Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Andrew Park
• Reviewed on: 05/03/2000
• Updated on: 05/08/2000
• Released on: 03/31/2000
• Originally published on GameSpot: Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death (PC) Review

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death is a standalone expansion for the original Heroes of Might and Magic III, which was a very polished and enjoyable fantasy-themed turn-based strategy game. It includes the entire full game of Heroes III, including all of the features, units, campaigns, and scenarios of the original, as well as nearly all of the features from the Armageddon's Blade expansion. Shadow of Death also includes a handful of its own changes, and a great number of brand-new campaign and scenario maps. On the surface, Shadow of Death seems like a tremendous value for your money. Unfortunately, except for the new maps and a handful of minor gameplay changes, there's absolutely nothing in Shadow of Death that Heroes veterans haven't seen before. In fact, these gameplay changes will likely seem significant only to the most devoted Heroes fans.

If you've never played a Heroes of Might and Magic game, but you've heard tell of and are intrigued by the series' fanciful swords-and-sorcery setting, its easy-to-learn gameplay, and its simple yet engrossing turn-based resource and unit-management systems, you should by all means get Shadow of Death. It's essentially a greatly enhanced version of the original Heroes of Might and Magic III, a game that took the previous Heroes games' deep gameplay, colorful graphics, and excellent music a step further. Shadow of Death's insidiously addictive combination of accessible yet surprisingly deep gameplay, detailed and colorful graphics, and pleasant music will likely ensnare hapless neophytes now as completely and hopelessly as Heroes III did last year.

That's because Shadow of Death is extremely similar to last year's game - and to the previous expansion, Armageddon's Blade - and seasoned veterans of the Heroes series know it. Shadow of Death's graphics are as bright, colorful, and detailed as Heroes III's, and its music is just as atmospheric, because they're exactly the same graphics and music from the original game. And many of Shadow of Death's "new" features - those not included in the original Heroes III - are from Armageddon's Blade. All of Shadow of Death's "new" creatures are from the previous expansion, as are the enhanced campaign and map editors and the options to recruit both low-level and upgraded monsters from an upgraded structure and to garrison your units at mines and other holdings on the map.

Continue reading

Where to buy

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death (PC): $29.99

store	price	in stock?	rating
eBay	$29.99	Yes

see prices from 1 store

Compare prices for Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death

eBay

$29.99