After lying fallow for over a decade, Heroes of Might and Magic is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. Earlier this year, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era launched into early access and will hit 1.0 in 2027. And now it's going to be joined by an old friend with a new look. The series' golden child, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, is back. Again.

HoMM 3 Remake is actually the third version of the third game in the series, which was remastered back in 2015. At a glance, however, you could be forgiven for assuming that it's a brand new entry, as it boasts a new art style along with a few more tweaks. But this is still absolutely HoMM 3.

I took it for a spin over a couple of hours ahead of its Gamescom reveal, playing the simple campaign prologue and the Arrogance scenario—a popular map first introduced in HoMM 3: The Shadow of Death. It's a compact, well-paced adventure that I remember being a good place to start when you wanted to delve into multiplayer (or if you just wanted a fun comp stomp).

This remains true in the remake. It's a four-player deal, and each starting position is close to a second town of the same faction, rapidly expanding your ability to recruit big unit stacks and making it easier to support multiple heroes early on. With entrances to the underworld close by, and nearby shipyards letting you cross the tiny ocean, it gives you the full HoMM 3 experience extremely quickly.

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