Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade

Last updated
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade
Heroes of Might and Magic III - Armageddon's Blade Coverart.png
Developer(s) New World Computing
Publisher(s) The 3DO Company
Director(s) David Mullich
Producer(s) Mark Caldwell
Jeff Blattner
Designer(s) Jon Van Caneghem
Greg Fulton
Composer(s) Paul Romero
Rob King
Steve Baca
Series Heroes
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Macintosh (Heroes III Complete only)
Release
  • NA: September 29, 1999 [1]
  • EU: March 17, 2000 [2]
Genre(s) Turn-based strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, single-system multiplayer, or network play

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade is the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III . It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by The 3DO Company in 1999.

Contents

Gameplay

The most significant change in Armageddon's Blade is the addition of the Conflux town, bringing the total number of alignments in Heroes of Might and Magic III to nine. The town is themed around classical elements, and includes other creatures to round out the selection. Six new campaigns were included, one acting as a continuation of the base game's storyline, with the other five revolving around adventures taking place in the same fictional world. Over 35 single scenarios were also added.

Returning as non-aligned units, several creature types from previous Heroes games make an appearance. These include Peasants, Boars, and Halflings. The expansion also introduced some new non-aligned creature types, such as the powerful Azure Dragon. Eleven new campaign heroes and two new artifacts – Armageddon's Blade and the Vial of Dragonblood – were introduced as well. Several new map objects, including special quest towers that only allow passage if the hero meets certain criteria defined by the author of the map, also appear here for the first time.

A random map generator included with the expansion allows players to create random maps using a variety of customizable parameters. Finally, a standalone campaign editor packaged with the game allows for the composition of new campaigns from individual scenario maps.

Plot

Only one of the six new campaigns available in Armageddon's Blade directly concerns the main storyline. The events of Armageddon's Blade follow on from the events of Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor , in which the player party frees Roland Ironfist from the Kreegan stronghold Colony Zod, defeating the Kreegans' king, Xenofex, in the process. [3] As the kingdom of Erathia struggles to rebuild following the Restoration Wars, the Kreegans of Eeofol launch a surprise invasion. Already war-weary, the forces of Queen Catherine are no match for the formidable Kreegan army. [4]

Following the death of Xenofex, a usurper named Lucifer Kreegan takes control of Eeofol and, driven by a vision, begins to seek a means to fashion an ancient weapon known as Armageddon's Blade, capable of setting the world on fire. [5] His general Xeron is tasked with locating the components for the Blade. To stop him, the armies of Erathia and AvLee launch an attack on Eeofol, unexpectedly receiving assistance from servants of the Lords of the four Elemental Planes in the form of the new Conflux towns that have mysteriously appeared. Queen Catherine and the recently liberated King Roland [6] are assisted by the mysterious half-elven warrior Gelu in the ensuing war. Xeron obtains the Blade, but is defeated by Gelu on his return to Eeofol. Gelu claims the Blade, and, at the behest of Queen Catherine, uses it to slay Lucifer Kreegan. Following this event, the Ironfists return to Enroth and the Blade is passed on to Gelu. [7] The story is continued in Heroes Chronicles: The Sword of Frost , [8] eventually leading to a cataclysm that sets the stage for Heroes of Might and Magic IV .

In the "Armageddon's Blade" campaign, the player takes control of Queen Catherine Ironfist, the main character of Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia , as well as King Roland Ironfist, the protagonist of Heroes of Might and Magic II . New characters introduced include Gelu, a half-elven archer, and Xeron, leader of the Kreegan armies. The five standalone campaigns feature a multitude of previously unseen characters. "Dragon Slayer" features the Bracadan wizard Dracon, while "Festival of Life" introduces the Krewlod barbarian Kilgor, who has a prominent role at the outset of Heroes of Might and Magic IV. "Dragon's Blood" stars Mutare, a Dungeon Overlord of Nighon who transforms herself into a dragon and returns in Heroes Chronicles: Clash of the Dragons along with the Tatalian fire witch Adrienne, the protagonist of "Playing with Fire". Finally, the unlockable "Foolhardy Waywardness" campaign features the knight Sir Christian, who also returns in Heroes of Might and Magic IV. As an aside, the epilogue of the "Foolhardy Waywardness" campaign explains the reason for Sir Christian's appearance as the player's starting hero in The Restoration of Erathia's first campaign, "Long Live the Queen".

