Might & Magic Clash of Heroes Review

The Might & Magic franchise has been a gaming hit since 1986. With multiple spin-offs across most of the mainstream platforms, it was only a matter of time before a title hit the Xbox Live Arcade. Clash of Heroes is a turn-based Puzzle RPG set in the mystical world of Ashan. Playing as five different Heroes, the player must end the turmoil brought to the world by a mysterious Demon Lord with very sinister motives.

The battle gameplay seems fairly complex yet in fact it is very simple to learn with the help of a great tutorial. The aim is to defeat the opponents back line by breaking through their defences and units. Once their health is depleted, the player  wins. In each turn, the players get three moves. Using these, the units from the top of a column can be moved and placed on top of another. Attacks are created by stacking three of the same unit (and colour) in a column. When one or more of the same units create an attack in the field, they create a link for more powerful attacks. Defensive walls and barriers can also be made by lining identical units up in a row. These are critical. The more defence there is, the less damage the enemy will do when they attack the back line. Also, defensive walls replenish the Heroes health, and so can really help in the tougher fights. Units can be deleted as well to create attacks or defence. Doing so will payback a move, basically allowing formations to be created for free. Taking all of these details into account, working out the best strategic approach to a turn can get challenging.

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The Heroes also have their own very powerful unique attacks, which they can only use when their special bar is filled. Though rarely available, the amount of destruction they cause can make or break a battle.  After each fight, the hero and units are awarded with XP, increasing their stats. Heroes can have a maximum level of ten, and units of five.

As you progress through the campaign you play as five races across different lands. Each race has distinctive units with unique abilities, though essentially they all play the same. As you progress through the various levels, you will unlock different elite and champion units. These special units, when paired up with normal units, unleash devastating attacks. Though you can unlock five for each race, you can only carry (and battle with) any two at a time. You also have to be very careful with these units since you have a limited supply, and if they are destroyed by the enemy, or removed from the battlefield, you have to purchase more.

Throughout the world you will find many different artifacts that will boost your stats in battle, though you can only equip one. You can also find (and are awarded after battle) gold and other resources that you use to purchase champion and elite units with. There are side-quests around the areas too. These, often bounty-hunting missions involve searching for people, and defeating them in battle. You can also find Battle Puzzle’s, a mini-game where the player has just one turn, and has to defeat all enemy units. There is usually just one method to win with, but finding it can be difficult. To go with the extensive single-player campaign, there is also local and online multiplayer, allowing gamers to battle it out against each other.

Clash of Heroes provides a very detailed story which is interesting to follow as the game takes you from land to land. Though some parts of the script may sound a bit cheesy, in general it is well-written.  The cartoon-style graphics look beautiful, and the animations in battle are smooth. I did find an issue with the colours however. Sometimes it was hard to tell whether a unit was green or blue, and often I made mistakes on the battlefield because of this. I would imagine that colour-blind players would really struggle to tell the difference. The music and sounds are good, and exactly what you would expect from this kind of title.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is a really great game which combines RPG and puzzle strategy in a very entertaining way. The campaign alone will keep you entertained for many hours, and if you still are not bored, online battling can be very fun. If you are a fan of games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Puzzle Quest, then Clash of Heroes is a must buy!