Heroes of Might and Magic III: remake on Snowdrop and corrected original release on Steam
- Ubisoft showed a 9-minute trailer for the HoMM III remake at gamescom.
- The remake will be on the Snowdrop engine with new features and an editor.
- The original game with expansions was released on Steam, but there was a bug at first.
- The problem was quickly fixed; the game is available in full.
At the gamescom exhibition, Ubisoft unexpectedly announced a remake of the classic strategy Heroes of Might and Magic III. A nine-minute gameplay video was shown to the press, demonstrating how the old masterpiece will look on the modern Snowdrop engine.
What has changed in the remake
The developers stated that they will retain all the key elements of the original but will add a number of innovations. Among them are instant switching to strategic mode, a city building planning tool, and automation of hero actions: they will independently gather resources and replenish the army of the main commander. Battles will take place under a free camera, allowing observation from any angle, and heroes will receive new portraits, an updated character window, and a modern inventory system.
A new prologue campaign will introduce players to the world of Erathia and basic mechanics, while the story of the main part will be intertwined with missions from two expansions, creating a cohesive adventure. Cinematic inserts will give the narrative a more cinematic look.
For card enthusiasts, both a ready-made set of new cards and a generator for creating custom landscapes will be available. Multiplayer will receive improved matchmaking, making it easier to find opponents.
Compatibility and tools
Ubisoft promises full compatibility of the remake with user-created maps and campaigns designed for the original version. Players will receive an enhanced editor that allows changes not only to the landscape but also to sounds and musical accompaniment. In developing the project, the studio involved well-known members of the 'triple' community to take into account fan wishes.
The remake will be available on PC (Steam and Ubisoft Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, and will also feature Russian subtitles. The exact release date has not yet been announced.
Issues with the original on Steam
Immediately after the announcement of the remake, Ubisoft released the complete edition on Steam Heroes of Might and Magic III along with three expansions: 'Rebirth of Erathia', 'Blade of Armageddon', and 'Breath of Death'. Prior to this, only the HD version without expansions was available in the store.
However, when users attempted to download the game, they saw that the size of the downloadable file was only about 23 KB – clearly insufficient for a full product. An error occurred upon launch, and the game would not start. The error was caused by Ubisoft not including the actual game files in the package.
The technical issue was quickly fixed, and now the original 'trilogy' is available in full. In the Russian region, the game is sold for 4,299 tenge, but it is not officially sold in Russia.
The return of the original to Steam shows that Ubisoft takes its franchise seriously and is ready to quickly respond to mistakes so that players can enjoy both the classic and the upcoming remake.
Source: StopGame
