Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death

Along with new elements of the game, The Shadow of Death add-on also makes some changes to the game mechanics and game balance of Heroes III . One of these changes is the presence of their own functional moat for all types of cities in the game. In a fully fortified city, the moat plays a significant role in the battle during its siege, slowing down units of creatures on the way to the fortress walls and inflicting damage (in a tower-type city, mines that fire once, but do more damage instead of a moat) ^[6] . The heroes in The Shadow of Death received an additional, fifth slot for isolated artifacts (talismans, bows, various items) ^[7] . Logitech's Wingman Force Feedback Mouse ^[6] controller support was also added to the game.

Game World

The Shadow of Death add-on introduces 12 new, prefabricated artifacts into the game: they are made up of artifacts already present in the original version of the game and together give the hero new additional features. At the same time, along with the effects of the prefabricated artifact, the effects of all its components are preserved. On the hero’s body, a prefabricated artifact occupies all the slots that occupied its component artifacts. An example of a prefabricated artifact is the Alliance of Angels sword, which plays an important plot role in The Shadow of Death campaigns. This sword makes it possible to gather troops from cities such as Castle, Bastion, Tower, Citadel and Fortress without losing morale , and at the beginning of each battle conjures the Prayer spell on all the troops of the hero with a powerful positive effect - an expert level and without the cost of magical energy . The Angels Alliance is made up of six artifacts, each of which adds a certain number of points to all the characteristics of the hero - as a result, this combined artifact increases each of them by 21 points in total. Prefabricated artifacts are diverse in their effect and affect different elements of the gameplay. For example, the Cloak of the King of Wickedness , which consists of three artifacts that enhance the capabilities of necromancy, gives the hero with this skill to raise from the battlefield more powerful creatures of the city of Necropolis - the living dead, guards and lychees. The Admiral's Hat artifact converts the hero’s move points on land to the move points on the water landscape and allows the hero to ignore the waste of landing and disembarking the ship.

An adventure map in Heroes III: The Shadow of Death has been supplemented by 8 new specific landscapes . In the original version of the game there were already two specific landscapes that tended to affect the armies of the player and his opponent. If the hero was on the magical plains , then all his spells and spells of his warriors were pronounced at the highest level; the cursed land forbade the use of any magic above the first level and reduced morality and good fortune in battle, as well as all the advantages of the concept of “native land” (specific lands are located on top of ordinary landscapes). Among eight new specific landscapes, four affect the level of spells of a particular school of magic: for example, on magic clouds all air magic spells are pronounced at the “expert” level (unlike the magical plains from the original version, this property applies only to the hero, but not to his army). Three landscapes have different effects on the morality and fortune of creatures of different origins from cities with a positive, negative, or neutral worldview. A tailwind is located on top of the water landscape and increases the speed of the hero's movement along the sea ^{[8] [9]} . Ten additional teleporters were added to the objects on the map - five two-sided and five one-sided monoliths. Among them, eight monoliths have a separate appearance, unlike the existing monoliths from the original version.

Campaigns and Scenarios

In Heroes III: The Shadow of Death, 7 new campaigns are introduced, united by a common storyline, as was the case in the original version of The Restoration of Erathia . Unlike previous versions, in The Shadow of Death campaigns, the player can independently choose the level of difficulty of the game. The add-on also includes 38 simple, non-story-driven scenarios for one or more players. In addition, the game offers campaigns and scripts from The Restoration of Erathia ^[6] .

The next improvements in the second addition received the map editor of the game. An obstacle tool has been added that eliminates the need for the script creator to place decorative obstacle objects — forests, mountains, etc. on the map. Using the tool, the creator indicates the area of ​​the map that needs to be surrounded with such obstacles, to within one cell and in accordance with type of landscape. For less accuracy in painting objects with a map, a blurry obstacle tool is included. Now you can edit the parameters of the heroes in the map database - that is, those heroes who can be hired in the tavern during the game. In The Shadow of Death expansion, there are no fully-fledged new heroes, but alternative portraits for old characters were added for story campaigns: Jem in the guise of the sorceress Enroth, Yogi in the guise of a magician and Sandro in the guise of a living person. A portrait for the character of Finneas Wilmar was also added. Now you can mark available spells and secondary skills on the map.

