Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era Is a True Return to Form – Review

Few strategy series have the legacy that Heroes of Might & Magic has. I grew up on it, and like many, Heroes of Might & Magic III is one of my all-time favorite games and is considered one of the best strategy games of all time. The series has never been able to match this high, but this may finally change with Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era. While not an official reboot, developer Unfrozen and publisher Ubisoft have built it as a prequel to the entire series, telling a brand new story.

After spending countless hours on Heroes of Might & Magic III, I was skeptical, but my time with Olden Era has completely changed my mind. The gameplay hasn’t felt this good since 1997, even in Olden Era’s early access. The core gameplay loop of exploration, town-building, and tactical combat forms a strong and satisfying foundation for Unfrozen to grow. The early access model also provides time for the developer to address peripheral issues, such as the UI and control scheme, as well as expand elements like factions and world map interactables.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pros	Cons
Deeply satisfying gameplay loop.	Clunky UI and controls.
Combat is strategic with many layered elements.	Limited faction diversity and missing classics.
Nostalgic but offers something new.
Highly replayable thanks to its variety.

The Perfect Blend of Strategy

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era understands what made the series work. The loop of exploration, town-building, and turn-based combat feels better than it has in decades. I was constantly faced with important decisions, whether it was choosing which path to explore or deciding when to engage an enemy force. Should I invest in my army, my economy, or law? Every turn feels deliberate, and that is exactly what I want from a strategy game, especially one trying to recapture the glory of Heroes of Might & Magic III.

Combat is where Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era shines. Battles are fast-paced yet still tactical, emphasizing position, abilities, synergy, and spells. Focus is a lovely addition, allowing heroes to be more impactful and giving more weight to the creatures you keep in your army. I loved how much utility heroes brought to battle and how impactful they were. Between stats, spells, and skills, there were many skirmishes where my hero helped turn the scales and won me victory.

Exploration is equally as rewarding and important to success. A fundamental part of Olden Era is building your army, and you need to gather the resources surrounding your castle to do so. This often meant battling neutral armies or challenging guarded structures. As a result, I had to decide between preserving my army’s strength and losing a few units to bolster my army down the road. The pressure of this, combined with the possibility of a rival hero storming your castle from the shadows, creates a wonderful tension, and it is one that kept me engaged for hours.

And all of this strategy and decision-making comes to a head when building and upgrading your city. The series has always fluctuated in how this is handled, but Olden Era feels basically perfect. Many of these elements are lifted from previous games, but one of my favorites is the new Law system. This allowed me to gain both temporary and permanent bonuses. Through it, I could strengthen my hero, generate more units, gain one-time resource bundles, and so much more. So many times, the Law system helped me get the thing I needed and let me fend off rival heroes and their armies.

A Clear Love Letter to Heroes of Might & Magic III

It is impossible to play Olden Era without thinking about Heroes of Might & Magic III. The influence is everywhere, from the pacing of exploration to the structure of combat. Unfrozen has even used a throwback in its single-player campaign, where players take on the role of Gunnar, a Minotaur Overlord from Heroes of Might & Magic III. But it isn’t just a copy and paste. Olden Era feels so similar to the series’ best while standing on its own. The familiar mechanics have been blended with new features and a new visual style, and it works.

Managing towns, recruiting units, and developing heroes all mirror the systems that made the earlier games so beloved. There is a sense of familiarity that makes it easy to jump in, but it never feels outdated. Instead, it feels like the natural evolution and a return to what fans loved without completely diverging like past games have. Instead, it takes the best parts of Heroes of Might & Magic III and showcases them through a modern lens. It almost feels like a mod overhauling the classic strategy game. Every time I boot the game up, the nostalgia washes over me, and I feel like a kid again playing Heroes of Might & Magic III with my brother on my grandfather’s computer.

The faction design also reflects this philosophy. Olden Era features six factions that offer unique units and strategies. Many of these are previous factions, like Temple and Grove, but the standout is Hive, the new faction and main antagonist of the story. I spent a lot of time experimenting with different playstyles, from aggressive melee-focused armies to more tactical setups built around magic and ranged units. That variety is essential, and it delivers here in a big way. What makes this even more impressive is that there is a lot of variety even within the same faction, thanks to hero builds and alternate unit upgrade paths.

Olden Era Has Room to Grow With Some Noticeable Issues

Despite its strong foundation, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era is not without flaws, minor though they are. The most noticeable issue right now is the user interface and control scheme. At times, navigating menus or managing armies feels clunky. I had moments where simple actions took more effort than they should, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay. Other times, there were actions that I tried to do, muscle memory from Heroes of Might & Magic III, and it didn’t work as I expected.

There are also some gaps in faction diversity. While the existing factions are well-designed, a few of them feel similar in practice. Both Dungeon and Schism feature Dark Elves, even if they diverge in how these are implemented and the accompanying creatures. But among the other factions, I did find myself wishing for more distinct mechanics or identities to truly separate them. Additionally, longtime fans will notice the absence of some classic factions, like Stronghold and Tower, which feels like a missed opportunity even if more are likely planned for future updates.

That said, the early access model works in the game’s favor. There is clear room for expansion, whether through new factions, improved UI, or additional world interactions. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel optimistic about the series’ future. The core systems are already there, which means improvements can build on a solid base rather than trying to fix something fundamentally broken like so many modern games today.

Despite my hesitation, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era feels like a dream come true. It captures what made the series special while leaving space to grow into something even better. If the developers continue refining and expanding it, this could finally be the game that brings the franchise back to the top of the strategy genre. Combat, exploration, army management, and the story are exactly what I wanted from a new Heroes of Might & Magic game, and if the only issues are minor ones, I am beyond happy. Longtime fans will not want to pass on this one. It may never reach the same heights as Heroes of Might & Magic III, but it is well on its way to making that attempt.

Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era is available on PC and will be released on April 30th. A Steam code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

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