Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering Storm (2002)

by Ji-yeong
written by Ji-yeong 7 minutes read

Summary

Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering Storm is the first of two expansion packs for the turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic IV. It was developed by New World Computing for Microsoft Windows and released by the 3DO Company in 2002.

The Gathering Storm offers a wealth of new content for Heroes of Might and Magic IV, including six campaigns, more than 20 maps, 16 additional artifacts, four new creatures, and a multiplayer update. Each of the first five campaigns features a new specialty hero, such as the Archmage, the Necromancer, and the Warlock. The Gathering Storm also features an upgraded editor, which allows full access to new heroes, adventure objects, artifacts and creatures. A new music soundtrack is also included.

One of the most significant additions in The Gathering Storm is the new creature dwellings. These dwellings allow players to recruit powerful new creatures, such as the Behemoth, the Phoenix, and the Ancient Behemoth. These creatures can turn the tide of battle in the player’s favor, so it is important to capture and upgrade their dwellings as soon as possible.

Another new feature in The Gathering Storm is the artifact system. Artifacts are powerful items that can be equipped by heroes to grant them special abilities. Some artifacts are unique, while others can be found multiple times. Players should experiment with different artifacts to find the ones that best suit their playstyle.

The Gathering Storm also includes a number of new maps, both for single-player and multiplayer. These maps offer a variety of new challenges and environments, from lush forests to icy wastelands. Players will need to adapt their strategies to each map in order to be successful.

Overall, Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering Storm is an excellent expansion pack that adds a wealth of new content to the base game. With its new campaigns, maps, creatures, and artifacts, The Gathering Storm is a must-play for fans of the Heroes of Might and Magic series.

New Campaigns

The Gathering Storm features six new campaigns, each with its own unique story and challenges. The first five campaigns each feature a new specialty hero, while the sixth campaign is a bonus campaign that can be played after completing the other five.

  • The Shadow of Death: This campaign follows the story of Sandro, a young necromancer who must travel to the underworld to defeat the evil lich, Morgath.
  • The Price of Loyalty: This campaign follows the story of Crag Hack, a dwarven warrior who must travel to the surface world to find a cure for his dying king.
  • The Fate of Armageddon: This campaign follows the story of Fiona, an elven sorceress who must travel to the demon world to defeat the demon lord, Malassa.
  • The Hand of Destiny: This campaign follows the story of Godric, a human paladin who must travel to the celestial realm to defeat the angel of death, Azrael.
  • The Wages of Sin: This campaign follows the story of Raelag, a dark elf assassin who must travel to the abyss to defeat the demon lord, Lilith.
  • The Reckoning: This bonus campaign is a crossover with the Heroes of Might and Magic III expansion pack, Armageddon’s Blade. It follows the story of Gelu, a death knight who must travel to the underworld to defeat the demon lord, Baal.

New Maps

The Gathering Storm includes more than 20 new maps, both for single-player and multiplayer. These maps offer a variety of new challenges and environments, from lush forests to icy wastelands.

Some of the new maps include:

  • The Shadowlands: A dark and dangerous map filled with undead creatures and treacherous terrain.
  • The Frozen Wastes: A cold and unforgiving map with icy terrain and powerful ice creatures.
  • The Emerald Forest: A lush and vibrant map with dense forests and powerful nature creatures.
  • The Cursed Lands: A barren and desolate map with cursed terrain and powerful demon creatures.
  • The Celestial Realm: A beautiful and ethereal map with floating islands and powerful angel creatures.
  • The Abyss: A dark and chaotic map with fiery terrain and powerful demon creatures.

New Creatures

The Gathering Storm includes four new creatures:

  • Behemoth: A powerful siege creature with high health and attack power.
  • Phoenix: A flying creature with the ability to resurrect itself from its own ashes.
  • Ancient Behemoth: A massive and powerful creature with the ability to crush enemy units with its fists.
  • Roc: A flying creature with the ability to carry other units and drop them on enemy positions.

New Artifacts

The Gathering Storm includes 16 new artifacts, each with its own unique abilities. Some of the new artifacts include:

  • The Sword of Frost: A powerful sword that deals extra damage to ice creatures.
  • The Helm of Darkness: A helmet that grants the wearer immunity to dark magic.
  • The Ring of Fire: A ring that grants the wearer the ability to cast fire spells.
  • The Amulet of Life: An amulet that grants the wearer the ability to heal other units.
  • The Staff of Power: A staff that grants the wearer the ability to cast powerful spells.
  • The Orb of Domination: An orb that grants the wearer the ability to control other units.

Multiplayer Update

The Gathering Storm includes a number of updates to the multiplayer mode, including:

  • New maps: The Gathering Storm adds several new maps to the multiplayer pool.
  • New heroes: The Gathering Storm adds several new heroes to the multiplayer pool, including the specialty heroes from the new campaigns.
  • **New creatures

Review Score

8.5/10

Art

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Ji-yeong is a passionate gamer and whose love for video games blossomed during her childhood. Growing up in the midwest, without many friends, she spent countless hours exploring the enchanting worlds of classic JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, which sparked not only an enduring love for gaming but also a keen insight into its evolving landscape. Today, Ji-yeong channels her deep-seated passion and nostalgia into thoughtful, engaging reviews that resonate with both longtime gamers and newcomers alike. Her unique perspective, rooted in a rich history of gaming, offers readers a heartfelt journey through the pixels and stories that have shaped her love for this dynamic medium. Her favorite game series of all time is Harvest Moon.

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