Hands-on With Heroes Of Might & Magic: Olden Era Demo

Any studio tasked with creating a new entry in the Heroes of Might & Magic series faces an unenviable challenge. For the project to truly succeed, it must find an almost unattainable balance between old and new. On the one hand, the gameplay needs to stay as close as possible to the beloved Heroes of Might & Magic 3; on the other, it must introduce enough fresh ideas and mechanics so that players don’t ask themselves, “Why play this when the classics still exist?” In the case of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, the pressure is even higher: this is the first full-fledged continuation of the franchise in ten years — and after a string of disappointing entries. It’s no surprise that fans are approaching the project with caution and tempered expectations. Let’s see whether the Olden Era demo helps dispel skepticism around the game or only deepens it.

In a way, the demo can be perceived as an early access version. There’s no story campaign or multiplayer yet, but several maps are available, along with four of the six full-version factions — complete with their full unit rosters. Overall, there’s enough content here for 10–15 hours of play, if not more, which is plenty to grasp the key gameplay nuances.

Naturally, the first thing you notice isn’t the mechanics but the new visual style. This is perhaps the most subjective aspect of the game, as perception will vary from player to player — but personally, Olden Era’s visuals failed to impress me. The world map looks relatively fine: the art style partly imitates the third installment, though seemingly passed through a bold, cartoon-outline filter. This design choice does have its benefits — interactable objects are easy to distinguish at a glance.

The real issue is that the game lacks charm. The chosen aesthetic can best be described as generic, middle-of-the-road fantasy. Settlements and units look like they were lifted straight out of one of the thousands of mobile strategy games available on Google Play. The buildings are so blandly designed that, on the city screen, they blend into a monotonous architectural mass.

Units — especially upgraded versions of basic troops — are overloaded with unnecessary visual detail, which strips them of individuality. Moreover, Olden Era’s art style poorly communicates the danger level of soldiers and monsters during battles. When you fight a faction for the first time, it’s hard to tell which of its units are high-tier and which are weaker.

One could argue that Heroes of Might & Magic was never known for outstanding art direction — this isn’t Disciples 2, after all. But precisely because this has long been a weak point, it’s an area that deserved improvement first and foremost.

Olden Era builds on the gameplay foundation of Heroes of Might & Magic 3. The same isometric camera angles return — both on the adventure map and in combat — along with the familiar turn-based structure and weekly creature growth cycle. The systems of morale and luck are back, as are two-dimensional battles on hexagonal grids with turn-based initiative. In short, if you’ve played Heroes 3, you’ll feel right at home with the core gameplay.

That said, Olden Era is neither a remaster nor a remake of the fan favorite — it’s a fully original entry in its own right. It introduces several key distinctions from the classics, and while many of these features are entirely new to the franchise, a few were inspired by earlier installments.

For example, the idea of alternative unit upgrade paths is a legacy of Heroes of Might & Magic 5: Tribes of the East. It’s an excellent system that adds meaningful variety to the gameplay. Sometimes, two variants of the same creature are equally useful but fulfill different battlefield roles, so in some cases it makes sense to recruit two separate stacks of the same unit in both forms. That said, when faced with a choice between turning a melee fighter into a ranged attacker or keeping it as-is, the former option usually proves better. Just compare the Necropolis skeletons: their archer variation can at least deal some damage before getting wiped out.

Among the entirely new mechanics, the most notable one is the system of “laws,” which grants powerful bonuses — such as extra income, increased hero movement range on the world map, or debuffs for enemies. Essentially, it’s a tech tree reminiscent of Total War, deepening the strategic gameplay — a welcome addition. However, this feature might not appeal to those who prefer a “turtle” playstyle, slowly developing and defending just a few towns. That’s because new laws are enacted faster by players who control more settlements, as town halls generate the necessary points.

Another somewhat divisive innovation is a rare resource called Alchemical Dust. It’s used to upgrade buildings, creatures, spells, and artifacts. Acquiring it is much harder than obtaining standard resources — you must exchange valuable crystals, mercury, and gems for it in special laboratories on the map, or dismantle artifacts. Its scarcity forces tough decisions: which town to essentially turn into your capital (since you won’t have enough dust to fully develop every settlement), or which spell to empower first.

Personally, I like this idea, though many HoMM fans will likely find it overly restrictive. The same goes for the hero cap in classic mode — a limit on how many armies you can have roaming the map simultaneously. The cap increases as you capture more towns: if you own three cities, you can command only three heroes and their armies. Not everyone will enjoy this restriction, but again, it pushes players to make strategic choices — who to send exploring and who to keep defending their lands.

If you can look past the low-budget visuals, then based on these early impressions, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era seems to be on the right track. It’s essentially HoMM3 with a few new concepts that add strategic depth. However, these same ideas might alienate some long-time fans, so ideally, the developers should include adjustable sliders at launch, letting players fine-tune things like the hero cap to their liking.

The full version of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era is scheduled to release next year on PC.

And what do you think about the new mechanics? Share your thoughts in the comments.