E3: Clash of Heroes: Might and Magic HD Impressions
This is way better than Puzzle Quest.
06.15.10 - 10:47 PM

Puzzle Quest may be the big game sales-wise, but the Capybara-developed Clash of Heroes: Might and Magic takes the cake for me when it comes to the puzzle/RPG hybrid. Originally released last year on the Nintendo DS, it was one of editor Patrick Gann's favorite games released last year. This year, Ubisoft has teamed up with Capybara again to bring the title to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, but it's more than a simple port - much more.

For those who did not play the original DS title, Clash of Heroes: Might and Magic is a hybrid puzzle/RPG title where two opponents attempt to reduce their adversaries' hit points to zero. By making sets of three of individual units of the same color, either attacking or defending formations are created. There are additional special units that are put together differently, and everything works incredibly well. Both fans of puzzle games and of RPGs will find the game to be incredibly engaging.

Dan Vader, producer of the game, told us that it didn't happen often in the game industry that a team gets to go back and completely make their game again, but that is exactly what Capybara was able to do with Clash of Heroes: Might and Magic HD. Capybara was able to completely rebalance the units in the game, making the multiplayer much more balanced. With a development cycle of more than a year, the game has been tweaked beyond imagining.

That's not all that's changed, either, as you may have noticed the additional "HD" added to the game's title. Capybara didn't simply take their sprites for the DS and scale them up to HD levels. Their artists created all brand-new hand-drawn sprites and artwork for the game. Games like Gyromancer have great-looking sprites, but Capybara went one step further with this title. Everything looks absolutely fantastic, and all of the individual units have quite a bit of charm.

Slated for release later this year, I personally can't wait to take a look further at Clash of Heroes: Might and Magic HD when it hits Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Keep your eyes on RPGFan for more information on this title soon!