Hybrid games, especially those of the puzzle variety, are my new gaming love. Puzzle Quest pretty much started the genre for me, then games like Bookworm Adventures and Clockwords: Prelude sealed the deal. Now a new contender comes along and makes me all bubbly with happiness: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. I blindly bought the game after Tiny Cartridge recommended it as a “sleeper hit” that was “this year’s Puzzle Quest”. A secret game that’s like Puzzle Quest that’s awesome? Count. Me. In.
Combining puzzle strategy/RPG elements, Clash of Heroes plays like Critter Crunch with armies to command, units to level up, and artifacts to equip. Combat takes place on both DS screens, with the enemy on top and your troops on bottom, each facing the middle. By picking up and dropping units in various columns (or removing them from the field), your goal is to combine three of the same type and color to form an attacking group. Depending on the class of unit, attacks take a number of turns to initiate and will have different affects. There are also special units that must be “loaded” with other units to start their attack, but the extra effort is always worth it.
Here’s the fun bit: it’s not just match making and attacking. Make a horizontal match, for example, and a wall is created, useful for protecting yourself while the enemy pounds away at your front lines. Removing units is a great way to earn extra moves for the turn by creating quick combos. And as you take damage (your character, not your army), a special magic attack is charged that can turn the tide of battle. While you’re working on your own battle plan, the enemy has its tactics, too, and you really have to keep an eye on the top screen and plan your moves accordingly. It’s a little bit of puzzle gaming, a little bit of attack posturing, and a little bit of defense, all wrapped into one gorgeous package that I just can’t put down.
Strangely enough, I think the game’s most unfortunate feature is the Might & Magic name. When something is this original, it shouldn’t carry the weight of another franchise on its back, especially not one as old as this series. Probably the reason most people overlooked Clash of Heroes was because, on the surface, it looked like another Might & Magic game. Not to down Might & Magic, of course, but Clash of Heroes =/= Might & Magic. Just sayin’.
Anyway, there’s my two pence. If you own a DS, you enjoy games that blur the lines between genres, and want to become a Capybara Games fanboy like I do, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes will please.
