I recently bought this, to satisfy a fantasy strategy game craving, but was disappointed.
As the reviewer said it combines elements of various other games, Master of Magic and Heroes of Might and Magic are mentioned, and although Warlords is not mentioned it is very similar to that game too.
Personally I feel it fails to match up to any of those games. It lacks the character, wealth of entertaining and imaginative features, and cool graphics of Heroes OMM. That was a great game, the whole mood of it captured you.
Secondly, it's got elements of Warlords 3, but without the fun of doing quests (these used to be great); and the units aren't as cool either. It just doesn't have the excitement and surprises, and the buzz of getting cool units join you that Warlords 3 had.
And thirdly, the battle mode seems to copy Master of Magic, but do it worse. The movement around the battle screen is horrible, it's boring to fight the battles, and the way battles work is annoying. Archery units can't function as support units as to get into range they have to move into the range of enemy charge. The way damage is done doesn't work for me either.
The magic doesn't grab me at all, and the city management has nothing to it.
It just seems to me that it falls way way short of those 3 great games.
I gave it a 3 (I would give HOMM III a 5* score, Warlords III 4.5* and Master of Magic 4*)
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