Development

Work on the Armageddon's Blade expansion began in early 1999. The developers originally intended to focus the storyline around the threat posed by a new, futuristic faction, the "Forge" alignment, [9] allowing the game to act as a continuation to the "evil" ending of Might and Magic VII while showcasing the science fantasy aspect of the core Might and Magic series, which had never been evident in the Heroes of Might and Magic games. Although the Forge faction was almost completed and functional, some fans reacted negatively to its inclusion, believing that the inclusion of science fiction destroyed the Heroes series' fantasy-based atmosphere. [10]

Midway through the expansion's development, New World Computing decided to scrap the Forge faction and removed all references to its existence from the game's storyline, instead building upon Might and Magic VII's "good" ending. To replace the Forge, they introduced an elemental-based faction, the Conflux, which had originally been meant for a later expansion. [11] Due to the scrapping of the Forge halfway through the project, the developers and design artists suffered from a lack of time when completing the Conflux faction, and were forced to implement elemental creatures from the base game. This is evident if one takes a good look at the dwellings of the original four elementals within the Conflux town: they all use the same graphics as on the world map.

Reception

The game received favorable reviews, two points shy of universal acclaim, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [12] IGN 's Rich Rouse noted improvements made to the map editor and praised the amount of new content, [20] while GameSpot 's Andrew Seyoon Park focused on the addition of the Conflux alignment and subtle tweaks to the gameplay. [17] GameRevolution 's Duke Ferris was mildly disappointed with the Conflux town and its use of neutral creatures already included in the base game, but praised the campaign storyline and gameplay along with the addition of new features. [16] Some reviews were critical of the lack of drastic changes to the base game, while pointing out that the core mechanics were in no need of major improvements.

The game won Computer Games Strategy Plus ' 1999 "Add-on of the Year" award. The staff wrote, "Armageddon's Blade serves as a template for add-ons. It takes one of the better games of the year and makes it even better." [22] It was a runner-up for "Best Expansion Pack" at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1999 Awards, which went to Half-Life: Opposing Force . [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>Might and Magic</i> Video game series

Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games in the science fantasy genre developed by New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company. The original Might and Magic series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the Might and Magic name were purchased for US$1.3 million by Ubisoft, which rebooted the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games Heroes of Might and Magic V and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

Heroes of Might and Magic, known as Might & Magic Heroes in 2011–2024, is a series of video games created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing.

<i>Kings Bounty</i> 1990 video game

King's Bounty is a turn-based fantasy video game designed by Jon Van Caneghem and published by New World Computing in 1990. The game follows the player's character, a hero of King Maximus, appointed with the job of retrieving the Sceptre of Order from the forces of chaos, led by Arech Dragonbreath. King's Bounty is notably considered the forerunner of the Heroes of Might and Magic series of games.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic III</i> 1999 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing originally released for Microsoft Windows by The 3DO Company in 1999. Its ports to several computer and console systems followed in 1999–2000. It is the third installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

