbook and a focus bar. As the fight progresses, this bar gathers charge, offering up to three points that can be used to activate unique unit abilities. These include teleporting an opponent four spaces away, launching a hero’s attack, or having Liches from Necropolis resurrect fallen allies. These abilities typically cost between zero and three points, but it remains unclear whether employing them will serve as a “game-changing” move, potentially swinging the battle in our favor at a crucial moment, or if they will simply grant us extra strategic options.

Ultimately, it was just a single tentacled beast that was subdued rather than two. As for AI dominating the world, that didn’t happen.

Or:

In the final analysis, only one tentacle creature was vanquished instead of the pair. On the subject of AI ruling the world, there was no such occurrence.

Magic

In this game, players who prefer magical solutions over brute force will find a variety of options. The magic interface is designed like constellations and divided into five progression tiers, though not as complex as the Atlas in Path of Exile. Initially, there are basic first-level spells such as magic arrows or healing, but additional spells can be unlocked by spending resources, primarily alchemical dust. Enhancements to existing spells can also be made. To add new spells to your character’s abilities, you must first visit the mage’s guild city and buy a relevant book. Progressing through the circles of star-written spells requires building additional levels of the guild.

Initially, the system may appear intricate due to the combination of distinct spell tiers and their individual upgrade levels. However, this complexity is offset by the freedom to select spells that pique your interest, rather than receiving a haphazard assortment which might not always be beneficial. For those craving more, in-game scrolls will serve as valuable resources, granting additional spells to expand your repertoire. At present, magic appears potent, given its strategic advantage in turn-based gameplay; immobilizing an opponent for even a brief moment can significantly shift the tide of battle.

Minmaxing

On my journey, numerous cave-dwelling creatures and other beings crossed my path, and the benefits, beyond the chance of collecting resources, were levels of expertise. Progressing through these levels required choosing one out of three abilities. Some of these skills had a blue or red icon, indicating what was necessary to advance my character’s class, offering additional advantages. This mechanism reminds me of Heroes of Might and Magic IV, where the combination of selected skills determined our class, which could evolve during gameplay. Regrettably, it has been restricted to just two subclasses in this instance. During my play session, I didn’t climb high enough to fully grasp how such a setup might impact the game.

Things become intriguing when we master a talent to an exceptional degree, as each one is tagged with five descriptors. Initially, you get three choices for these descriptors, and two more open up once you’ve advanced. You can select one of them every time. For instance, by refining morale to an advanced level, I might pick an option that grants my units an additional two health points. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that if I also possess a skill called “armorer” at the same time, the bonus will be multiplied.

This approach might be heavenly for those who relish crafting structures, yet it may also pose the threat of limiting us to certain systems. In terms of gameplay, I’d appreciate an adjustable character reallocation system, given the delight I derived from tinkering in Baldur’s Gate 3. The flexibility to tweak every aspect for a minimal cost added significantly to my enjoyment. However, Heroes of Might and Magic seems capable of functioning without this feature. In the initial phase post-release, the gaming community will likely resolve any debates and determine the most potent combinations.

As for the gear, I talked about the magical scrolls with spells earlier, but let me clarify that we’ll also obtain a variety of armor, weapons, and trinkets. These items will influence our character stats just like spells do. We can enhance these items using alchemical dust, much like we use it to upgrade spells. Let’s focus on building our individual power in the game. During my playthrough, I found a ring or amulet that increased the units’ endurance points by two, and the upgrade doubled this bonus. Considering other bonuses such as morale and armor, these additions were substantial. As a result, even my entry-level tentacle monsters, initially with 10 HP, now have 18 HP. As an old-school RPG enthusiast, I’m thrilled to see that the game provides numerous chances for character development and growth in power.

Monocracy

In the realm of strategy games, Olden Era incorporates a unique feature known as the Faction Laws tree. As our characters grow in power through experience, we’ll accumulate law points, which can be used to elevate the faction’s overall level. Notably, the town hall-like structure doesn’t just yield daily gold but also law points. Transitioning to an interface reminiscent of an open book, you’ll find economic opportunities on one side, such as a temporary resource boost or enabling cities to produce a single unit of wood and ore each turn. Conversely, the battle section offers options like enhancing unit attack and defense when they engage in combat on their native terrain.

The system brought to mind the parallel between technological advancements and societal structures in games such as Civilization. In this context, we gather points and occasionally upgrade something. These upgrades are categorized into five levels, with the lower tiers needing to be purchased first to unlock the more expensive and potent higher ones. Although it’s intriguing to explore the various options, I fear that we may consistently choose the predictable and well-trodden path rather than diversifying authentic gameplay.

Maybe?

The game Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era leans heavily on the heritage of previous versions, confidently incorporating fresh mechanics and ideas. Instead of opting for radical change, it opts for a more gradual evolution, relying on time-tested solutions typical of its genre that have not been explored within the series to date, without compromising the gameplay.

It’s likely that each person has their preferred title in this series. Could “Olden Era” potentially become someone’s favorite “Heroes”? Absolutely, although there is a possibility that the new features could turn out to be too complex. Time will tell how the game unfolds, but I found it enjoyable to play and it seems like the negative trend of the series might be reversed. To put it simply, after just 30 minutes, I was already receiving comments from my colleagues about how engrossed and focused I appeared.

What can I do – I just wanted one more turn.

2025-03-11 13:37

We played Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. It’s an evolution of proven ideas from previous installments

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