Hands-on with Ubisoft's Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes

As you probably already know, Ubisoft and Tag Games are bringing Silver Award-winning Nintendo DS puzzle-RPG Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes to iOS.

Like in most RPGs, your aim is to traverse the game's beautiful fantasy-packed world, while battling enemies, collecting treasures, and interacting with a range of civvies.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes begins with a short prologue that serves as a tutorial and introduces you to the game's controls.

Your adventure doesn't truly kick off until you reach Slyvan - the game's first campaign - though.

In this campaign, you take on the role of a young warrior named Anwen, who sets off to find his cousin to warn him of an incoming demon attack that's already levelled a nearby camp.

You navigate each area of Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes's colourful fantasy world by tapping on the various circular nodes that are dotted around.

You can't exactly roam freely, then, but many areas are filled with branched pathways, as well as treasure chests and NPCs that you can interact with.

If you're ambushed by an enemy as you explore, you're instantly transported to a battlefield that's split into two sections: the top, where your enemy lines up; and the bottom, where your forces make their stand.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes isn't a traditional RPG. In fact, it's a puzzle-RPG. Battles are still turn based and your aim is still to deplete your foes' HP, but you do this via match-three-style gameplay.

Basically, each battle is made up of multiple rounds, and each round consists of a set number of moves.

You use these moves to drag your units around the battlefield, with the aim of creating vertical chains of three similarly coloured soldiers.

Units that are successfully chained at the end of a round will attack at the beginning of the next.

Things aren't quite that simple, mind (jeez, they never are). Lining up three similarly coloured units in a horizontal line, for example, will create a wall that dampens enemy attacks.

You can also completely remove units from the battlefield, so you'll want to think tactically and consider your options before you make a move.

Unfortunately, moving and removing units on a small smartphone screen is a lot more difficult and fiddly than it should be.

The on-screen prompts that you have to tap are a little small, you see. Basically, you'd be better off prodding them with a stylus than with a fat finger. Which is a shame given the iPhone and iPad don't ship with a stylus. Hey-ho.

If you manage to wipe out your opponent, you'll be rewarded with experience points, which allow you to level-up and increase the strength of your many units.

As mentioned above, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is filled with branched pathways, hidden treasures, and interesting characters that will keep you entertained and occupied throughout your adventure.

NPCs will even dole out side-missions. There's a 'dodgy' character in the Sylvan campaign, for instance, who asks you to traverse caves and forests in search of a rogue elf.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes will hit the App Store on January 24th. We'll let you know the second you can get your hands on it.

In the meantime, check out the brand-new trailer for Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes below.

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