<i>Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven</i> 1998 video game

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, commonly abbreviated to Might and Magic VI or simply MM6, is a role-playing video game developed by New World Computing and published by 3DO in 1998. It is the sixth installment in the Might and Magic series, the sequel to Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen and the first of the Might and Magic titles to take place on the same planet as Heroes of Might and Magic. It continues the storyline of Heroes of Might and Magic II, and takes place at the same time as Heroes of Might and Magic III in the series chronology. The game was compared favorably to its peers, role-playing video games such as The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Critics praised it for its non-linear, user-friendly premise, an interactive, detailed game world and a polished, bug-free initial release. A Limited Edition version of the game was also released, including a cloth map of Enroth, a strategy guide and the first five games of the series on CD-ROM. It was followed by three sequels, with Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor directly continuing the story arc.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic IV</i> 2002 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic IV is a turn-based strategy game developed by Gus Smedstad through New World Computing and published by the 3DO Company for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers in 2002. A Macintosh port was subsequently developed by Contraband Entertainment and released by the 3DO Company. The fourth installment of the popular Heroes of Might and Magic franchise, it is the sequel to Heroes of Might and Magic III, and was the last to be developed by New World Computing.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic II</i> 1996 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published in 1996 by the 3DO Company. The game is the second installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series and is typically credited as the breakout game for the series. Heroes II was voted the sixth-best PC game of all time by PC Gamer in May 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New World Computing</span> American development studio for computer games

New World Computing, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1984 by Jon Van Caneghem, his wife, Michaela Van Caneghem, and Mark Caldwell. It was best known for its work on the Might and Magic role-playing video game series and its spin-offs, especially Heroes of Might and Magic. The company was purchased by and became a division of The 3DO Company on July 10, 1996 from NTN Communications, after NTN purchased New World Computing for $10 million in stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Van Caneghem</span> American video game designer

Jon Van Caneghem is an American video game director, designer and producer. He is best known for launching development studio New World Computing in 1983, making his design debut in 1986 with Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum. During the company's 20-year lifespan, Van Caneghem was involved in the creation and direction of several franchises, including the Might and Magic role-playing series and the spin-off Heroes of Might and Magic and King's Bounty strategy series.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic V</i> 2006 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic fantasy turn-based strategy video game series. The game was released by Ubisoft in Europe on May 19, and then in the United States and Canada on May 23, 2006, with the publisher guiding Russian studio Nival Interactive in its development. Following the closure of The 3DO Company, Ubisoft bought the rights to the Might and Magic franchise, and used Heroes V as a means to reboot the series with a brand-new setting, called Ashan, and no continuity to previous titles.

<i>Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor</i> 1999 video game

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a role-playing game for Windows published in 1999 by 3DO and developed by New World Computing as part of the science fantasy series Might and Magic; it was re-released in 2011 on GOG.com. The game follows on from both the events of Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and those of Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. Players form a party of four characters who win a castle in a scavenger hunt and soon become embroiled in political events on the continent of Antagarich, on the world of Enroth, before eventually choosing one of two paths and working alongside a number of characters whose storyline continues on from the events of Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra. The sequel to For Blood and Honor is Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer.

<i>Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer</i> 2000 video game

Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer is a role-playing video game in the science fantasy genre developed for Microsoft Windows by New World Computing and released in 2000 by The 3DO Company. It is the eighth game in the Might and Magic series. The game received middling critical reviews, a first for the typically high-rated series, with several critics citing the game's length and its increasingly dated game engine, which had been left fundamentally unaltered since Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven in 1998. The game was later ported to PlayStation 2 in Japan and published by Imagineer on September 6, 2001.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest</i> 1995 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest is a turn-based strategy game developed and published by New World Computing in 1995 for DOS. A spin-off of New World Computing's Might and Magic series of role-playing video games, the success of Heroes of Might and Magic led to a number of sequels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mullich</span> American game producer and designer (born 1958)

David Mullich is an American game producer and designer. He created the 1980 adventure game The Prisoner, produced the 1995 adaptation I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, and developed Heroes of Might and Magic III and Heroes of Might and Magic IV.

<i>Might and Magic IX</i> 2002 video game

Might and Magic IX is a role-playing video game, the last developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released in 2002 by The 3DO Company. It is the sequel to Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer. It is the first to feature a significant game engine overhaul since 1998's Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven. Powered by the Lithtech engine, it was also the first game in the series to feature fully three-dimensional graphics. During production, it was known by the working title of Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate, and it is usually referred to by that title by fans of the series.

