Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era - Ubisoft returns to Enroth - coming to Early Access in Q2 2025

[Infinitron]

Back in December, we did an advent calendar with many reveals about the upcoming game. In case you missed it, here's the digest of all the schools of magic and their respective spells that had been shown.
We hope you enjoyed our story, you can read it in a day-by-day format here https://unfrozen.studio/prophecy/Olde... as there is so much more to come still!

The music used in this video is from Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, composed by Cris Velasco, who is also one of the composers we announced for Olden Era, along with Paul Anthony Romero and Heroes Orchestra!

 

[ciox]

The spells look cool, but bros this isn't a MOBA. You are allowed to spawn an obstacle or root an enemy unit in place, and have these effects last more than 1 round. You have an 8 stack army and the obstacles are even destructible.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

At this point I just hope they'll manage to release this in time, before Ubisoft will bankrupt its sorry ass once and for all.

 

[Darth Roxor]

At this point I just hope they'll manage to release this in time, before Ubisoft will bankrupt its sorry ass once and for all.

i dunno there would be some poetic elegance to this happening in echo of 3DO's death throes during the development of heroes 4, r00fles

 

[Aemar]

 

[ciox]

 

[Space Satan]

You have visited a Water Spirit. You luck increases for a week

 

[Infinitron]

Astrologers proclaim a new week — and with it, a demonic surprise! As January nears its end and February is on the horizon, the mysterious whispers and songs from the Hive draw near. Take a first look at the Hive faction with this small teaser! We'll show you more reveals in the upcoming weeks.

 

[Hydro]

Trying to compete with Lariantards in cringe humor

 

[Darth Roxor]

why does this look so goddamn ugly

 

[Lacrymas]

Still not hyped about this at all. The awful art direction doesn't help.

 

[silencestones]

why does this look so goddamn ugly

I don't think it's ugly, it's just the wrong art style. They chose to go with a 2D version of HoMM5.
It's a shame, because, when it comes to style, they could have pulled so much good stuff from H2, H3 and H4.
Heck, they could have gone out of their way and take some inspiration from M&M series as well.

But, of course, let's go with the retarded unit designs, dragon armor, warcraft-like looking buildings, and so on.

 

[Suicidal]

Astrologers proclaim a new week — and with it, a demonic surprise! As January nears its end and February is on the horizon, the mysterious whispers and songs from the Hive draw near. Take a first look at the Hive faction with this small teaser! We'll show you more reveals in the upcoming weeks.

I read Hive and think it's some cool new insect-like faction but it's just Inferno in disguise. I wish devs that choose to make new HoMMs actually make new factions instead of retreading old ground for an eternity.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

why does this look so goddamn ugly

I don't think it's ugly, it's just the wrong art style. They chose to go with a 2D version of HoMM5.
It's a shame, because, when it comes to style, they could have pulled so much good stuff from H2, H3 and H4.
Heck, they could have gone out of their way and take some inspiration from M&M series as well.

But, of course, let's go with the retarded unit designs, dragon armor, warcraft-like looking buildings, and so on.

It is very much ugly tho. It's just what happens with this kind of projects now. Even if the devs have some good ideas (like, going back to 1-3's map-like perspective and proper town screens) there's complete lack of capacity for execution. Thinking a modern dev could pull off re-creating H2 graphical style is a very definition of pipe dream.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Astrologers proclaim a new week — and with it, a demonic surprise! As January nears its end and February is on the horizon, the mysterious whispers and songs from the Hive draw near. Take a first look at the Hive faction with this small teaser! We'll show you more reveals in the upcoming weeks.

I read Hive and think it's some cool new insect-like faction but it's just Inferno in disguise. I wish devs that choose to make new HoMMs actually make new factions instead of retreading old ground for an eternity.

It's supposed to be a throwback to the Might & Magic RPGs, because Inferno are actually alien invaders, and in MM6 their HQ is called 'the hive'.