Armageddon's Blade Elements

In addition to its own innovations, The Shadow of Death add-on includes many gameplay elements that appeared in Armageddon's Blade's first add-on. Among them, however, there is no city of Conjugation, which was originally developed specifically to complement The Shadow of Death ^[10] (despite this, the game contains all the creatures of this city and their homes on the adventure map). The random map generator and all scenarios and campaigns from Armageddon's Blade were also excluded. According to gaming reviewers, it was beneficial for the 3DO publishing company - for players to purchase both add-ons separately and only get the full version of Heroes III ^{[11] [12] [13]} . The folder with the installed Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death game still contains folders for storing Armageddon's Blade files (for example, a folder for storing scripts made using a random map generator). These folders did not contain anything, but some players were able to create empty files in them with the corresponding names and extensions, which allowed them to “unlock” the missing elements from the first add-on without the need to jointly install The Shadow of Death and Armageddon's Blade .

The plot of The Shadow of Death expansion takes place all on the same continent of Antagaric Enrot world, but, unlike the first expansion , is the prehistory of Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia and describes events that unfold shortly before the events of the original game. The seven Shadow of Death campaigns tell the story of four heroes known from previous games who oppose Sandro's treacherous face and his plans to conquer all of Antagarich.

New Beginning

The New Beginning campaign talks about the sorceress Jem, a character in previous Heroes I and Heroes II games. After the end of the difficult War of the Heirs in Heroes II , Jam left Enrot in the hope of finding a new place in Antagarich. There she became in demand as an experienced Green Clover militia commander who fights with the Dei necromancers in the Disputed Lands on the border of the kingdoms of Erathia, AvLi and Dei. The terror of human settlements by necromancers makes Jem painfully recall the war in Enroth and his hatred of them. Later, Jem meets a sorcerer named Sandro. Sandro says his teacher, Etrick, is looking for a way to create an artifact that suppresses the power of the necromancers, and offers Jam a reward for finding the three necessary artifacts that are components of this item, hidden on the border of Deia. Out of respect for Etrick’s purpose, Jem even agrees to find one of the artifacts for free. Over time, the forest cities of the kingdom of AvLi become a home for the sorceress. Jem impresses the elven border lord Fayette, and in return accepts the offer to remain in his service. Along with this, Jem enters the circle of druids AvLi, learning that they have much in common with the wizards of Enroth. So the former Enrot sorcerer finds a “new beginning” in Antagarich. After completing the quest for Sandro, Jem suddenly discovers that the sorcerer escaped with the artifacts found, leaving no promised reward. She does not understand his intentions, because for the sake of artifacts he allowed to destroy all the necromancers on the border. To expose Sandro, Jem writes a report to his teacher Etrick, as well as his new Lord Fayette.

Elixir of Life

The Elixir of Life is the backstory of the half-human half- elf Gelu, one of the protagonists of Armageddon's Blade's previous expansion. This campaign tells about the first task for Jelu after his entry into the elite partisan detachment of the kingdom of Erathia - Forest Guard. After passing the final test and becoming the commander of the Forest Guard, Gelu receives a mission to collect three artifacts to create the Elixir of Life, which should serve the army of AvLi well. During the search for the necessary artifacts, Jelu somehow encounters the necromancers Dei, who could use the Elixir for their own purposes. The first of the necessary artifacts is taken from the gangsters who are going to sell it to the necromancers. Then the Forest Guard commander goes for the second artifact to the Dogrond Valley, where the elven Dragon Lords live, one of whom betrayed AvLi and entered into an alliance with the necromancers. The last component of the Elixir - Vial of Life Force - is located at the vampire lord Vokial, who with its help maintains its existence without the need to drink the blood of mere mortals. Of all three components, Gelu creates the Elixir of Life.

