With the birth of the successor of the glory of the famous game series, it will probably not be superfluous to remember how it all began. Remember the grandiose King’s Bounty, Its logical continuation Heroes, hurricane Heroes 2, Heroes 3, which are generally otherwise than "heroin" and is not called in Seven Casino bonus the gaming environment, it is so exciting, and Heroes 4, one of the most controversial pages in the history of the series. But I think that the tour is not quite what you expect from me, dear readers. We will not put the case into a long box and, bouncing with impatience, we will open the box with Heroes of Might & Magic 5.
We go to the city of Emerald, we go to the difficult road.
Path Homm 5 on the hard drive of a modern user was long and thorny. 3DO, Mom-S-PAPA all "heroic" toys, unfortunately, went bankrupt, and perhaps the true reasons for the collapse will not establish an experienced necromancer, like those created by the fantasy of the developers. The fate of the upcoming continuation has long remained uncertain.
And here is the French company Ubisoft I descended to gamers who mourn the likely death of my favorite game series (in fact, we, of course, understand that to caress under a warm wing of such a significant title – the dream of any publisher), and graciously deigned to buy the rights to the Heroes trademark Heroes.
The development of the fifth part was entrusted Nival Interactive, True, under the vigilant control from the French side.
Heroes. I’m lovin ‘it!
So what is it Heroes 5 In its essence? As before, a unique mixture of a strict strategy, lordly tactics and role -playing game. However, the latter was always a sharp seasoning than a full -fledged ingredient in the dish. The main tasks of the gamer are still the development of its own settlements, the preparation of troops, and the study of territories. But the main thing is the conduct of hostilities.
"Heroes" – This is the quintessence of the battles, everything that attracted so much of the wars of those interested in the history of the wars was embodied: at first, at first schematic, battles, dozens, hundreds of formations with various skills, boundless tactical and strategic possibilities. Fifth, fortunately, did not change the traditions of the series. Let’s see who will make our victory without sparing the abdomen.
Sword and ax workers.
A fourth part of many accused of stealing a brilliant idea much less popular Disciples – The concept of choosing troops. Having chosen, say, crusaders, we lost the opportunity to train monks in the city. However, if in Disciples It was thought out to the smallest details, balanced and entertaining, then in "Heroes" For some reason it looked clumsy, alapois and out of place.
Rejoice, friends! Thinkers from Nival made Solomon’s decision – to return to the third part model and open access to all possible troops. There are six castles in front of us – everything is like a selection. In each of them you can train 7 types of troops and improve them. Improved fighters boast not only improved characteristics, but also special abilities. For example, imperial griffins fly off exactly on the move from the battlefield, then to fall on enemies with double power and rage.
HAVEN (life) – Castle of knights, brave warriors and priests, a stronghold of the struggle of a civilized world with hellish bad and dead, and this is one of the "long -livers" Series. From the game to the game "heroic" The world chatted mercilessly on the waves of reforms, but Haven, oddly enough, managed to slip away from change and changed very insignificant. So it happened here. Instead of spearmen, peasants are offered, who are now able not only to drapes from the battlefield, showing the enemies sparkling heels, but also standing up, gathered in powerful gangs, for their native earth.
Inferno (hell) – Haven Antagonist, a bunch of demons, devils, demons and other infernal personalities, obsessed with an unhealthy idea of capturing large life spaces, which, according to the traditions of fantasy games, are occupied. In the fourth part, this castle was generally removed, but then such a haze of indignant letters rained down on 3Do that Nival returned hell to legal place first of all. He did not undergo any special changes, except that the shooters are occupied by the demonies-Sukkuba, and the Gogi Magogi retired.
The most original castle is next – Dungeon, Refuge of dark elves. These comrades seemed to have left the pages of books R. Salvatore, at least the entourage of the corresponding, the characters are equally premium, the tactics of conducting hostilities are identical. The inhabitants of the dungeons have matriarchy, therefore do not be surprised that most of your wards will be women.
Academy (Academy) – The traditional castle of magicians, spells and wizards. Magic creatures, such as genies, titans and rakshas (cats, skillfully chopping enemies on shawarma) and magically lively creatures serve as this castle. The inhabitants migrated to "Heroes" straight from eastern mythology. In general, light curtsy towards the East was always characteristic of the academy.
The second superpopular "Feet" heroic games – Necropolis (necropolis) – Surpassed in stock. Nekropopol, like many years ago, is refueling non-coo-mantis sorcerers, who collected a huge army of the dead under the banners of darkness.
And finally, the last candidate for the public – Sylvan (Sylvanas), Natural-growing castle. This fraction in her current state did not appear on the areas of battles, but the fighters are well familiar with everyone: well-aimed elves-radins, druids, dendroids. Perhaps the closest Sylvan got to Nature from the fourth part.
Passed by the electric train, positive races should unite under the leadership of Nikolai, the emperor of people, and repulse the evil forces, who intended to capture the world, despite the eternal failures in this noble desire.
The homeland ordered to build.
An important process of the development of settlements is more than traditional. The town hall and its descendant of the Capitol, like a coin courtyard, are regularly stamped by net money. Forters protect cities from aggressive neighbors and serve as regional residents. Magic towers teach spells five levels: on the fifth the most powerful, on the first and second – public, but therefore no less useful. On the market, you can exchange excess resources for those in which the faction is particularly in need, in the tavern – to hire heroes and send an adhesive azure to the opponents, who is dying, what’s what, and tells about the situation. In the forge, you can again build a medical tent, a ballista (powerful siege gun) and a cart with ammunition for archers and other shooters.
