The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we shine the spotlight on the puzzle/RPG outing Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes.
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Developer: Capybara Games
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-4
Originally released on the DS to massive success, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes offers a quintessential fantasy-based adventure, melding puzzle and RPG sensibilities with an ample sprinkle of charm thrown in for good measure. The game centres on five culturally diverse 20-somethings embroiled in a battle against a clan of globe-dominating demons. While set in the medieval-esque world of Might & Magic, Clash of Heroes stands alone and therefore doesn’t require you to overly familiar with the series from the get-go.
What should be familiar to most folk however are Clash of Heroes’ core mechanics, which firmly adhere to the tired and tested ritual of bumping off baddies, levelling up, exploring towns and having a chinwag with the locals. Battles are a distinctly puzzle-flavoured affair, with the arena split in half – you occupy the bottom zone, while your foes claim the top area. Here, you can establish attack and defensive positions by drumming up vertical and horizontal rows of three or more identical-coloured units, respectively.
Scrapping involves generally lobbing attacks back and forth until you deplete your opponent’s HP, which is represented by a small green bar. It’s a simple system, but one that ultimately offers a myriad of tactical manoeuvres as you get to grips with the various rules, abilities and combos at your disposal. You’ll be doing heaps of fighting too, as the main campaign is pretty meaty and includes ample side quests up for grabs. Then there’s the multiplayer, which supports both online and offline-based antics for up to four players.
As you’d expect, the PlayStation 3 release also boasts a number of enhancements over its DS counterpart. Aside from the obvious aesthetical overhaul – with characters now fully hand-drawn as opposed to sprites – the game also offers up fresh content, including all-new spells, abilities and various artifacts.
Join us again same time tomorrow for another poke around Inside PlayStation Network.