Might & Magic: Heroes VI

38%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,003 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Might & Magic: Heroes VI Game Cover
Immersive, absorbing, annoying, and very long if youre after getting a tan from your monitor, get in there.
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In Might & Magic: Heroes VI, players command mighty heroes and their armies in turn-based battles, venturing through dense forests, arid deserts, and frozen landscapes. A dynamic storyline unfolds as players choose between six different factions and make decisions that impact the world around them. Experience a rich and immersive adventure, where strategic battles and RPG elements result in an engaging and rewarding journey.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Uplay
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

38%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,003 reviews
story165 positive mentions
stability222 negative mentions
  • story544 mentions

    The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging narrative and character development, particularly the intertwining campaigns centered around a family of heroes. However, many others criticize the story for being convoluted, poorly presented, or lacking depth, often citing bugs and gameplay mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some find the storyline enjoyable and immersive, others feel it falls short compared to previous installments in the series, leading to a general consensus that the story is decent but could be significantly improved.

    • “The story focuses on the family members of the Griffin dynasty, caught in a political intrigue along with an ensuing invasion that threatens the world of Ashan.”
    • “The campaign storyline is compelling and adds much depth to the game.”
    • “The story is brilliant, some battles are epic, and this game is generally awesome.”
    • “The story is uncomfortable and the writing awkward; there is a notable number of grammatical errors in the descriptions of both units and objects.”
    • “The story itself is one of murder and family strife set to the strange fantasy which is the Might and Magic universe and kept me curious to the end.”
    • “The story is thin and is lacking any kind of depth that would make the player intrigued to advance further into the campaign.”
  • graphics413 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant visuals and improved animations compared to previous installments, while others criticize technical issues, such as graphical glitches and poor optimization, particularly on NVIDIA graphics cards. Many players feel that while the graphics are decent, they do not significantly enhance the overall gameplay experience, and some lament the lack of depth in design compared to earlier titles in the series. Overall, the visuals are seen as a highlight, but they are marred by performance problems and a sense of missed potential.

    • “The graphics are superb so far...yet I have to play it at 1280x1024 for it to look best.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful for being this old.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic.”
    • “The in-game vsync option proved ineffective, leaving the visuals as an unresolved mess.”
    • “This game has the biggest amount of graphics crashes, launching crashes and bugs I have ever seen on a game, ever period.”
    • “The graphics have not aged too well.”
  • gameplay394 mentions

    The gameplay of "Heroes of Might and Magic VI" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the engaging mechanics and strategic depth, while others criticize the simplification of core elements and the presence of bugs. Many users noted that the game offers a long campaign and various factions, but the gameplay can become tedious and repetitive over time, especially with the reliance on Uplay and connectivity issues. Overall, while the graphics and some new features are praised, the gameplay experience is often seen as lacking compared to earlier entries in the series.

    • “The gameplay is excellent, it's very much a Heroes of Might and Magic.”
    • “The gameplay was just as addicting as it's always been in the Heroes series, wanting to do just one more turn before you left the game, eventually with the sun rising in your window.”
    • “This one tries too hard to be 'modern' that it messes up basic game mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay struck with its tedium and longness and lack of realism.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and boring, the story is cheesy and the voice work is atrocious.”
  • stability227 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various game-breaking bugs that render it nearly unplayable. Many players have expressed frustration with the reliance on the Uplay launcher, which adds to the instability and troubleshooting challenges. Overall, the game is perceived as a buggy mess, suffering from a lack of developer support and unresolved issues even years after its release.

    • “I don't have any problems with it; no glitches, everything is okay.”
    • “The game runs great.”
    • “In my opinion, it is a better game than Might & Magic: Heroes VII, but only if it was bug-free.”
    • “It is a buggy mess that will crash every 2 hours without warning and the campaign is bugged.”
    • “The game can barely launch, and when it does it's buggy and prone to crashing.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess that won't start and freezes and crashes randomly.”
  • music100 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic remixes of classic tracks from the Heroes series, particularly from Heroes 3 and 5, which evoke strong feelings of nostalgia. However, some players criticize the soundtrack for being monotonous and lacking originality, noting that it often feels recycled or uninspired. Overall, while the music is generally considered enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere, it falls short of the high expectations set by earlier installments in the franchise.

    • “The soundtrack was beautifully crafted, being very pleasant to the ear and fitting to the game's atmosphere at all times.”
    • “Mmh6 is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “The best part was how they remade 'Broken Alliance' from HOMAM2, and hearing the music faithfully recreated from HOMAM2, HOMAM5, and Might and Magic 6 was just amazing.”
    • “The soundtrack is monotonous and tasteless.”
    • “The music of the game is overall uninspired, even after the expansion (that made remixes of classic tracks).”
    • “The music is a remake of old HOMM3 and HOMM2 themes, but with a generic feeling.”
  • optimization64 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, including stuttering and crashes, even on high-end systems. Users frequently recommend disabling fullscreen optimizations and running the game in compatibility mode to mitigate these problems, but overall, the game's poor optimization detracts from the experience and is deemed inexcusable for a title released in 2011. Many reviews highlight that despite some players finding workarounds, the game remains riddled with bugs and performance inconsistencies.

