Might & Magic Clash of Heroes

It is easy to dismiss Might and Magic Clash of Heroes without a second thought. It looks like a mix of Puzzle Quest and any number of Japanese RPG's and doesn't seem to carry on any of the Might & Magic tradition. It would appear to be a quick cash in from Ubisoft on a brand that still has its fair share of fans. But if you have glanced at the score to the right you know that this is not the entire story.

Might & Magic may never have looked like this, and if it wasn't for some geographical names and abilities of the warriors it could easily have been called something else. And part of my wishes that it had been called something different, because Clash of Heroes can easily stand on its own without a license.

The first and most obvious change is that the game is now two dimensional. At first glance it looks like something out of Puzzle Quest with characters you line up by colour in order to trigger attacking or defending moves. However, this is a very lazy comparison as Might & Magic Clash of Heroes is it's own thing entirely despite superficial similarities.

The story begins when five young heroes suddenly end up as orphans after a bunch of demons destroy your parents' camp in search of a magical treasure. It doesn't take long until you go on a journey to save the world and take out the demons. Nothing we haven't played a hundred times before. The controls are pretty much what you would expect from a title of this kind.

You move your group on a map similar to what you would see in a Super Mario Bros. game, and you can either use the stylus or the d-pad to move them. The top screen is reserved for a larger map, that shows you the way to your next objectives and important characters. The map may not look like much at first glance, but its filled with dungeons to you need to explore and missions to take care of. It is not until a few hours into the adventure that you really start appreciating the small details in the world.

There is a main story to follow and there are also a number of smaller tasks to fulfil that rewards you with objects or experience. My thoughts are immediately pulled towards classic 2D RPG's such as Chrono Trigger. Where Might & Magic Clash of Heroes outshines most Japanese role-playing games is the wonderfully told story, full of crazy antics and charming characters that keeps you fully emerged.

The battles are also superb. Your heroes are displayed on the bottom screen, while monsters and others are on top. Your heroes line up and by arranging them in three in a row you create formations. A vertical line spawns an attack while a horizontal one sets up a defence. When the line has been created it moves to the top screen for battle. The battles are turn based and when the moves you can afford are up its your enemy's turn.

It may sound simple, but when you consider than some formations take several rounds to put into an attacking position and need defending in the meantime you can see how it gets complicated fast. There are further tactics involved in getting reinforcements or additional blocks.

Your troops (and those of your enemy) are incredibly varied. fast archers, enchanted trees that heal you and damage your enemies, reindeer who can skip over your enemy's defences, wizards, charging bears, acid-spitting dragons, knights, demons and any number of fantasy creatures.

Most battles are won by depleting your opponent's energy bar. It's not damaged by removing bricks, but by clearing formations in order to create an opening. In order fights you need to protect a certain character in a tough spot or defeat a boss.

All of this by itself would by nice. But adding gear that alter you strength and weaknesses, and adding in the ever changing victory conditions you end up with a very addictive strategy game. A while it is only small details that keeps the game from a perfect score, there are spots where the game appears a bit unbalanced and frustration sets in.

Might & Magic Clash of Heroes is a winner in almost all categories and if you long for an engaging strategy title, a glorious puzzle game, a great role-playing game and a nice multiplayer experience. Then my recommendation is: Buy it!