Rub and Shred

The famous Enrot barbarian Craig Hack arrived in Antagarich in search of adventure and settled in the kingdom of Kryulod. In the Hack and Slash campaign, Craig Hack, having a drunken brawl in the tavern and emerged victorious, becomes the object of attention of the sorcerer Sandro. Sandro promises a great reward to the barbarian if he obtains four artifacts for him - the components necessary to create an artifact called Armor of the Damned. Bowing the barbarian not only by reward, but by accomplishing a feat, the sorcerer convinces him that he wants to destroy this dangerous magic artifact with good intentions, and Craig Hack agrees to work for Sandro. However, during the search, Craig Hack doubts the sorcerer's honesty. Craig Hack’s first artifact is robbed of Baron Barshon by force - according to Sandro, a deceitful and dishonorable barbarian, when in fact it turns out that the artifact was only Barshon’s family value. When Sandro sends Craig Hack for a sword called Blackshard of the Dead Knight, he says the sword was stolen by the death knight Marzet, who desecrated the grave of the great hero for the sake of this artifact. Performing the task, the barbarian learns another story, according to which Marzet was a member of the Order of the Knights and the keeper of the cursed sword that distorted his soul and turned him into a death knight. After the next artifact, Sandro sends the barbarian to the cult of the necromancers and deliberately lies that they stole this artifact from his sanctuary. The last artifact Craig Hack takes from another cult of necromancers, who keep their existence secret by bribing the local Erafian militia. As in the story with Jem, Sandro disappears with all the artifacts found, leaving no deserving award to Craig Hack. The barbarian furiously promises reprisal against the deceiver.

The Birth of the Barbarian

The protagonist of the Birth of the Barbarian campaign, the Yogi, was given in his youth by his mother- genie to study at the magic academy of the kingdom of wizards of Brakad. But with age, the Yogi increasingly showed a craving for military affairs and adventures, inherited from his barbarian father. Seeing this, the Academy tried to discipline him more strongly, but thereby only made him hate magic and think about another life. When the beloved Yoga - the wizard of Sophia, skilled in magic - becomes a necromancer, nothing else holds him in Brakada. Just at that time, the Yogi learns that the ruler of the neighboring kingdom of the Barabaras, Krulood, the Duke of Winston Boragus, has heard of his reputation and invites him to join his army. Wizards, zealously guarding their secrets, do not want to let go of the Yoga and send a chase after him, but with the help of a barbarian friend, he successfully gets to Kryulod. To the surprise of the Yogi, on his way to the capital, he is attacked by the troops of the Duke of Boragus. After destroying them, the angry Yogi meets with the Duke, who claims that the battle was arranged as a test of whether he is worthy to serve Kruelod as a warrior. Now Yoga needs to prove his readiness to forever renounce the wizards. To do this, the Yogi receives the Alliance of Angels artifact and divides it into several components, which he assigns to the spies of Boragus in different kingdoms: in Tatalia, where he has to fight with hostile inhabitants; Erafia, in which he faces resistance from the royal army; and the recently abandoned Brakada, where former mentors await Yoga. Having successfully completed the task of the Duke Boragus, the Yogi becomes a barbarian and finds his place in Krułod.

Necromancer's Ascent

Кампания «Восхождение некроманта» ( англ. Rise of the Necromancer ) рассказывает историю лича Сандро, который обманом заставил героев Джем и Крэга Хэка помочь заполучить себе два могущественных артефакта — Плащ Короля Нечисти и Доспехи Проклятого. Теперь Сандро держит путь в королевство нежити Дейю, где планирует добраться до вершины иерархии некромантов, используя обман и манипуляцию другими ради достижения своей цели. На пути у Сандро встаёт его бывший учитель — колдун Этрик, который в свое время пришёл в ярость от его решения стать некромантом и распространил вести о передвижении Сандро среди его бывших друзей и тех, кто желает завладеть его артефактами. Когда Сандро расправляется с ними, он берёт себе в ученицы юную волшебницу Видомину из Бракады (бывшую возлюбленную героя Йога), чтобы с её помощью победить самого Этрика. Продолжая свой путь, Сандро встречает некроманта по имени Финнеас Вилмар — крайне амбициозного, но мало сообразительного в политике хозяина небольших земель в Дейи, желающего расширить свои владения. Сандро легко делает из Финнеаса свою марионетку, помогая ему добиться власти в Дейи. Вместе, они уничтожают местного лорда Алариса — прежде, чем тот сообщит остальным некромантам о намерении Вилмара убить старого короля Дейи. В какой-то момент Вилмару кажется, что усилия Сандро на пути к победе слишком наивны и тщетны, но с помощью своих артефактов Сандро разделывается с Аларисом. Финнеас Вилмар становится новым вождём Дейи, не подозревая, что Сандро манипулирует им, оставаясь теневым правителем.