 

[Space Satan]

read Hive and think it's some cool new insect-like faction but it's just Inferno in disguise. I wish devs that choose to make new HoMMs actually make new factions instead of retreading old ground for an eternity.

It's a fucking kreegans in old setting, they are damn hive demons, who bacame more humanlike only in latest M&Ms

 

[Lacrymas]

Olden Era's art direction is honestly more cartoony than HoMM1 and that's saying something. I don't know who this game is for.

 

[Suicidal]

It's supposed to be a throwback to the Might & Magic RPGs, because Inferno are actually alien invaders, and in MM6 their HQ is called 'the hive'.

It's a fucking kreegans in old setting, they are damn hive demons, who bacame more humanlike only in latest M&Ms

Ah, I see. I never played old M&Ms (one day I will). But I have played Heroes 6 and inferno has the same aesthetics in that game with worms and bug-like monsters that shoot larvae and other shit like that. They have humanoid monsters as well, although less demon-like and more abomination-like.

 

[Space Satan]

But I have played Heroes 6

 

[ClaviculaZ]

Their approach to the art direction of this series evokes Einstein's definition of insanity. The developers have been told by the fans since HOMM V, so basically for 19 years, that this cartoony art style as well as all those "cute" non-traditional ideas absolutely suck and they have done the same thing over and over again. They will probably have terrible campaign characters and storylines as well and the game will feel empty and flawed in the end.

 

[octavius]

Their approach to the art direction of this series evokes Einstein's definition of insanity. The developers have been told by the fans since HOMM V, so basically for 19 years, that this cartoony art style as well as all those "cute" non-traditional ideas absolutely suck and they have done the same thing over and over again. They will probably have terrible campaign characters and storylines as well and the game will feel empty and flawed in the end.

I wonder how many fans have bought the games over and over again.

 

[ClaviculaZ]

Their approach to the art direction of this series evokes Einstein's definition of insanity. The developers have been told by the fans since HOMM V, so basically for 19 years, that this cartoony art style as well as all those "cute" non-traditional ideas absolutely suck and they have done the same thing over and over again. They will probably have terrible campaign characters and storylines as well and the game will feel empty and flawed in the end.

I wonder how many fans have bought the games over and over again.

Well, judging by the heroescommunity forums and a German message board which I was following a few years back, the HOMM fan base is 100% deserving of the "fabulously optimistic" tag. Many were even defending Heroes 6 for weeks after release, until it became inevitably clear what a piece of irredeemable crap it was. The trauma of Heroes 6 then lead to a far more reserved expectation for Heroes 7 which never got a lot of attention, although it's not even that bad with the 7.5 mod; certainly better than 6. For Olden Era, the fabulous optimism is back in full force, probably due to the cheap trick of presumably "returning to the roots" etc.

 

[Storyfag]

read Hive and think it's some cool new insect-like faction but it's just Inferno in disguise. I wish devs that choose to make new HoMMs actually make new factions instead of retreading old ground for an eternity.

It's a fucking kreegans in old setting, they are damn hive demons, who bacame more humanlike only in latest M&Ms

Kreegans have always been a humanoid species. And a hive society.

 

[Infinitron]

Last week, we released a digest of all spells and spell schools that had been shown in December. Today we’re bringing you an all-in-one showcase of all units, artefacts and objects that had been revealed last month!
We hope you enjoyed our story — you can read it in a day-by-day format here https://unfrozen.studio/prophecy/Olden_Era_Prophecy.php as there is so much more to come still!

 

[The Nameless One]

Astrologers proclaim a new week — and with it, a demonic surprise! As January nears its end and February is on the horizon, the mysterious whispers and songs from the Hive draw near. Take a first look at the Hive faction with this small teaser! We'll show you more reveals in the upcoming weeks.

So how does this stand up to Horn of the Abyss? It's basically the same shizzle minus the awesome soundtrack and the comfy campy late 90s-esque sprites.