It has been more than a decade since the last Heroes of Might and Magic release, and over 25 years since the series visited Enroth, the iconic fantasy setting of the first three games. That makes Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era one of the more significant strategy RPG comebacks in recent memory, carrying serious weight for a fanbase that has been waiting a long time.
The reboot is developed by Unfrozen and backed by a collaboration between Ubisoft and Hooded Horse, with series creator Jon Van Caneghem also involved in the project. That pedigree gives the game some immediate credibility, and according to Rock Paper Shotgun's coverage, it largely delivers on the promise of a genuine return to form for the franchise.
Strong foundations, steep learning curve
The core turn-based strategy gameplay that made the series a PC gaming staple is apparently intact and engaging, with the review describing it as a strong comeback in a genre that has very few modern competitors. For fans of classic hex-grid tactical combat and empire-building, this sounds like exactly the kind of game that has been missing from the landscape.
The caveat, however, is communication. Rock Paper Shotgun notes the game struggles to explain itself adequately, which is a real concern for a series that has been dormant long enough that many potential players will be coming in cold. A game this mechanically dense needs solid onboarding, and it sounds like Olden Era does not quite nail that part of the experience.
A rare commodity in modern strategy gaming
What makes the positive reception here particularly notable is the lack of competition in this space. The turn-based fantasy strategy RPG genre that Heroes helped define in the 1990s never really found a successor at the same scale, which means Olden Era is not just a nostalgia play - it is filling a genuine gap in the current gaming market.
Whether the tutorial shortcomings hold it back from reaching a wider audience remains to be seen, but for strategy veterans and lapsed fans of the series, this is shaping up to be a worthwhile return to a world that many players thought they might never revisit. The full picture will come into focus as more players spend serious time with it post-launch.
