Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering Storm PC

Almost precisely six months after the release of the Heroes of Might & Magic IV game, its creators – the New World Computing studio, have prepared the first official expansion. The fans have been eagerly awaiting said expansion, which has introduced a new, complex storyline and several changes to the gameplay.

Plot

The mighty sorcerer named Hexis, a master of two schools of magic: Death and Nature, is the key character in The Gathering Storm. His growing power has manifested in Devonshire as a series of cataclysms, such as earthquakes and floods. Soon, the entire land of Lodwar stands in the face of a grave danger. The sorcerer can only be defeated by five heroes, who represent the forces of Order, Chaos, Nature, Might and Life.

Mechanics

The expansion features six campaigns, which take place on 20 new maps. The first five campaigns – “Masters of Magic”, “Opposites Attract”, “Another Bard’s Tale”, “Might Makes Right” and “A Matter of Life and Death” introduce the new heroes. Only after the first five are completed, the sixth campaign –“The Gathering Storm”, is unlocked. Our five champions, together with the equipment they have managed to put together and the skills they have gained, face off Hexis and his legions in a final confrontation.

The Gathering Storm also brings various new elements to the game, including 4 new units (Goblin Knight, Dark Champion, Evil Sorceress and Gargantuan), 7 new buildings (Coliseum of Magic, Coliseum of Might, Conservatory of Order, Conservatory of Chaos, Conservatory of Death, Conservatory of Life and Conservatory of Nature) and 16 previously unavailable artefacts (Necklace of Balance, Necklace of Muses, Harmonic Chainmail, Tiger Armor, Angelfeather Cloak, Cloak of Darkness, Tiger Helm, Archmage’s Hat, Aiffe’s Mandolin, Flame of Chaos, Ice Scales, Ring of Flares, Ring of Light, Wayfaring Boots, Staff of Disruption and Frost Hammer) some of which grant bonus effects when combined with other artefacts.

Technical aspects

When it comes to the audio-visual aspects, the expansion remains at the same level as the base version of the game, the only difference being, that it introduces a completely new soundtrack.

The Gathering Storm also brings one long-awaited novelty – a multiplayer mode, which supports skirmishes via an Internet connection. Unfortunately, the solution applied by the developers is less than ideal. The online multiplayer largely resembles playing on the same computer, with the only difference being, that the opponent can be anywhere in the world. In both cases the player needs to patiently wait for his turn, which means waiting until the other player (or players) finish all of their actions.

Last updated on 09 August 2010