The Demo summary: Fans vs Critics

[Biggles Final Flight]

The HOMMV Demo has by now been dissected and digested by a huge range of reviewers, websites and forums. But ironically, its biggest critics appear to be the voice of the community, the fans and not the critics themselves. In fact, the demo has enjoyed thoroughly positive reviews from both Eurogamerand prominent games site IGN amongst others.

The forums, including CH, are a cacophany of hot debate, mostly concerning faction balancing issues and the effect of features on the game that aren't currently implemented in the Demo version. The demo gets a bit of a blasting on the PC Gamer UK forum and the tired, yet relevant comparisons are once again drawn between HOMMV and its predecessors, notably HOMMIII.

Essentially, we haven't seen the game in its entirety and most Heroes fans are looking forward its release on May 19th. It's a huge undertaking to meet the expectations of long-standing fans who have experienced the highs and lows of the series and change a game sufficiently to warrant its next iteration. For what it's worth: Based on the my experience of the demo I'm sure HOMMV will be a great game on its own, even if it doesn't shape up to match the pinnacle of my HOMM experiences, HOMMIII.

[scorch]

we need to stop to compre H5 to H3......

H3 is a great game top 3 in my game list and i've spent over 100 hours on him only skirmish play even today i play that...

but ppl need to give H5 a chance....yeah somethings really similer but it's a diffrent game.

I don't know if it become close to H3...who knows maybe it overrun it ( doubt that ) but all heroes game ( except H4 that was diffrent ) are all the same!! only the graphic change and some new skills...

so I think ppl need to stop to compre H3 vs. H5

[reynaert]

Long live heroes 3! That it may live on in heroes 5 forever! Doom to heroes 4, the ugly duck of the series!



my excuses for the sarcasm. But I felt it is appropriate.

[_faenad]

For my part, I am really impressed by the demo.

Sure nothing is perfect, and there are some points I regret (mostly some improvement from Heroes4 that were not included, like line of sight for archer or movement points for creatures)

Don't forget that balance issue are common when a game is out. I am not really worried about it.

[Ethric]

we need to stop to compre H5 to H3...

I for one am critisising it from comparing it with H4, not H3

[Akul]

If H4 wasn't released, you woudn't hear this. If great features from H4 were included (FoW option and caravans), it would be called prequel from HoMM but because it has no good feature from H4, it is obvious that H3 and H5 will be compared as H5 is not really a sequel from the series, no matter what some people say. I just hope that Fabrice is right with adding new gameplay options in expansions and we will get chance to push heroes into combat, have FoW or caravans (you must agree that caravans are great even if you hate H4). Else, the comparisons will never stop.

[Breza]

Is the treant going to be stick thin still? no pun intended

[Akul]

to Breza:

What a hell are you talking about?!

[scorch]

I must agree with Sauron!

caravans was the best thing in H4, very useful indeed!!

[Amgor II]

I don't know why people even attempt to compare Heroes V with any of the previous games.



Heroes V is Heroes V and just be glad that there’s another Heroes game to play, and from what can I see so-far the looks and feels of of the game has a great chance to be the best one ever.

[dragonn]

Wise words there! It's true, we must think of H5 as a standalone game, just like it was with H4. Though H4 was criticized by many, I saw the game not as H3 sequel, but a good game on it's own right... and I'm trying to do the same thing with H5

[Ethric]

I find the concept of seeing the game in a vacuum when one has played all the earlier titles a bit difficult to accept. I'd say it is natural to see features of H5 in comparison with earlier titles, according to individual likes and dislikes.

And afterall, it is made and marketed as a sequel (hence the name), so why not view it as such.

[DaemianLucifer]

I don't know why people even attempt to compare Heroes V with any of the previous games.



Heroes V is Heroes V and just be glad that there’s another Heroes game to play, and from what can I see so-far the looks and feels of of the game has a great chance to be the best one ever.

Because it bares the same name as the rest of the series and a 5 on the end.You cannot say its a game for itself,since it is a part of a series.

And caravans was a good feature in HIV,but youre all forgeting why they were aded.Because there was one even better feature:Creature movement.It prevented you from draging a massive army from one end of the map to the other in a single day.

I think that HV is going to be just an average game.Maybe a bit better,but thats all.But,since it bares the proud name of heroes series,it should be excelent.Therefore,its disapointing for me.

[Szaman]

H3 had one great feature which definitely made me play it for very long time - Random map generator!

H4 didn't have it and, in my opinion it was a big mistake. The only thing I hope, is that they will include it with H5; if not now that at least with some expansion in future...

[Arzang]

Had the game been completely original (read: not having any resemblance to old heroes titles) it would've been saved from being compared to old games.



but that's not the case. it borrows old game play elements and deliberately reminisces of the old games. A direct comparison (read: waaah h3 had this, h4 had that) is dumb but an overall comparison is not dumb at all. Why can't we have auto flagging of water wheels, caravans or free creature movement?



don't ask me. Free creature movement would be pretty sweet in this game really considering how two units, one upgraded and one not, take up two stacks..

[ToweringAmishPlumber]

Bravo to Ethric and dragonn! I couldn't agree more. I don't understand why "fans" can't enjoy each game on its own - I do. I still play all 4 Heroes games. Each had it's own flavor and something to offer. The only thing that really disappointed me about Heroes IV was the lack of a random map generator - I do miss that. The ironic thing is that you can at best please only some the fans. If you make a new version different enough to justify calling it new, and not just an expansion set (e.g., Heroes IV) fans ***** because it is "too" different. If the changes are just incremental or evolutionary, then (other) fans ***** because it isn't different/new enough; "What a rip-off! This isn't new, it's just an expansion masquerading as a new version."

[Ethric]

Bravo to Ethric and dragonn! I couldn't agree more.

But I disagreed with dragonn agreeing with the post before... Oh well, a bravo's a bravo, even if it's from a misunderstanding

[Caradoc]

As I've said before, I've had a lot of fun with all four Heroes games so far (as well as WOG and Equilibris), but by now I feel I've gotten about all they have to offer and I'm looking forward to the next go-round. Someday I'm sure I'll want to go back to the oldies, but now it's time for something new.

[difool]

I'm not surprised that the "review sites" are so favorable. I remember all

the good-to-great reviews H4 got, NONE of which mentioned the awful AI

(among other problems).

[BenchBreaker]

although there are many great feature from heroes 4 that are ignored, i am most upset about the retalliation system going back to heroes 3