    • “Also, if you end up with the endless black screen, you have to set compatibility mode to Windows 7, enable the 'disable fullscreen optimizations' option, and run as administrator; it worked like a charm for me.”
    • “Blackhole did a great job of fixing and optimizing this game, though installation was clumsy and I wanted to give up, but the game itself runs perfectly (Windows 10, use compatibility mode with Windows 8 + disable optimizations in mightandmagic.exe settings).”
    • “Ignore the negative reviews; the game works just fine on Windows 10. All you have to do is disable fullscreen optimizations in the properties of the game's executable.”
    • “Despite meeting the game's recommended system requirements—even exceeding them with a Radeon RX 580 8GB—the performance was abysmal.”
    • “For a game released in 2011, such poor optimization is inexcusable.”
    • “The graphics and performance of the game are quite poor.”
  • grinding35 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall enjoyment. Players express frustration with the extensive level grinding required for progression, particularly for perfectionists, and note that while some mechanics offer value, the overall experience can feel like a slog. Despite some positive elements, many feel that the game suffers from a lack of balance and inspiration, leading to a grind-heavy experience that can become boring over time.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “But Ubisoft, with their notorious blundering, managed to convert a turn-based addictive franchise into a wearying, grinding slog.”
    • “The end result feels grindy and boring.”
  • replayability23 mentions

    The reviews highlight a mixed perception of replayability in the game, with some praising features like dynasty weapons and new skill systems that enhance replay value, while others criticize the absence of random map generation and limited AI, leading to a lack of significant reasons to replay once the campaign is completed. Overall, while some players find hours of replayable content, many express disappointment over the game's limited replayability compared to earlier titles in the series.

    • “Infinite replay value.”
    • “The dynasty feature for heroes adds a lot to the replay value.”
    • “High replay value: once you clear the campaign, you will be wondering about how to clear the campaign again with opposite choices (i.e. might vs magic, blood vs tears).”
    • “Edit - having played through the campaign, I will say they did a semi-decent job on that, but again, due to the lack of replayability because of the serious lack of AI, that's all there is to be done in this game.”
    • “Limited replayability: there is little reason to replay the game once you have completed it, as there are no significant changes in gameplay or storyline.”
    • “No random map generator, killing the replay value of the skirmish maps very, very much.”
  • monetization16 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many levels locked behind paywalls and numerous microtransactions throughout. Players express frustration over mandatory advertising, intrusive pop-ups, and the requirement of an active connection to access content, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is perceived as prioritizing profit over player satisfaction, leading to disappointment among users.

    • “I really don't understand the need for another system once it is on Steam (other than monetization for the publisher, of course).”
    • “After realizing this, I went back to the menu and the more I looked at the game and its features, the more I felt that it didn't look like a game anymore; it looked like a free-to-play app with in-game purchases.”
    • “Disappointing... it's a bit of a cash grab con; the game only comes with a few levels, and most of the game is locked, requiring you to spend much more to play the complete game.”
    • “This is an obvious cash grab, and if I had paid any more for it, I'd be really pissed.”
    • “It is an insulting cash grab attempt by Ubisoft and is missing two expansions worth of content.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are overwhelmingly negative, with players expressing feelings of frustration, disappointment, and heartbreak due to a combination of technical issues, a lackluster storyline, and a perceived betrayal of their investment in the franchise. Many users report significant emotional pain from their experiences, leading to a strong recommendation against purchasing the game. Overall, the emotional impact is characterized by a sense of loss and dissatisfaction.

    • “If you are emotionally invested in this franchise, for the love of all things sacred, go and play HOMM3 because this game probably isn't for you.”
    • “It's a pretty heartbreaking way to lose a ton of progress.”
    • “Probably one of the most heartbreaking developments of modern gaming.”
    • “The game's narrative is uninteresting and fails to engage the player in any meaningful way.”
    • “The game-breaking bugs, connection issues, poor gameplay, unappealing graphics, and boring storyline make it an unenjoyable experience for players.”
    • “The game had multiple driver issues, Uplay incompatibility issues, sound bugs, camera bugs, and a boring story.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its beauty and immersive qualities, particularly highlighted by its soundtrack and the design of various terrains, such as the sanctuary. While some reviewers feel it doesn't quite reach the heights of earlier titles like Heroes of Might & Magic III, the overall ambiance and RPG elements contribute to an enjoyable experience, especially in the campaign mode.

    • “Mmh6 is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere of the previous parts seemed to have never happened.”
    • “Among the terrains, I particularly appreciate those of the sanctuary, which remind me of the swampy towns in Heroes (especially the atmosphere seen in the city screen of III)!”
    • “The soundtrack was beautifully crafted, being very pleasant to the ear and fitting to the game's atmosphere at all times.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is often derived from its ironic failures and absurdities, such as the release of a pre-order artwork book filled with spelling errors and the frustrating experience of trying to play the game due to technical issues. Players find amusement in the contrast between their expectations and the reality of the game's execution, as well as in the quirky design choices, like the evolution of the Inferno faction's units. Overall, while the game has its comedic moments, many players express disappointment over its playability, which detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “Suffice to say, I love all evil factions, and Inferno are much cooler now compared to in HOMM3, where the final tier unit was a funny-looking devil, while here it's this sort of Balrog-y 'pit lord'.”
    • “How's this for hilarious; they released an artwork book for pre-ordering customers ... which had spelling errors throughout the book, like 'black dargon' and 'deomn hunter'... they actually gave less of a shit to their loyalties.”
    • “Gameplay itself, strategy combats are as usual very funny.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-executed, with a strong emphasis on leveling, gear progression, and talent trees that keep players engaged. While some players appreciate the depth and coherence of character design, others feel that it lacks sufficient depth to maintain long-term interest. Overall, the character development aspect receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as addictive and others finding it lacking.

    • “You may not agree with the character design choices, but it's hard to deny that the overall coherence and execution are masterful.”
    • “So, so many hours of gameplay and good character development via leveling and gearing.”
    • “Character development: experimenting with talent trees and controlling multiple heroes of different talents as the story progresses keeps me addicted to the game.”
    • “It has some character development but not enough to hold one's interest.”
    • “Character development and learning spells works the same as it has in earlier games.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Might & Magic: Heroes VI

Play time

40hMedian play time
144hAverage play time
89hMain story
186hCompletionist
10-256hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs

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