Each castle was presented according to one completely unique structure, which gives certain buns. For example, in the Knight’s stronghold you can re-render peasants in the champions, and magicians-academicians can look through old abstracts and learn to exchange the souls of creatures for artifacts.
There will instantly figure out experienced players in the economic system. Of the seven resources there are three (gold, wood and iron ore) go to the construction of all buildings, hiring combat formations and various expenses, for the remaining four (sulfur, mercury, crystals and gems) you can build the most advanced buildings and hire the most powerful warriors.
The system of pumping the characters was ruthlessly cut. The limit of the skills that the hero masters – six. Serious changes have undergone the magical component. Only forty spells remain, but their possible drawback is partially replenished "Perki", In action, similar to the spells.
We strive to take the capital with a long string.
The game has moved to the full 3D, but this is how it is not easy to surprise in our time. It is a little unusual to contemplate "Heroes" at once in three dimensions, otherwise – there is nothing outstanding in the implementation of this technical idea. Nothing but cards. Maps – a model of design art, worked out and detailed, we have no doubt that many sleepless nights were invested in each of them, and the result is there – these magnificent locations simply do not want to leave.
The main novelty is the parameter "initiative". He determines how often the units will make attacks. The less initiative, the less often the warrior contributes to a general victory. The more, the more often attacks. The shooters, for example, the initiative is extremely high, and they manage to nourish the close -up of their shells with their shells, like a pillow with pins.
Special thanks to the developers for added the opportunity to relay the poor results of Silicon moron when choosing "quick battle". Sometimes it was simply impossible to trust the management of their pets, but now the processor mistakes are allowed to correct on their own.
Heroes were forbidden to enter into a brawl, their destiny – to sit at the cordon and bring down the enemies of the enemies of a variety of slanders.
Where, where did you go, my golden days of my spring?
The first blow below the belt awaits us almost instantly. "Heroes" subjected to a thorough redesign, the style of design has completely changed. A dashing video in the starting menu, which is a monk’s battle with the devil, not for life, but quite the opposite, hurricane gameplay, fleeting, angry battles, after which you will not immediately move away from the action. Hmm, parallels (maybe idolatry, and?) With Warcraft 3 so obvious that they are unlikely to try to hide from the tenacious eye of meticulous players. I do not argue, Heroes 5 look pretty younger and rested from the works of the righteous, but this fresh original stream seems to be irreversibly washed away by some fabulousness, fantasy, inherent in the early games of the series. What can you do – green orc in fashion, with a proud roar "Pitch", a light paladin demolition. It’s only a shame that this "Donation of fashion trends" Highly reigns from now on the game industry.
Nival Interactive was back with the interface. Answer, dear developers, are it really that it is professionalism and skills that are sufficient to create games, good in all respects, it is difficult to expel the team that cut out the interfaces with a jigsaw Blitzkriga 2, Operations: Silent Storm and hire neat workers? It must be thought that it is difficult because "Heroes" suffer the same problem – to understand slurred buttons, strange icons and wonderful menu without alcohol -containing products is simply impossible. Unpleasantly surprised the main font of the game. Yes, it is pretty nice, but completely standard – Monotype Corsiva, what every Windows XP user has. For a project of this scale I would like more.
A little sad and artificial intelligence, somehow inconsistently, he works to the fullest. Then the enemies, growling and cursing, rush to our fights on our battle formations, make the entire battle take the entire battle in the strongest stress, otherwise they are lying upward in the sun and sunbathe, completely forgetting about the need to hide the sides of the playing. If a living player is emulated in this way that I am not safe from errors, I take off my hat before Nival. Otherwise – I throw another brick in their garden.
And there are also bugs. Fattened by such arrogant thick beetles missed by raids of testers. There are no descriptions of objects, button "Wait" (Do not be alarmed, the key W works, thank God), scripts behave in an incomprehensible way, in an elven campaign, half of the players, including your humble servant, stalled because of the non-working trigger. It’s scary to even think that we could see, do not postpone the Ubisoft date of the release to May.
These eyes are on the contrary, on the windowsill.
The developers copied not only dynamics Warcraft 3, but also visual design. Welcome bright, juicy, cartoon graphics. In addition, they also saved on videos, most of which were stuck on the game engine, so the overall impression of the video was ambiguous. On the one hand, I realize that nothing bad in "Warcraft" there is no schedule and cannot be, and on the other, it’s like Half-Life 2, rainbow. The atmosphere is ruined? No, no, processed in the root. How much such processing is justified, time will tell, I personally attribute it to the minuses rather.
The sound is good enough not to distract from the gameplay, but is significantly inferior to excellent compositions from the previous series. But there are a lot of tracks, according to the principle "if not quality, then at least the quantity".
Final comments:
I have two news: good and bad. I’ll start with a bad one: the development of the series did not work. Nival Interactive took all the best achievements of the third and fourth part, threw them into a large vat, poured them with graphics "a la Warcraft", I did not forget to add bugs to taste and gave the resulting vinaigrette on the table. Good: it’s all "Heroes", the ones we love them. Partly, this explains the high final assessment.
Plot. The story of the confrontation between the beaver and the donkey is present, but is extremely optional. The main thing in Heroes 5 is actions unfolding on separate campaign maps.
Graphics. Rainbow-fair, beautiful and juicy. Suitable for children’s arcade, humorous Adventure and Warcraft 3. "Heroes" Not suitable.
Sound. Middle hand of voice acting. It is a pity that the composers did not try a little more, because in games of this plan, the atmosphere at 50% is created by high -quality melodies and background effects.