Pocket Change - Shopping Blog

I am a gamer with some experience working in the game industry and I am currently playing Heroes of Might and Magic V, in which demons are overrunning the Griffon Empire and it’s up to, of course, me to save the day.

This is one of those games that sacrifices game play in order to look pretty. However, the game still is fun and challenging. And hey, it really is very pretty.

The game will appeal to moderate to serious thinking gamers; it is a classic turn-based fantasy game. In general, you have time to think about your every move, although so far I have run into one battle (so there are probably more) that had time limits, which is really bad for people like me who want time to think about their actions.

This is a sequel of a beloved series, and it is now in 3D. The problem is that the game really was best in 2D–and it is now 3D just so that it can claim, “Now in 3D!” The problem with shoehorning this into 3D is that the maps are smaller, features on the map are easy to miss, and the underground is hard to view due to camera problems.

Pros

• Heroes gain levels and have custom skill trees for interesting character development.
• Several levels of difficulty.
• 6 campaigns, with engaging stories.
• The game is pretty.

Cons

• The game desperately needs a manual. (Here’s an online one.)
• Some scenarios have unclear objectives, and the difficulty varies greatly from scenario to scenario.
• Somewhat high hardware requirements due to the unneeded and unwanted 3D view.
• Awkward camera controls.

Final Verdict: B-

Ben