IGN spent two hours going hands-on with the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake at Gamescom – and the verdict is mixed, but fundamentally optimistic. Ubisoft is tackling one of the most revered strategy classics without betraying its core formula.
Developed with the Snowdrop engine (known from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and The Division), the remake includes the complete campaign, along with both major expansions, “Armageddon’s Blade” and “Shadow of Death”. According to the hands-on, the turn-based combat system and the fundamental structure involving heroes, creatures, and resource management remain untouched – just entirely in 3D instead of the classic 2D look from 1999.
What Changes in Gameplay Compared to the Original?
Hardly anything, and for many fans, that's likely the crucial point: turn-based combat, collecting weekly resources, exploring the overworld with heroes – all of it remains mechanically close to the original, according to IGN. The biggest change is purely visual: the new 3D presentation replaces the pixel art style, which has led to divided opinions in early community reactions.
What Are the Initial Community Reactions?
That's exactly the sore point: initial impressions are mixed. Some fans celebrate the contemporary presentation, while others fear that the quirky charm of the old pixel graphics will be lost in the process – a debate almost inevitable with remakes of cult strategy games. Ubisoft faces a classic balancing act here between modernization and preserving the original charm, a challenge other studios have also encountered recently with remakes of old classics.
Ironically, it was the re-release of the ORIGINAL game that recently caused more of a stir than the remake itself: As we previously reported, Ubisoft initially released the "Complete Edition" of the original game on Steam without the actual game – intended merely as a prelude to the remake, it promptly became a download fiasco. For the brand as a whole, this is not a good start, even if the remake itself remains untouched by this issue.
Source: IGN
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