Might & Magic - Clash of Heroes Impressions @ Joystiq

Some impressions of M&M: Clash of Heroes are up at Joystiq, for those interested:

Clash of Heroes is being developed by Capybara Games of Critter Crunch semi-fame, so we weren't surprised by its combat's similarity to a puzzle game -- specifically Critter Crunch. Sure, it's a different approach for the genre, but, combined with a very JRPG art style, lush visuals and an actual story, it just ... works.
Seeing as it's a "clash of heroes," the main push of the game is battles between the player character's army and those of the various evil bad guys they encounter. We were just starting out during our demo, so there were maybe only a dozen units spread across both screens. However, we were told that, later in the game, the screens would be filled, with battles lasting up to 30 minutes. (Shame we were also told there's no quick-save feature.)

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More information.

Oh dear...

"combined with a very JRPG style, lush visuals and an actual story, it just works".

Unquestionably? Even at this point in time? Even once compared to the previous series of western roleplaying games which do not have the JRPG stylistics? To be honest, many old time fans could perceive these radical changes as simply abominable and so, not working at all.

Saying "it just works" does very little to ease a sense of frustration that could be obtained from seeing a once famous RPG moniker whored out and slapped on to something philosophically, visually and mechanically different to what it once represented.

Whilst Dark Messiah was a certainly a stretch for the name but certainly a short and enjoyable romp, this really does raise the proverbial eyebrow of wonder: Why can't Ubisoft simply try to make MMX happen and bring this great RPG series back into the public consciousness for new fans to discover?

See - I don't think Dark Messiah did anything good for the M&M name, and if this is a solid game I would say it is better for the legacy than that mindless juvenile kick-fest.

That said ... I'd also rather have a 'real' M&M game.