Нечистый альянс

Финальная кампания «Нечистый альянс» ( англ. Unholy Alliance ) объединяет четырёх главных героев — Джем, Джелу, Крэга Хэка и Йога — в борьбе с некромантом Сандро, чьи войска нежити под управлением марионеточного короля Дейи Финнеаса Вилмара готовятся завоевать весь Антагарич.

Варвар Йог, оказывая свою помощь Эрафии в уничтожении живых мертвецов, узнаёт о том, что в близлежащих землях с нежитью сражается ещё один варвар — Крэг Хэк. После неудачных поисков Сандро, Крэг Хэк отправляется навестить родственников в Эрафии и по пути останавливается помочь жителям одного города воссоздать их достопримечательность — Статую Легиона, которую вероломный рыцарь по имени Тиранелл планировал доставить Сандро за вознаграждение. В королевстве АвЛи, тем временем, события развиваются в ещё более худшую сторону. Был отравлен эльфийский лорд Фалорел, по заданию которого полуэльф Джелу искал Эликсир Жизни. В ходе расследования его смерти, Джелу неожиданно выясняет, что за всё время правления под личиной Фалорела скрывался вампир по имени Вайарад, который тайно наводнял АвЛи нежитью, планируя захватить престол Дейи. По словам пленных, Вайарад был отравлен по воле своего соперника — Сандро. Старейшины АвЛи советуют Джелу связаться с друидом Джем. После того, как Джем была обманута Сандро, её наниматель лорд Файет отправился на встречу с приграничным лордом Дейи расследовать смерть Фалорела, однако оба лорда были убиты по приказу неизвестного. Некроманты использовали тело Файета, превратив его в рыцаря смерти, и Джем вызывается победить своего бывшего лорда, чтобы освободить его душу. Число заговоров с обеих воюющих сторон даёт понять, что происходит нечто большее, чем просто вторжение некромантов.

Джелу временно отстраняется от Лесных Стражей и отправляется в карательный поход на некромантов, чтобы отомстить за смерть всех авлийских лордов. К эльфу присоединяется Джем, узнавшая об истиной личине Сандро от его старого учителя Этрика; вместе, они связываются с варварами Йогом и Крэгом Хэком, борющимися с некромантами со стороны Эрафии. Четверо героев составляют для себя общую картину заговора, за которым стоит Сандро. Лич добыл нужные ему артефакты с помощью Крэга Хэка и Джем, одновременно позволив им разгромить многих некромантов, мешающих его марионетке Финнеасу Вилмару взойти на трон Дейи. Опасаясь своего разоблачения, Сандро убил лорда Файета и связавшегося с ним пограничного лорда Дейи, а затем воскресил Файета в качестве могучего полководца для своей армии. Вампир Вайарад, скрывавшийся под личиной лорда Фалорела, приказал Джелу уничтожить неповинных Лордов Драконов и хотел присвоить себе собранный Эликсир Жизни, но был отравлен всё тем же Сандро. Теперь Сандро продолжает набирать мощь, вторгаясь всё глубже в Эрафию и АвЛи. Чтобы сплотить армии разных королевств и остановить некромантов, герои Джем, Джелу, Крэг Хэк и Йог решают заново воссоздать меч Альянс Ангелов, части которого были разбросаны по континенту Йогом в кампании «Рождение варвара». Интересуясь о новом могущественном артефакте, Сандро прознаёт о планах четырёх героев и пытается помешать им встретиться и собрать Альянс Ангелов. Однако герои преодолевают его войска и, заполучив меч, направляются в пустыню, где находится крепость Сандро. По пути они находят Эликсир Жизни, который вампир Вайарад спрятал в этих землях, но так и не успел им воспользоваться. Совместными усилиями четверо героев наносят Сандро поражение.

