Drawing comparisons to
Fire Emblem should tell you a couple things. First,
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes can be challenging, but more on that later. The gameplay similarities are worth mentioning, not because
Clash of Heroes is a copycat, but because it does so many things right. Building an army for strategic gameplay was a concept that
Might & Magic perfected early on in the series. Where the free-roaming concept has given way to more of a linear, boardgame style of play, there's some obvious influence from games like
Puzzle Quest, but the core game is still about gathering and deploying units in battle. The story begins in Irollan, home of an elvish people and the source of your first army. Before the game is finished, you'll sample four other factions with unique unit types, and explore the entire world of
Clash of Heroes.
Aside from what would otherwise be a very satisfying solo story mode, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes features a Quick Battle Mode and excellent Multiplayer. Fighting with a friend (or against him) is an awesome way to up the ante in battle, and Clash of Heroes does what we wish more puzzle games would do by getting online modes working. Local or otherwise, pitting your army against a human opponent provides great new challenge, extending the shelf-life of the game considerably. You can even bring items discovered in the solo campaign into these modes, which provides some incentive to squeeze all you can from the main story.
