Might & Magic Heroes VI Preview

The folks at Cheat Code Central are the latest to offer us some preview impressions of the latest installment in the Heroes of Might & Magic franchise, the oddly-titled Might & Magic Heroes VI. Generous sampling ahead:

One of the complaints about Heroes of Might & Magic V was that the various faction campaigns took place in a specific order, which was a departure from Heroes III and IV. In Heroes VI, the campaigns can be played in any order. Instead of the campaign stories all taking place chronologically, they tell an interlocking story. Plot lines weave seamlessly between the various factions to paint a fuller overall picture of what is going on in the world of Ashan.

Another major change for the series is that skills have been refined a bit. New players were often confused by the way skills worked in Heroes V. Various online resources were necessary to keep players from advancing the skills that wouldn’t necessarily keep them on the best “skill path” as they progressed through the game. This time around, players get more control with a skill tree closer to that of World of Warcraft than previous Heroes skills advancement systems. It’s much more intuitive, and should be much less intimidating for players brand new to the series.

The Resurrection spell is a good example of the effectiveness of the new skill tree. To earn Ressurection in Heroes V, you needed to get a lucky break at the Mage Guild once you hit level 5. In Heroes VI, you’ll be able to earn the Heal spell which will also resurrect your allies much earlier, and you can take luck out of the equation. You can also earn a Mass Heal spell once you hit level 5, which allows you to heal all your troops at once.

Speaking of healing, there are new dedicated healing classes added to the mix; the Haven faction has Sisters, the Sylvan faction has Coral Priestesses, and the Necropolis has Ghosts, all of which can heal multiple times per battle. This means there will be much more healing than there was in Heroes V. However, the game isn’t in its final build yet, so there could still be some upcoming tweaks to the heal system.