Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars

"The best game of all time..."

I was quite astonished the first time I played Heroes of Might and Magic 2 for the computer. Never had I seen a game with such strategic gameplay, such emotional music, or so much fun.


Graphics: 8/10

The graphics aren't quite as awesome as the gameplay or the music, but they certainly aren't bad nonetheless. There are lots of different recruits in this game, each one with lot of detail. When you enter a castle, your screen will be filled with gorgeous colors and scenery that almost looks lifelike. The cartoonish look of the game does tend to ruin the mood a little, but not too much.


Sound: 10/10

The sound department is stupendous, and no I'm not overexaggerating. The music literally sounds as if it was composed by an orchestra, and you will never tire of hearing it. What makes the music so enchanting is how emotional it is. Some of it is joyful or heroic (Knight castles,) some of it is creepy or horrifying (theme when you lose, Necromancer castles,) and some of it is depressing (Barbarian castles, the overhead theme when the computer players are making their moves.) Some of the music also contains oprea singers in it, making it even more enjoyable. I am quite astounded that they would put this much time in the music for a video game! The sound effects are also quite impressive, each one is very fitting to the action it matches. There are also quite a few mythical sound effects, which go very, very, well with the game.


Gameplay: 10/10

Encaptivating sums it up. The gameplay will keep you playing for a long, long time. This game plays a little similar to Warcraft, in which you are given a certain task to do at each level, whether it be defeating all the enemies, finding a certain item, or accomplishing a certain task in a limited amount of time. Also similar to Warcraft, you recruit troops from the castles, and in turn they will fight for you in battle. Similar to Dragon Warrior (and Warcraft AGAIN) you are given an overhead view when you are searching out of towns or castles, yet unlike Dragon Warrior you must explore the area before it is charted down on your map. The battles with enemies are turn based, like you would see in an RPG. The battles are not at all tiring as they are in some other RPG games I've played, certainly a plus. You can also gain experience from battles, which in turn can make you stronger and learn new tatics. There's also a multiplayer mode, so after you're done with the campaign game, you can go against a human player on a map. You can either choose one of the maps that came with the game, or make some of your own!


The challenge is high. I've found myself stuck for hours on some places, only to find the next level even tougher! Here's a tip: always make more than one save so you can correct your mistakes if necessary.


The replay value is much better than in most other games I've played. You won't find yourself beating this game very quickly, and having a friend make a map of their own for you is even funner.

Overall: 10/10

3DO: Serious Fun.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/00, Updated 10/11/00