Heroes of Might and Magic 2 (PC)
It has been 17 years since I was introduced to the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise and I remember that at first I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about. You see, back then I was 16 years old and I have just gotten my first personal computer. For someone who was raised with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Nintendo and Sega, I just didn't understand the excitement my friend was having for Heroes of Might and Magic 2. It's not that I was not into complicated strategy games - I mean, I loved the original Civilization which is arguably even more complicated - but there was something about Heroes of Might and Magic 2 that just rubbed me the wrong way. To this day I cannot explain what put me off - perhaps it was because I have never heard of the first part, or perhaps the game just looked weird to me - it is difficult to say, but I do remember my lack of enthusiasm.
It took me around two years before I decided to give it a fair chance and - oh boy - am I glad that I did. Today, Heroes of Might and Magic 2 is one of my favourite games and it is by far my favourite out of the whole franchise. Truth be told, the vast majority of gamers will disagree with me on that one, because most people familiar with the series are fans of the third game. Don't get me wrong, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is an amazing game and I can understand why people like it so much. It is certainly more advanced in comparison to its predecessors and equally addicting, but I was always annoyed by the fact that the third part started the negative trend of forcing the player to go through other campaigns before you can unlock the ones you are actually interested in. I really don't understand why the developers thought that this was a good design decision, but at least to me not being able to choose a campaign is bad and it's even worse when it is forced down my throat.
Another thing that I like better in the second part is the graphics. Now I know that this is entirely subjective and not very important, but I always liked the pixelated look more. And lastly there is the ability to switch sides and play alternative maps as you go through the campaign. This allows you to experience different maps on your playthroughs, as well as not being forced to play through the whole game just to see a different ending. The fact that the third part doesn't even feature a compelling campaign for the bad guys just cements my view that Heroes of Might and Magic 2 is a better game.
Anyway, today I decided the time has come to start another playthrough of this amazing game. I think I finished it at least three times in the last 15 years, and since this is a game I have the need to replay every so often, I think it is a perfect first entry for my gaming diary.
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 1
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 2
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 3
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 4
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 5
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 6
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 7
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 8
Heroes of Might and Magic 2 memories - Part 9
Final thoughts:
The game definitely stood the test of time and is still one of my favorite games, although I have to admit that this last playthrough has left me wondering if the second part really is the best game in the franchise. The reason is the difficulty which varies from no challenge at all to insanely difficult. Namely, the first eight levels I managed to finish without any problems due to the help I was getting from the dwarves. I reloaded only a few battles and even then it was mostly for convenience. However, once I was left to fight my own battles on the last map, the game became much more difficult and I was forced to reload certain battles over and over again. At times it was even frustrating, which of course made the success all that much sweeter. Still, I think that the alliance with the dwarves ruins the delicate balance of the game. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I ever decided to not skip over the third map. That choice to do the third map and help the dwarves made the game way too easy later on, only to hit me brutally hard on the last level.
In any case, I will have to revisit this topic once I try replaying other games in the series.
