Quote:Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes is a downright awesome strategy game, pure and simple. The visuals are a beautiful mix of classic Super NES designs while using DS's 2D capabilities to its fullest, the music is captivating and well-produced, and the story is surprisingly rich, filled with characters I actually cared about and plot twists that were well executed.

The game's story mode will take players well over 30 hours, and it's filled with side quests, bounty hunts, puzzle battle challenges, hidden units and artifacts, and some great characters along the way. Leading the pack is the battle mechanic though, and it's the game's crowning achievement to say the least. The five races are well balanced, units are a blast to use, level up, and strategize with, and the core system itself is strong enough to facilitate plenty of expansion in what I hope flourishes into a full-on franchise.

You may not care about Might and Magic, or you may love the series to death; it doesn't really matter. Clash of Heroes is an all-new experience built exclusively for the DS, and it's hands-down one of the deepest and most rewarding games on the system

Quote:Clash of Heroes could best be described as a mix of role-playing game and card battler elements, mixed with some seriously strategic unit movement and open-ended customization. The battle mechanic has two players facing each other, with the front lines pointing towards the gap between the DS's two screens. Each player alternates by taking their turn -- usually allowing for three "moves" -- and then control is passed over to their opponent. Battles kick off with each set of armies rushing into place in a random formation, but from there it's all up to how you want to play the game.

A horizontal connection of three like-colored units results in a wall, whereas vertical stacking -- almost like a game of Solitaire -- connects the units into a formation. Each type of unit has different stats and limitations, including a specific charge time before their attack (measured in turns) and attack power. As turns go on formations tick down in charge time while building up power, eventually attacking up towards the other army in an attempt to breakthrough and deal damage to the opposing hero.

It's a bit much to take in at first, but after seeing the game of attack and counter-attack begin to build up an endless amount of strategies emerge. Even within just one of the game's races there's a huge level of strategy and customization.