Gregory Fulton is an American computer game designer best known for his work on the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

<i>Heroes Chronicles</i> 2000 video game

Heroes Chronicles is a series of turn-based strategy video games developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published by the 3DO Company. The series was intended to introduce a new audience, such as casual gamers, to the Heroes of Might and Magic series. As part of that strategy, each installment of Chronicles was released as a low-cost episode containing a relatively short single-player campaign, and the difficulty level of each game was kept low. All Chronicles games are based on a limited version of the Heroes of Might and Magic III game engine, although the ability to play scenario maps and multiplayer games is not included in any Chronicles title.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death</i> 2000 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death is the second of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by The 3DO Company in 2000. Shadow of Death is a standalone expansion pack that includes the original game.

Conflux may refer to:

References

  1. ↑ "3DO Expands Heroes of Might and Magic(TM) III". The 3DO Company . September 29, 1999. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ "New UK releases". Eurogamer.net. 2000-03-17. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  3. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Lucifer Kreegan: Though we have met and spoken frequently since the death of our previous lord, King Xenofex, I have yet to tell you how I came to know of his death before anyone else in the kingdom. On the night of the day Xenofex fell to a band of adventurers, he came to me in a dream.
  4. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Morgan Kendal: My Queen, I regret to inform you that the dark forces of Eeofol have broken through our eastern lines. I have failed you, but I swear to you on the grave of your beloved father that I shall fall back and protect Steadwick from these foul creatures.
  5. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Lucifer Kreegan: I know Xenofex came to me the moment after he was killed. I know not why, but it is my destiny and duty to possess Armageddon's Blade. With it, I will set the world on fire.
  6. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Recently freed from the Kreegans, Roland respectfully serves as a general in Erathia's military under his wife Catherine.
  7. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Catherine Ironfist: Lucifer Kreegan is dead. The few remaining Kreegan clans have gone into hiding. All but a few of the elemental Confluxes have disappeared. I am sure we will see them again... if needed. As for myself and Roland, we will soon depart for Enroth and I will see my son again. As for Gelu, I left Armageddon's Blade in his hands. Following our victory, he and his guerilla army vanished into the Erathian forests. I do not know if he intends to destroy the weapon... or keep it for himself. In time, I am sure we will all know.
  8. ↑ New World Computing. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade (Windows). 3DO. Tarnum: How can that fool of an Elf go looking for the Sword of Frost? I met Gelu once, and I found him to be an inspiring leader and dedicated fighter. He never would have accomplished all that he has in the past few years without the skills to match his stubbornness. But I've never known him to be stupid. Is he so attached to the Armageddon's Blade that he can't see the danger he's putting the world in?
  9. ↑ "Forge Town". Heroes 3: Armageddon's Blade expansion. Heroes of Might and Magic. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  10. ↑ PeterB (August 16, 2005). "Interview with David Mullich". Tea Leaves. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Auto Interview with Greg Fulton". Heroes 3: Armageddon's Blade expansion. Heroes of Might and Magic. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  13. ↑ Cirulis, Martin E. (November 4, 1999). "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  14. ↑ Vanous, Cindy (November 29, 1999). "Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Armageddon's Blade [sic]". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on February 28, 2003. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  15. ↑ Green, Jeff (January 2000). "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 186. Ziff Davis. p. 134. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  16. 1 2 Ferris, Duke (November 1999). "Heroes of Might and Magic 3 [sic]: Armageddon's Blade Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Park, Andrew Seyoon (October 25, 1999). "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000"]". GameSpot . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on January 12, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade". GameStar (in German). Webedia. November 1999.
  19. ↑ FD (January 2000). "[Heroes of Might and Magic III:] Armageddon's Blade". Génération 4 (in French). No. 130. p. 181. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Rouse, Rich (November 15, 1999). "Heroes of Might & Magic III: Armageddon's Blade". IGN . Ziff Davis. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade". PC Games (in German). Computec. December 1999.
  22. ↑ CGSP staff (March 6, 2000). "The Computer Games Awards (Add-on of the Year)". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on April 1, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  23. ↑ GameSpot staff (2000). "The Best & Worst of 1999 (Best Expansion Pack)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved July 7, 2022.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.