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“Wait, you’ve never played Clash of Heroes before?” I can’t recall the number of times I’ve said this sentence before.
The original title, developed by Capybara Games and published by Ubisoft, was released on PlayStation 3 in 2011. I’m always surprised because I really consider this game to be a real game design gem, using the deep lore of the Might & Magic universe to create a unique mix of strategy and puzzle game.
After working previously with Ubisoft and getting my hands on Clash of Heroes for the first time, it was always a thought in the back of my head that Clash of Heroes needs to come back.
I’ve always considered it to be an instant classic, bringing a perfect “one more game” dynamic as you’re trying to figure out the best builds and strategies. Working on an updated version of this game is a personal dream so needless to say that I was very enthusiastic when talking with Ubisoft about making the definitive version of Clash of Heroes … So let’s talk more about it!
A brilliant mix of action and strategy
Clash of Heroes is a turn-based strategy game where you need to knock your opponent out with devastating attacks while preparing your defenses. To do so, you have a limited amount of moves each turn to move units from your board – secure three matching units vertically or at least 3 horizontally to activate your attacks and defenses respectively. As soon as they’re done charging, the units will move forward and attack your enemy’s board.
Getting through your enemy’s units will help you attack their hero directly. Once they’re KO, you win! Pretty straightforward, right? Well, that’s not really all…
If you happen to match units by deleting a unit from your board, you’ll win back an additional move. Mastering this and creating chain reactions on your board will definitely give you the upper hand and help you secure more attacks and/or defenses.
Each faction brings their dedicated Heroes and units with different playstyles. As a member of the Haven faction, Godric has access to the Priestess, an elite unit who, while charging, heals your hero before firing an energy blast across the battlefield. Members of the Sylvan faction like Anwen can choose dragons that spray acid on your opponent’s battlefield.
Artifacts can also be activated and can be game-changers: boost specific units, buff your chances of critical hits or reduce the starting powers of your enemy’s formation… My personal favorite is to go for an offensive strategy with the Necropolis and use the spider cloak: my hero only has 25% of health points but my units deal 75% more damage than usual which makes it a huge risk but huge reward strategy. Very useful when your strategy revolves around charging the devastating Death Knights.
Mixing your build to an artifact and your Hero’s unique spell is key to creating the perfect build and being unstoppable. The “easy to learn, hard to master” mantra in a nutshell.
The final version, for all to enjoy
Our experience in bringing back games from the past – 2011 is now retro, right? – helped us a lot in this project. As a Definitive Edition, we knew we had to create the best version of this to both the future audience that did not get the chance to play this back then and the early adopters who just like us how great this title is.
In addition to including the previously released DLC, which added new playable characters and features, we took the opportunity to add balancing, many quality-of-life improvements as well as brand new character portraits.
The idea is to keep what made this game so good while making it more accessible and enjoyable for modern audiences.
You’ll get to discover a better-than-ever story mode which I think is the perfect way to discover all of the characters, units, spells and artifacts the game has to offer before jumping into what is for me the crown jewel of Clash of Heroes: its multiplayer.
The offline and online multiplayer is highly addictive and lights up the competitive spirit in everybody… Even if you “draw” your available units randomly into the battlefield, it’s essentially your brain against your opponent’s brain: will your synergies be efficient against your enemy’s build? Will you see the different combinations the board is offering you? What level of risk will you be willing to take?
How many times I thought I was doomed with a couple of HP left to ultimately manage to charge my best units, build my defenses where it actually mattered and obliterate my friend at 3 a.m, finally calling it a night (sorry Vincent!)
We’re looking forward to seeing you joining the Clash of Heroes community when our Definitive Edition will be available on PlayStation 4 this summer. We do apologize for the upcoming broken friendships and cold pizzas.