Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
My hands-on first impression of Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era — Unfrozen’s early access strategy game blending city-building, MOBA elements, and up to 8-player PvP.
I’d never played a Heroes of Might & Magic game before. But after playing the latest entry in the series by the team at Unfrozen, I can see why it’s so beloved.
Mixing city-building with MOBA-like elements, you control a hero who commands a growing army and roams the land, running into enemies, treasure, and other heroes and units that can be recruited to your cause.
The graphics are simple but stylized, with bright colors that evoke World of Warcraft and carry a unique, whimsical charm.
I’ve found myself absolutely engrossed. It’s both relaxing and engaging.
I’ve already had my first loss in classic mode, where you go up against AI-controlled kingdoms and heroes. I conceded defeat and immediately fired up another game on a new map with a different faction.
As you’d expect, you can play with strangers or friends, and there’s matchmaking by region. But this is a game that would be really fun with friends. It supports up to EIGHT human players across various PvP modes, and the developers have announced they’re working on PvE modes as well.
The game is admittedly out of my typical wheelhouse, but I do love a good strategy game and sunk countless hours into the XCOM reboots. I’m hopeful I’ll get to play PvE and PvP with friends, because it brings me back to my StarCraft and Warcraft days.
To close out: Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era is a fantastic game. Though it’s in early access, there’s a solid foundation here. I’m excited to see how the developers iterate and refine the experience, and I’m hoping we get some expansions down the line. If you’re interested, check it out!
Anyhoo, that’s all for now.
Stay frosty.
