Ubisoft kept many of the traditional elements in the game. In most maps there are two levels: above ground, and underground. There is the puzzle element, where you visit obelisks and eventually a map shows you where the special treasure is buried. By keeping true to the history of the game, I feel as though I am putting on an old piece of armor (some might say shoe), and it is fun to see it in such vivid colors and scenery.

There are lots of cutaway scenes which seem to be new for the series. In HOMM IV, most of the cutaway scenes were all text. Here they are vividly rendered with great animation, even if the characters’ mouths never move, and even if the scenes are right from a bad B movie. Still, it sucks you into the game and the storyline. In HOMM IV, who wanted to read page after page of text? Okay, yes, in one scene during the first campaign, their mouths did move. I guess the ventriloquist convention had ended.

There are some drawbacks to the game that should be noted. Sometimes the game is just a little clunky. For example, try moving monsters from a city garrison into your hero’s army. I just can’t get the drag and drop to work on a consistent basis. In previous HOMM’s when you got close to something interesting, your horse would rear up on its back legs right over the artifact or resource. In HOMM V, if you are “zoomed out,” your horse needs to be below the artifact. Sometimes, the artifact or resource is not out in the open, so it takes a little getting used to, especially if you are a veteran of the game. Also, there are a lot of creatures waiting to battle you to the death, but many are stationary, and in most cases, easily avoidable. Yes, some of them are guarding special places, so get ready to fight your way through, but most of the time you can walk right past them. I usually thumbed my nose at them as I rode by.

I know that it has been said many times and many ways, but it is really important to save your game constantly. One bad battle and you have to go back to where you were when you last saved your game. If you are like me, that could be several hours ago! In HOMM IV, there were automatic saves for the last two rounds, but they are missing in this edition. There is an AutoSave option, but it saves every turn in a new file. If you use this option, your hard drive will need extra space to store each saved game.

The AI is a little quirky. In the first campaign, it seemed that the opposing heroes are scared off too easily. At the end of the first campaign, the opposition has thousands, and I mean thousands, of monsters ready to do you in, but they send out a new hero with only a few. I guess they didn’t want to leave the party.

In closing, I think that Ubisoft has a great first try in keeping the Might and Magic series alive. Many of us have waited for years and years, and I think that there is a lot to keep you happy. I do believe, however, that after hearing comments from loyal fans, HOMM VI should have many upgrades and improvements. Until them, I will sit in my favorite old chair, with an old friend who I haven’t seen in a while. It isn’t perfect, but it’s nice to reminisce, catch up on new events, and rekindle that camaraderie that you have missed since you last saw each other.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 78%. If you are looking for a fun, relaxing game, with great visuals, you have found it; if you are looking for a challenge, well, take a calculus class, or maybe intermediate accounting.

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