[Dear Devs] HOMM2 was better

[Jimby]

I always enjoyed the style and balance of HOMM2 way more than HOMM3. Honestly, I don't really like any of them after 2, but 3 was at least passable.

I would definitely by an HD update of HOMM2, or even just a convenience port (i.e. doesn't glitch out on a modern windows).

Something to consider. They are certainly different enough to warrant a separate release, and one guy has already ported the engine to android, so it can't be that hard.

Thanks.

[Tonil]

Just get HOMM2 from gog, I have it installed on Windows 8 and it hasn't crashed once yet. Also HOMM2 shouldn't get a HD edition, that's the charm of the game; the older graphical style. I mean of course you cannot play multiplayer with 2, unless hotseat but still good.

[Luis]

Agreed. HoMM 2 also looks better, the spritework is fantastic.

[Carl Carmoni]

heroes 3 passable!?!?

[Illimitus]

"HOMM2 was better"

That just isn't the consensus.

The new graphics aren't bad, in fact, they seem to have moved in the direction of HOMM2 (to me at least).

[Jimby]

Consensus, ha, as if that has even been properly measured.

Perusing GOG, I see plenty of reviewers, within the 21 pages of reviews that average out to 5 stars, who say that HOMM2 is the pinacle of the series. Of course, there are others who say 3 is a subtle improvement. Either way, the `consensus` is that either one is arguably better than the other.

One user sums it up rather succinctly:

Originally posted by XecutoR:

Lots of people pretend Heroes III is even better, more polished, more balanced. While these can be true to some extent, the atmosphere, music, and overall enjoyment from this one simply crush what the third one has to offer.

Personally, I found the radically different unit/castle system made both the composition of armies and town management less interesting, and the improved graphical fidelity left the game feeling muted and less emphatic.

I think HOMM1 has it's own advantages over both titles. The graphics are way more distinctive, and the limited content gives the game a simple intrinsic balance.

HOMM2 introduced variety that detracted from the simplicity and balance of the first game, but it also radically increased the content and possibilities. It shrunk the sprite size, and toned down the cartoony graphics of units, but it still retained a level of style and personality in the process.

So, it's a trade-off.

With HOMM3, the scope of the game didn't really escalate to a noticeable degree. It was more of a lateral shift towards more balance, more upgrades, and more refined production overall.

It's technically more refined, and yet doesn't have the same personality, like the way new episodes of SVU seem kind of fake and less interesting because the HD camera mixes in the details that don't match the character of the show. Pixel retro continues to be force in modern games because sharp definition and contrast create a powerful dynamic that becomes an interpretative detail in it's own right. Heroes 3's shift towards fidelity loses those stylistic details, and instead emphasizes the bland elements surrounding the few fine details that were explicitly included.

Of course it does have it's finer points, all units are upgradeable, hero management has a few more options, there are more hero variants, and of course, the random map generator.

Heroes 3 is certainly different and comes from a time where the technology was improving but the impact of that on games was questionably beneficial. Whether the final result was an improvement is subjective, but it wasn't a knock-out punch, and many reviewers, myself included, will call the match in HOMM2's favor.

Unfortunately, they never made any games in the series after that, which is good, because they would have butchered the finer qualities of the original 3 games and ultimately run the series into the ground.

[Engwathang]

Homm2 don't need a hd edition. The sprites are better than h3

[Arcane Azmadi]

Well just get HoMM II off GoG then. Why would you want the idiots who pushed out this piece of crap for a quick buck to do the same to ANOTHER classic game?

[Lu]

HoMM3 is pretty irrefutably superior in terms of gameplay.

Most arguments for HoMM2 being better usually boil down to aesthetics. Namely the art style and soundtrack.

In terms of art style, I think the HoMM2 fans may have a point about the town layouts. However the world map and hero portraits in HoMM3 look VASTLY superior in my opinion. I also prefer the creature designs in 3 (even if some are a bit goofy looking).

In terms of soundtrack, I do prefer 2's, though there are lots of great tracks in 3 as well. I certainly wouldn't consider it a huge step down or a reason to rate 2 higher overall as a game.

[Jimby]

Already done, and fair point. Although, now that I know there is already a quality updated release, it only reinforces my conviction that it should be available on Steam.