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Heroes Chronicles

Some computer companies seem to tend to squeeze the last nickel out of their products. "New World Computing" and "3DO" released a plethora of Might and Magic titles and add-ons. Heroes of Might and Magic III (HoMM III) got an incredible number of add-ons; after the original game they released Armageddon's Blade, then the Shadow of Death, and eventually, the new Heroes Chronicles (HC). Unfortunately, anyone who ever played HoMM III will instantly realize that this is only a vage replica of the original game. Each of the "chronicles" contains one campaign. The game uses the same engine, same AI, same background music, and so on. On the other hand it doesn't feature a random map generator, nor multiplayer mode or custom game mode. Hence, HC is more like a series of demos of the original game intended for younger players. The hardcore Might and Magic players should just ask themselves what use do they have for these eight missions. The only good thing about it is that each Chronicle counts as a separate game and they don't require HoMM III to be installed.

	Fighting against a horde of enemies. Building in progress...

The new serial contains four episodes, or chronicles to be more precise, that will appear in the next couple of months. As I already stated, the serial is meant for rookie players rather than seasoned M&M veterans. All four chronicles follow the path of a single hero, Tarnum, who has to expiate his sins from the past. He will do so by completing several quests the Gods gave him. This story takes up all four CDs. The game is still turn-based, and it still requires resource, city and hero management. The battles are conducted on a tactical level with all sorts of appropriate mythological units: vampires, mummies, goblins, wolves, orcs, ghosts, hydras, giants and many others.

The first chronicle "Warlords of Wasteland" is an introduction to the rest of the chronicles. It speaks of Tarnum the Barbarian who discovers the long-forgotten glory of his peaceful warrior people (Peaceful warrior people - definitely an oxymoron! - Ed). This awoken nationalism inspires our hero to fight the wizards who enslaved his nation.

The second chronicle "Conquest of The Underworld" describes the adventures of the immortal hero Tarnum who had been sent by Gods to rescue an abducted king and bring him back to his daughter. He is now a holy knight who has to fight the demons from hell.

As you might have noticed, in each chronicle Tarnum gets to try out a new class. In the first one he gets to be a barbarian, and in the second one he is a paladin. In the last two chronicles he will become a ranger and a mage! New World Computing got the brilliant idea to create a multi-class hero! This way, the players can identify themselves with the hero even more!

Each disk contains eight scenarios in one campaign. The stories are interesting and develop into a very interesting saga somewhat better than the confusing tales from the previous "Heroes". There are many in-game scripted sequences and pop-up windows that explain and maintain the storyline. Unfortunatly, the scenarios are shorter and take place on smaller maps. You won't have the chance to play on a map bigger than Medium or Large size (you can just forget about Extra Large). Playability and atmosphere are similar to the original HoMM III, but the map design, is far below the original. They are made in a way that the AI, even on the hard level, can never seriously threaten you. The computer will almost never attack; it will act defensively. This induces sterile and monotonous gameplay, and the only chance to lose your hero is if he gets killed by accident.

The lack of challenge reduces the game to bad atmosphere, consisting of constant build-up and map exploration. This severely affects replay value, or even the notion of long term playing. I only had to replay one mission because I managed to loose the hero when I attacked a fortress with insufficient forces. If I had waited for a couple of turns more and massed up some more units I would have won. But does massing up units add to the gameplay value?

I wonder why "New World Computing" decided to ruin one of the best game series ever with such a lousy product. This is the first game that absolutely relies on its predecessor's engine. Each add-on until now brought new maps, items, heroes and campaigns, and HC brings absolutely nothing. The story is interesting, and yet insufficient to provide the enjoyment like any of the older HoMM.

Repeating this error four times (i.e. releasing four products), just to tell the tale of Tarnum and his heroics is a "tad" too much. And if you desire anything more than eight missions in a campaign, you better buy HoMM III: Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade or stand-alone expansion Shadow of Death. Or even download any of the missions and campaigns from the fan sites. HC is something to avoid, unless you are a complete newbie to the world of Might and Magic. And considering the popularity of the serial, I'd say that is a fat chance.

			click to learn how we rate games
	Don't Bother    35		highs The story isn't that bad;		lows Nothing new, just eight missions in the only campaign on the disk.		stability / learning curve /