Might & Magic Heroes VI is this time created by BlackHole Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. This is part of a long series of strategy/roleplaying games which goes right back to the old school days of games 1986. Might and Magic has its own set of dedicated followers that have stuck to this game like glue from one game to the next, they have not been scared to say what is on their minds if the game gets released and it’s not up to their standard. This time though Blackhole Entertainment has worked closely with the community and given them everything they want, they believe this is the game that will turn the tide of bad Might & Magic releases, let’s hope so!
Might & Magic Heroes VI is set hundreds of years after the last game, the narration is not great for an RPG but it is in my option adequate enough for the series. Most of the narration takes place in small text boxes accompanied by character avatars and of course voice acting. The cut scenes are fantastic to watch and well designed with plenty of detail. The latest instalment of the Heroes will make a lot of sense to faithful followers of the Might and Magic Series, but for the newcomers you may get a little confused.
The camera is set above the playing field like other strategy games however this game for me feels like civilizations with fantasy elements. The game also has other elements like resources (Wood, Gold Etc.) which need to be collected, character movement is turn-based, also the more time you spend messing around on the map the more time the weeks, months will pass allowing your enemies to get more powerful and may get to the point where you will be unable to kill them.
BlackHole Entertainment has added a morality system called Blood & tears the choices you make here will ultimately change the outcome of the game, however this type of system forces you to choose two main options defensive or offensive. Defensive would mean you would need to keep your units topped up with health and playing with caution. Offensively you would migrate the loss of health by taking care of your enemies with skills and going for the fast kill. While you go through the game you do get the opportunity to move from a neutral spec to something on another level like the Confessor, this is opened if you go down the tear tree or if you have decided to go down the blood tree you can choose to play as a Inquisitor.
Every point is granted to you by the way you play your tactics out on the battlefield or by deciding what type of a leader you are. If you are a non-sympathetic leader and kill creatures that run away within a battle, you will gain blood points. If you are more compassionate as a leader and let the creature run away like a whimpering baby then you would get tear points. The final way to get points is based on how you decide to complete quests in the game.Throughout Heroes VI you will also get to play several factions and depending on how you decided to go through the game depends on the final epilogue you get to see and play through at the end. The factions you get to explore are the Stronghold, Inferno, Sanctuary the Haven and finally the Necropolis.
The battle system may seem frustrating to newcomers as it was for me, as something l learnt while playing the first map, if you put units together they would soemtimes gain a boost of some kind E.G Defensive buff, but doing this also allows the enemy to hit both units, so joining up units has its benefits but it also has its negitives. You will always need to be mindful of your tactical decisions on the battlefield so you can switch between healing, avoiding damage and dealing damage to the enemy. As you progress through the game you will get to place you units on the battlefield before any battle takes place this is also defended by your skill.
Heroes VI has changed for the better with more sleek designed menus, the graphics in game has been updated with the latest technology available (ish) the cut scenes do however over shadow the in-game visuals which to me has no relevance to how I play the game. With a great music score, great gameplay (Some may find it a little too slow) this has to be a great addition to the Might and Magic franchise and you can really see that the developers have listened closely to their community.
I would recommend this game to any RTS fan that would like something that will last some time with plenty of choices and depth.
Graphics
The graphics are sharp and extremely detailed, however I would like to see more use of technology’s available for PC, like DX11 and PhysX from NVidia to give more depth and feel to the game.
Sound
The sound in the game is perfect and matches the sequences in game perfect from the classical music used while working around the map to the intenseness of the music used within the battle sequences.
Gameplay
There is a lot of depth in Might & Magic Heroes VI and will make any true RTS fan very happy, however it can feel rather slow at time (However this is only a complaint from newcomers).
Overall
Might & Magic Heroes VI is a great accomplishment by the developers and you can tell that they have really worked closely with the community to give a true feel to what they believe to be a Might & Magic game for its followers.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
