The legendary, the one and only, the amazing Heroes of Might and Magic III is probably one of the least talked about AMAZING games ever released, especially if you live in the US, Canada or, basically, everywhere else BUT Eastern Europe.
And why would you talk about it? HoMM3 is a game launched back in 1999, so it can be considered prehistoric by many. Well, let me tell you why: because Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is the GREATEST game ever made!
Now that Ubisoft announced Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, a new game that promises to take the gameplay back to its original roots, I think it’s the perfect time to get nostalgic and talk about these roots.
What makes HoMM 3 so special?
Let’s start with a bit of history – although it would be enough to say that Heroes of Might and Magic 3 made history and IS history.
The game was launched back in 1999, coming with a ton of improvements over the previous two games in the series (Heroes of Might and Magic 1 & 2), managing to offer player such a complete and perfect gaming experience that you simply could not ignore it.
For somebody who has never played a HoMM game before, it will seem insanely complex and complicated. And it is. But that is exactly what makes it special – and one of the main reasons why it is still such a popular game even today.
For example, here is the HD Edition of the game on Steam, at the moment of writing this article (and the Steam version is the LEAST popular of them all):
Over 1,000 players are in the game right now. Not to shabby for a game launched some 25 years ago, right?
And, as I said, this is not the most popular game, even though it is the official HD Edition release. The most popular is, however, the “Complete edition” which can be found on GoG, as it stands true to its name, being the most complete edition of the game, with extra factions, better AI and a random map generator that gives the game endless replayability.
But back to the original question: what makes Heroes of Might and Magic III so special? There are tons of things that contribute to its legendary status, including:
- A complex world with hundreds of creatures to recruit, upgrade, fight against.
- 8 or 9 playable in-game factions (depending on your version of the game). Each faction comes with a unique set of Heroes (leaders of your armies), unique creatures and buildings you can create in their main cities.
- Hundreds of artifacts to get and equip, boosting your heroes’ stats. Some artifacts can be merged into better, truly epic ones.
- Tons of skills to choose from, then level up to build perfect heroes, specialized for various tasks or purposes.
- Hundreds of spells to master (including skills related to them, in order to boost their stats).
- Hundreds of elements on the map – from charming decor ones – to plenty of structures that affect the gameplay (mines that provide resources, structures that give all sorts of boost or creatures, portals, gates and a lot more).
- A map editor that allows players to create their own maps (there are thousands to download, with hundreds of mind blowing ones). Some versions of the game also offer a random map generator, for basically endless gameplay opportunities.
- An extremely active modding community that keeps pumping new content even today.
Of course, Heroes of Might and Magic III is a lot more than what I could list above. It’s a game that I am playing since its release, after playing the first two in the series, and one that I always come back to over and over again.
The most amazing thing about HoMM3 is the fact that, despite its old age, kind of outdated graphics and relatively dumb and predictable AI, it remains attractive to new players.
I introduced my son to the game when he was 10 and, even though he was discouraged a bit by its complexity, he loved it and said that he now understands why I play the game so often.
He still only scratched the surface and he still prefers to play other games most of the time – but at the same time, he does get back to Heroes 3 every now and then, playing for a while. And that is something few games as old as this one can do – heck, even brand new games he is sure he’ll love end up ignored after a brief gaming session.
I actually tried to introduce him to some of my favorites from when I was young – games like Dune 2, Another World or Supaplex (trying to cover multiple genres here) but he didn’t like them. HoMM 3 was an instant hit. And I think this tells a lot about how amazing this game really is.
So, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is a game that simply can’t be fully put in words, whose complexity is so embraceable that it’s almost a paradox. Mix that together with the charming visual style that remains relevant even today, after so many years, as well as the flawlessly done music score and sound effects and you do get a game that simply (and unfortunately) can’t be replicated.
Sure, many have tried to create something similar. Even the franchise itself has seen new games released – but none managed to become as popular and be as appreciated as Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Somehow, it managed to do all the things right. And the rest is history.
Speaking of amazing games, do check out my list of Dune games in chronological order, as well as my list of the Best Games Like NARAKA: BLADEPOINT.
Heroes of Might and Magic III Versions
Since the original release back in 1999, the game received plenty of expansions, both official and unofficial.
From a set of pretty easy (yet fun to play) campaigns called Heroes of Might and Magic Chronicles, to a massive update that introduced a new faction – the Conflux – and plenty of new gameplay elements, to the still alive modding community that launched a series of updates on their own (the most popular being Horn of the Abyss, In The Wake of Gods, Day of the Reckoning and the unofficial HD version), the game kept growing and expanding year over year.
Add to that the thousands of player-made maps that you can download and play for free, and you have enough to keep you busy for a lifetime or two.
If you want to play (or replay) the game, I personally recommend getting the Complete version from Good Old Games, as it has the latest official content, namely the Conflux update and the random map generator. It’s constantly on sale and you will be able to get it for a couple of bucks on many occasions.
Then, you can install the unofficial HD mod (and/or any of the others, as they work together) and enjoy the amazing game. If you’ve never played it before, I would stay away from mods for a while, though – the lore is so huge and complex and there are tons of things to get used to, that any extras brought in by the mods will seem overwhelming.
You can get the official HD version I mentioned earlier. It is available on Steam, but it doesn’t have the Conflux faction, nor the random map generator.
I will be back soon with a retro review of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, offering more in-depth gameplay details and screenshots… but I just wanted to write this article and get it off my chest. HoMM3 is the best game ever and you don’t have to be an old gamer like myself to truly appreciate it.
Do you have anything else to say about the game? Have you ever played it and, most importantly, do you also consider it at least one of the best games ever?
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