HEROES OF MIGHT & MAGIC 1 +1Clk Windows 11 10 8 7 Vista XP Install

Actual Game

The Game
In an era where graphics and sound development are pushed to the limit, New World Computing has emphasized what is more important in the long run -- good gameplay. Heroes of Might and Magic is an extremely enjoyable strategy game with an appealing fantasy overtone. The series is on its fourth release with no signs of slowing down. The game combines visual charm and enchantment with challenging gameplay.

Heroes of Might and Magic is very similar to its forefather King's Bounty, a light RPG released by New World in 1990. Heroes greatly enhances the concept and adds much more of a strategy element to the mix. The gameplay itself is simple, yet beating the computer is not. The AI of the game is among the best I have encountered. You can't make too many mistakes or you'll find your own castle gates locked against you.

Not muddled in a lumbering storyline, Heroes invites you to jump straight into the action by choosing one of four different player types, Knight, Barbarian, Sorceress, or Warlock, each with specific powers and followers. Depending on the scenario, which can range from short games played out on a small map to expansive adventures, you will have a goal that you must achieve to win the game.

You start in your castle with at least one hero and will immediately need to build units appropriate to your starting character's background and the structures currently available to you. Building new edifices will enable you to recruit more powerful unit types, ranging from the relatively innocuous (goblins, sprites, and peasants) to the ultra-powerful (paladins, dragons, and phoenix). As you might expect, neither construction nor recruiting is free, and so you must take your army abroad in search of treasure, resources, and conquest.

Once on the main map, you'll immediate notice several small icons representing various encounters in your immediate area. As you explore these mini-adventures, you'll battle with wild monsters, discover magic spells, gain possession of valuable mercury and sulfur mines, and perhaps even find a few allies. For each valuable resource center you gain control of, from sawmills to gold mines, you'll gain a weekly allowance of that particular commodity. Your enemies will also want to gain control of these centers, so it's important to keep your troops on the ready at all times.

Game combat is easy to manage. In addition to the hand-to-hand and missile combat of the ground troops, you may utilize spell-casting. The game features over 25 different spells, ranging from exploration spells that help you find new resources to combat spells that will send fiery death raining down upon your opponents.

Heroes is not a simpleminded game -- there are a variety of subtle strategies you can employ. Do you want to lead a pack of ogres, who are powerful but slow? If so, you better hope your wizard learns that teleport spell so he can speed them into battle. Those elven archers sure are nice with their two shots per turn, but they sure do attract a lot of enemy attention. Why don't you move your wolves in front of them so the gryphons can't attack the elves? And that is just the beginning. The most powerful units are expensive and are best utilized by a thoughtful strategist.

Heroes of Might and Magic is even more fun with a group. The Multiplayer mode includes options for up to 4 players taking turns on one machine, or two player head-to-head competitions by network or modem connection. If you like turn-based strategy games, or you're an RPG fan looking for something a little different, you'll find that title is a worthy addition to your game library.