Забрав Доспехи Проклятого и Плащ Короля Нечисти, герои вновь пускают по свету компоненты этих опасных артефактов, поступив так же и с Альянсом Ангелов. После этого Джем, Джелу, Крэг Хэк и Йог расходятся разными дорогами, чтобы не вспоминать об этой истории.

Призрак силы

Сюжет бонусной кампании «Призрак силы» ( англ. Specter of Power ) продолжает историю Сандро и рассказывает о спланированном убийстве эрафийского короля Николаса Грифонхата и последующим крупномасштабном вторжении в Эрафию, которое являются завязкой сюжета Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia .

Хотя Сандро был побеждён в битве с четырьмя героями и лишился своих артефактов, он разрабатывает новый план, чтобы развязать войну по всему Антагаричу. Сандро намеревается убить короля Эрафии, Николаса Грифонхата, и для этого использует лорда Хаарта — эрафийского рыцаря, который втайне является членом некромантского культа. Чтобы подозрения в убийстве не пали на Хаарта, по заранее подготовленному плану рыцарь временно покидает свой замок, в то время как Сандро проникает туда и оставляет яд для короля. Сандро привлекает алчных лордов подземелий острова Нигон и демонов-криганов из земли Эофол, которые заинтересованы в планах завоевания Эрафии. В обмен на поддержку Нигона, лич выделяет необходимое число ресурсов для строительства подземного туннеля, который обеспечит внезапное вторжение в королевство. Чтобы получить отклик от демонов из Эофола, Сандро приходится доказывать своё расположение, вернув им украденное Кольцо Серы. После заключения союза с Нигоном и Эофолом, Сандро узнаёт от своего марионеточного короля Финнеаса Вилмара, что некий молодой лорд Дейи метит на его место королевского советника. Однако же, после убийства соперника Сандро заключают в тюрьму. Финнеас Вилмар оказывается умнее, чем казалось, и предаёт своего советника, чтобы править Дейей одному, а план по завоеванию Эрафии присваивает себе. Сандро всё же не теряет уверенности, что способен манипулировать им, даже будучи за решёткой.

Дополнение Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death было выпущено компанией The 3DO Company в США 31 марта 2000 года и не требовало оригинальной игры Heroes of Might and Magic III ^{[6] [14]} . На территории России и стран СНГ официальная русская версия дополнения была издана компанией « Бука » 10 мая 2000 года, под названием «Герои меча и магии III: Дыхание смерти» ^[15] . В отличие от американского издания, локализованное издание The Shadow of Death от «Буки» содержит только одиночные сценарии из The Restoration of Erathia , но не кампании.

Как и первое дополнение Armageddon's Blade , дополнение The Shadow of Death входит в следующие комплектации Heroes III :

• Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete ( 3DO , 2000, Windows , Mac OS ) ^{[16] [17]} ;
• «Герои меча и магии. Платиновая серия» (« Бука », 2003, Windows) ^{[15] [18]} ;
• «Герои меча и магии. Начало» («Бука», 2009, Windows) ^{[15] [19]} .

Игровые критики, представленные здесь, проявили к дополнению Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death меньше внимания, чем к первому дополнению Armageddon's Blade , но в целом также оставили одобрительные отзывы об игре.

