Heroes of Might and Magic V
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 28, 1986 |
| Headquarters | Montreuil , France |
Key people | Yves Guillemot (CEO) |
| Products | Video games, including Heroes of Might and Magic V |
| Website | www |
Heroes of Might and Magic V represents the fifth entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series, a fantasy-themed turn-based strategy franchise. The game was launched by Ubisoft in Europe on May 19, 2006, followed by a North American release on May 23, 2006. Development was handled by the Russian studio Nival Interactive under Ubisoft’s supervision. After Ubisoft acquired the Might and Magic intellectual property from the defunct The 3DO Company, they rebooted the series with a fresh narrative universe called Ashan, departing from the continuity established by earlier installments.
In this title, players assume control of "heroes," commanders endowed with magical powers who assemble armies from faction strongholds such as castles. These forces comprise a variety of units, including humanoids, undead creatures, and monsters. The game features a campaign mode that spans six factions native to Ashan, in addition to standalone missions and multiplayer options. Notably, Heroes V marks a technological evolution for the series by introducing fully rendered 3D visuals, replacing the traditional 2D isometric perspective used in previous games.
Gameplay
Heroes develop new capabilities, enhance existing skills, gain special talents, or form skill combinations by leveling up or visiting designated adventure map locations. Each hero can possess up to five standard skills plus one racial skill unique to their faction.
Skills are categorized into four levels: Basic, Advanced, Expert, and Ultimate. Each tier unlocks additional abilities—one at Basic level, two at Advanced, and three at Expert. These abilities become available progressively rather than all at once upon leveling.
Racial skills are faction-specific and grant distinct powers culminating in an ultimate ability. This ultimate is unlocked by mastering certain regular skills and equipping particular artifacts.
The game includes six primary factions: Haven, Inferno, Necropolis, Dungeon, Sylvan, and Academy. Subsequent expansions added two more factions: Fortress and Stronghold.
- Haven
- A human faction governed by religious warlords from the Holy Griffin Empire, focusing on military discipline and advancement. Key campaign figures include Queen Isabel and General Godric.
- Inferno
- Demonic inhabitants of Sheogh who reinforce their ranks through summoning portals known as "Gating." Their base is situated in lava-filled terrain and led by Urgash, Dragon of Chaos, alongside Demon Sovereign Kha-Beleth. The campaign’s main character is Agrael.
- Necropolis
- A faction of corrupted sorcerers devoted to a spider-like dragon deity from Heresh, specializing in necromantic magic that raises defeated foes as undead soldiers. The campaign hero representing Necropolis is Markal.
- Dungeon
- Dark elves originating from subterranean Ygg-Chall who excel in potent magic resistant to counterspells. Formerly part of Sylvan society, they now operate as outlaws under warlock Raelag’s leadership.
- Sylvan
- An elven faction based in Irollan emphasizing archery skills and army bonuses against enemies previously vanquished. Findan serves as their campaign protagonist.
- Academy
- A desert city dominated by wizards commanding armies composed mainly of ranged units and flying creatures. Their dragon Sar-Elam was historically the first wizard transformed into a dragon. Zehir is their campaign hero and newly appointed Arch-mage of the Silver Cities.
Development
In August 2003, Ubisoft purchased the rights to the Might and Magic franchise for $1.3 million following 3DO’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Ubisoft revealed plans to produce the fifth installment under producer Fabrice Cambounet’s guidance. Although New World Computing had initially begun development on a 2D isometric version of Heroes V using the engine from Heroes IV, Ubisoft reviewed this early work but opted to create an entirely new title featuring full 3D graphics from scratch.
Reception
On Metacritic, the game garnered "generally favorable reviews." It achieved notable commercial success, exceeding 350,000 copies sold by June 2006 and securing the top position on sales charts in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Expansions
The initial expansion for Heroes V, titled Hammers of Fate, was released on November 17, 2006 in Europe and on November 24, 2006 in North America. This add-on introduced the Dwarf faction featuring unique Rune Magic, incorporated a random map generator, and brought back caravans from Heroes IV. Ownership of the complete Heroes of Might and Magic V game is necessary to use this expansion.
The second expansion, HOMMV: The Tribes of the East, was a stand-alone release that became available on October 12, 2007 in Europe and October 19, 2007 in North America. It introduced the Stronghold faction, offered alternative unit upgrade paths boosting the total number of creatures to 177, and included additional artifacts and spells.
Sequel
A trailer for Might & Magic Heroes VI was unveiled at Gamescom on August 17, 2010. Although initially planned for release on September 8, 2011, its launch was delayed until October 13, 2011.