The best puzzle RPG ever is making a comeback
I love puzzle RPGs; anything that brings puzzle gameplay together with storytelling and role-playing character development is a pure win in my book. My favorite of all is Capybara’s Might & Magic: Clash of Heroesa genius mix of RPG, battlefield tactics and mind-bending color combinations that first appeared on the Nintendo DS in 2009.
Last reissued 10 years ago in a disappointing mobile version, I never expected Clash of heroes would see another release, especially given its licensing ties to Might & Magic, Ubisoft’s largely moribund fantasy franchise. I have seldom been happier to be wrong.
In a surprise announcement, Clash of heroes is to get a Definitive Edition release this summer for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC. (Oddly enough, there won’t be an Xbox release, though the 2011 Xbox 360 version of the game is still available to buy and play via backward compatibility.) Promisingly, the developer of the new Definitive Edition is Dotemu, the creator of last year’s great brawler, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengeand many other great retro rebirths like Windbreakers 2 And Streets of Anger 4.
Image: Dotemu/Ubisoft
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Image: Dotemu/Ubisoft
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Image: Dotemu/Ubisoft
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Image: Dotemu/Ubisoft
Dotemu has refreshed everything Clash of heroessharp and characterful anime-inspired artwork for the Definitive Edition, and undertook a complete rebalancing of the online and offline multiplayer mode. The original game I’m the boss DLC will be included along with a brand new exclusive multiplayer boss, Euny the Archdruid. The game is also localized for Asian territories for the first time.
βMight and Magic: Clash of Heroes was one of my favorite games from the era it was originally released. It is a gem in game design,β said Cyrille Imbert, CEO of Dotemu, rightly so. “I’ve spent so many nights on my Xbox 360 with my friends setting up the best, unbeatable strategy, playing for just ‘one more duel’ until the sun came up.”
Clash of heroesCore gameplay consists of stacking and combining color-coded units to increase their power and neutralize the attacks of an opposing enemy. βThe combat system easily rivals that of Progress wars for refinement,β I wrote in my puzzle-RPG guide last year. βThe simple concept of stacking and combining color-coded units is extrapolated through a beautifully balanced net of rules across five factions and a substantial 30-hour campaign. It’s a shame publisher Ubisoft probably won’t give this the full re-release, as it’s a stone-cold classic.β Well, I was half right!