Game #16: Heroes of Might and Magic III (PC, 3DO)

Heroes II appeared on thist list because it was a classic, epic strategy game. Heroes III appears in the top 20 because it improves upon its predecessor in just about every way. The graphic improvments are obvious, especially in battle. However, perhaps the most important is the improvment of the A.I. Computer players no longer seem to have such a huge advantage. The difficulty is a lot more balanced and managing your army is a lot less clunky. The two expansion packs add even more awesome features with new campaigns, classes, and artifacts. Speaking of the character classes, gone are the generic knight and wizard from Heroes II. Heroes III offers unique towns to keep players interesting. A random map generator puts this game over the top as one of the greatest strategy (and multiplayer) games of all time.

Pros: Addictive gameplay, strong (but not cheap) AI, interesting campaigns, multiplayer

Cons: Slow Pace, learning curve

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Gaming off the Beaten Path

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