The GameSpot website called The Shadow of Death a more improved version of the original Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia , which itself surpassed the previous games in the series with deep gameplay and beautiful graphics ^[12] . Critics have unanimously felt that The Shadow of Death is best suited for new Heroes players ^{[11] [12] [13]} , while experienced players who know the original Heroes III and Armageddon's Blade expansion will not pay much attention to the innovations of the second expansion and will get it only for the extra hours of the game ^{[12] [13] [20]} . GameSpot noted that many elements of The Shadow of Death are not new at all and are taken from the first expansion ^[12] . The IGN reviewer, on the contrary, hoped to see the city of Conjugation from Armageddon's Blade again, which just was not included in the second add-on. “We must pay tribute to the developers: having played Heroes III again, I was so passionate that I was ready to rush off to take the Armageddon's Blade for the sake of one Pairing” ^[13] .

The most noteworthy innovation for critics in The Shadow of Death was prefabricated artifacts ^{[11] [12] [13] [20]} . The IGN website called them the largest and most influential change in gameplay, and the Game Revolution website even considers prefabricated artifacts as the only feature of the add-on ^{[11] [13]} . IGN and GameSpot noticed that the process of finding all the necessary components for a combined artifact is extremely complex and may not be possible until the end of the game, although the game balance justifies this ^{[12] [13]} . “Now“ Heroes ”is just a LEGO constructor,” writes Absolute Games, a Russian site ^[20] . Such gameplay elements as new specific landscapes and fully functioning city ditches, other detailed changes in the game mechanics and game balance, new campaigns and scenarios - all this, according to critics, will be more interesting for the most avid veteran players than for beginners ^{[12] [ 13] [20]} . Speaking about new campaigns, the Russian website Absolute Games called the plot of The Shadow of Death more than commonplace, which, however, will not prevent the player from enjoying additional hours of the game ^[20] . GameSpot called the Wingman Force Feedback Mouse support from Logitech ^{[12] a} stupid and non-adding feature to the game.

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia was a brilliantly fun, well-thought-out masterpiece of turn-based strategy. Armageddon's Blade was immediately well received by critics and players alike. So what about Heroes III: The Shadow of Death ? 3DO went against the logical development - release a game, release an add-on, and then release a package with the original game and add-on. Instead, they created a huge number of new scenarios, campaigns, neutral creatures, and other elements. In addition, they decided to link this to the original Heroes III instead of the Armageddon's Blade expansion. So, Heroes III: The Shadow of Death includes the original Heroes III: The Restoration of Erathia in its entirety and adds a ton of new features that you won't find in Armageddon's Blade . The result is an excellent introductory game for beginners in the Heroes series, and, at the same time, a version of the game for veterans who, already possessing The Restoration of Erathia and Armageddon's Blade , will want to purchase it for the sake of a huge number of hours of additional gameplay. To make things even better, Heroes III: The Shadow of Death is fully compatible with Armageddon's Blade , which will make it possible to get one big game from the Heroes series.

Original text

Heroes of Might and Magic III: Restoration of Erathia was a brilliantly addictive, well-designed masterpiece of a turn-based strategy title. The expansion pack, Armageddon's Blade, was primarily well received by both gaming critics and the public. So, where does that put Heroes III: The Shadow of Death? 3DO went against the logical progression of releasing the game, releasing an expansion pack, and then releasing a bundle containing the original game and the expansion pack. Instead, they created a huge set of new scenarios, campaigns, neutral creatures, and other neat features. Plus they decided to bundle that with the original Heroes III instead of including Armageddon's Blade. So, Heroes III: The Shadow of Death contains the entirety of the original Heroes III: Restoration of Erathia and adds a slew of new features you won't find in Armageddon's Blade. The result is both a perfect introductory game for Heroes newcomers to experience the series with and a title that even veterans who own both Restoration of Erathia and Armageddon's Blade will want to buy for the sheer amount of extra playing time it brings. To make matters even better, Heroes III: The Shadow of Death is fully compatible with Armageddon's Blade, which combine to make one gigantic Heroes game.

- IGN ^[13] .

Sources

Literature

• Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death User Manual . - The 3DO Company, 2000. - 34 p. Archived March 4, 2016 on Wayback Machine

• Page of Heroes III: The Shadow of Death on the official website of the Buka company (Russian)
• Section of Heroes III: The Shadow of Death on the Age of Heroes website with a full review of the add-on's innovations