It’s been a little while since strategy gamers have had the chance to play a new Heroes of Might & Magic game. The turn-based fantasy series was known for providing gameplay that was simple on the surface but addicting and challenging to play. Well the long hiatus is over and fans of the original series can look forward to playing the newest incarnation of their beloved games in full 3D while those new to the games will have the chance to experience the pleasure of a Heroes of Might & Magic game for the first time.

The Heroes of Might & Magic are back and in 3D.

The first thing that stands out when you see Heroes of Might & Magic V (HOMMV) is the stunning 3D graphics. The units, heroes, cities, and entire gameworld are rendered in full 3D with a level of detail never before seen in the series. You’ll be able to zoom in on structures, artifacts, monsters, treasure, and more, rotate the camera to view them from any angle, and examine the high level of detail of all of these objects. Resource locations appear abandoned and in a state of disrepair until they are captured, after which they return to life and become fully animated as they begin producing resources. Gone are the static, flat cities of the prior games, replaced by fully 3D cities that you can watch grow as they expand. The unit animations are also smooth and detailed, not only on the battle maps but on the over world map as well. Knight heroes work the reigns of their mounts as they gallop across the map, while demon heroes go into battle snorting fire and flexing their muscles. The 3D engine is also being put to good use to render some amazing looking spell effects and you’ll see the units react as they take damage in battle.

HOMMV will be more than the same old game with new graphics, though. Play is being smoothed so that it moves along at a brisker pace. As you move around the world map capturing treasure and resources, the game pops up visual cues to let you know what you’ve gained without requiring you to respond to a dialog box of text. When you must make a decision such as whether to accept gold or experience as a reward, you can make your choice and be on your way with a quick single click of the mouse. These and other touches mean that you’ll spend more time exploring, building your army, and fighting battles than you will responding to text messages.

Other changes are in store when you move to a battle screen. You can still play in the traditional manner, with units attacking in turn while moving across a grid overlaid on the local terrain. However, your heroes will be more active participants, not only casting spells but also moving onto the map to attack enemy units. You also have the option of using the new dynamic battle system to recreate more of a simultaneous, RTS experience.

While the game is still in an early stage of development, I was able to find out about a few of the game’s vital statistics. There will be six unique factions in the game, with a campaign for each of them and about 30 or so total missions. There will be over 40 different creatures in the game for you to recruit and fight. The game will also support multiplayer mode, with five different game types available. The game will also ship with a level editor so that you can create and share your own missions or campaigns. Look for Heroes of Might & Magic V early next year.