Everything retro: This turn-based strategy game with real-time battles wants to inherit the classic HoMM. We introduce you to Hero’s Hour.
Since 2015, fans of Heroes of Might and Magic have more or less been left high and dry. Hero’s Hour, which has been available on Steam since March 2022, could provide urgently needed supplies. Many elements of the strategy game directly serve the thirst for proper turn-based strategy, but some go their own way.
Let us introduce Hero’s Hour to you! And we’ll start directly with the official trailer so that you have a real picture in front of your eyes when we shower you with words afterwards.
Since 2015, fans of Heroes of Might and Magic have been more or less left high and dry. Hero’s Hour, which has been available on Steam since March 2022, could provide urgently needed supplies. Many elements of the strategy game directly serve the thirst for proper turn-based strategy, but some go their own way.
Let us introduce Hero’s Hour to you! And we’ll start directly with the official trailer so that you have a real picture in front of your eyes when we shower you with words afterwards.
Thus Hero’s Hour emulates its role model
Heroes of Might and Magic traditionally consists of two parts: Turn-based gameplay on a campaign map and equally turn-based, tactical combat on a kind of virtual chessboard.
The first part is taken over by Hero’s Hour from the great role model: you move your heroes (along with armies of gargoyles or goblins) turn-based through a large, randomly generated game world. Once the action points for the round have been used up, the turn ends.
This is how you collect valuable resources, free key locations and plant your own flag in cities that can now be expanded. There you can unlock important buildings for bonuses and new game functions by investing gold and resources. You can also recruit more units there.
At some point you will come across a place guarded by enemy creatures. Now the second part of Hero’s Hour begins, which is not at all reminiscent of Heroes of Might & Magic. The battle system runs in real time.
The picture gallery shows both the campaign map and the real-time battles:
Unique feature real-time battles
You can place your units in your half of the battlefield before the battle begins. As soon as you press the start button, the armies begin to attack each other. The special feature: You do not control them directly, but at most give them directional commands, i.e. where they should concentrate.
You also use the spells and skills of your heroes, for example to rain down magic projectiles on the enemies or to summon an ethereal unit for support. This makes the battle entertaining, even though you can only roughly influence the events.
Editor’s verdict
I fought many an entertaining battle in Hero’s Hour. As a little excursion into the 1990s, the game is definitely good for me! However, I would have expected more control from the battle system. The feeling spreads that general chance decides the outcome of the battles.
Nevertheless, I believe that fans of Heroes can spend many fun hours here. The pixelated retro look alone ensures that the decades of low-powered PCs can still be experienced in 2022. And well, Hero’s Hour makes absolutely no secret of wanting to serve precisely this segment. I think the indie game succeeds.
What do you think of Hero’s Hour? Have you already tried the strategy game and can you share your experience? Feel free to write us in the comments!
