Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Definitive Edition is an exciting mix of puzzle and RPG elements. It’s set in the fantastic world of Might & Magic, where you’ll join many heroic characters on their quest. And surprisingly, very few people I know have played it, let alone heard of it. So here I am, doing my part to tell you that you should check out the Definitive Edition from Dotemu, who’s been on an impressive hot streak.
The original Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes was developed by Toronto-based developer Capybara Games, makers of Grindstone, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery, Below, and many other exciting titles.
Might & Magic Unite
Picture this: you lead an army of soldiers with different colours, and the key to victory lies in matching them into rows of three. Boom! You’ve got a fierce attack formation. Slide them horizontally, and presto! A solid defensive wall. But here’s the twist: your opponent is trying to outmaneuver you with the same strategy.
The single-player story mode is where the real adventure unfolds. You’ll get hooked on a tale of orphaned children standing firm against a demonic invasion. As you dive deeper, you level up and unlock new abilities and troops, taking these elegant battles to a new level. The seemingly simple puzzle mechanics unravel into a mesmerizing series of brain-teasers, brought to life by chunky, lovable fantasy characters. And after about 20 hours of puzzle RPG goodness, you can put your skills to the test in a seriously competitive head-to-head multiplayer mode!
You play as several heroes who are all victims of the Demon Lord, who is hellbent on finding the Blade of Binding to open the gates to the Demon world and plunge the world of Ashan into chaos. This is a prequel to Heroes of Might and Magic V within the Ubisoft continuity after the publisher purchased the rights from 3DO. The plot is standard fantasy tropes you’ve seen before, so there isn’t much else to dive into. The story is serviceable but not memorable, and it’s forgettable.
As it turns out, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Definitive Edition is still fun to play years later, but it’s a product of its time. On the top of the screen are enemy units that are sent into battle against your teams on the bottom. The various coloured units are given three actions per turn to get into the correct position. You need to match three or more branches of the same type and colour vertically to initiate an attack but also must keep an eye out while your units charge their attacks, with the timer counting down and additionally, matching three or more units horizontally to create a defensive wall with additional units being able to bolster your defensive capabilities behind you.
There are also Elite and Champion units that become crucial to battles. The trade-off is that their attacks take longer and are harder to use, but if you can successfully activate them, they can turn the tide in battle. Compared to the core units, these Elite and Champion units are vastly limited in number.
The game revolves around solving clever puzzles that arrange and match coloured units on the grid. Creating these formations build up your army and unleash powerful attacks on your enemies. The key is strategizing and planning your moves wisely to defeat tough opponents.
For Ashan
You’ll meet various characters with unique abilities and skills as you progress. You can recruit them into your team, creating a diverse roster of warriors, mages, and other fantastical creatures. You’ll uncover a gripping mystery, danger, and magic story together.
When you’re not in the heat of battle, the exploration is a simple map that offers an essential way to move between actions. The biggest highlight I found was hidden paths that offered consumable resources for additional units but very little else in the form of content. The biggest reason you’ll want to explore maps is to level your characters up, so it isn’t the worst thing you’ll have to do to find artifacts.
Artifacts are like boosters for your party; wearing the Ring of Life will allow you one revive and regenerates HP per turn, and another, like the Blood of the One, will enable you to drain enemies. Each artifact you come across shakes combat encounters and is decidedly worth discovering. Some equipment may look like it isn’t worth the trade, but a risk vs reward system there’ll keep gameplay fresh.
Verdict
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Definitive Edition isn’t the ambitious remake, but it does enough to warrant a playthrough. The light RPG elements paired with engaging puzzle elements mean just about anyone can join the fun, but it’s also a game that’s been around for ages, so if you’ve played the original, you very well know what to expect.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch
