<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Restoration	I-Application
of	I-Application
Erathia	I-Application
(	O
commonly	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Heroes	O
of	O
Might	O
&	O
Magic	O
3	O
,	O
or	O
Heroes	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
or	O
abbreviated	O
HoMM	B-Application
3	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Jon	O
Van	O
Caneghem	O
through	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
by	O
The	O
3DO	O
Company	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
is	O
first	O
referenced	O
throughout	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Mandate	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heaven	I-Application
and	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
:	I-Application
For	I-Application
Blood	I-Application
and	I-Application
Honor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
and	O
was	O
praised	O
by	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
the	O
expansion	O
packs	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Armageddon	I-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
and	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
Death	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
,	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
short	O
introductory	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
special	O
version	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
titled	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
Complete	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
and	O
both	O
expansion	O
packs	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
version	O
features	O
updated	O
graphics	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
widescreen	O
compatibility	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
29	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessors	O
in	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
heroes	O
that	O
command	O
an	O
army	O
of	O
creatures	O
inspired	O
by	O
myth	O
and	O
legend	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
conditions	O
for	O
victory	O
vary	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
map	O
,	O
including	O
conquest	O
of	O
all	O
enemies	O
and	O
towns	O
,	O
collection	O
of	O
a	O
certain	O
amount	O
of	O
a	O
resource	O
,	O
or	O
finding	O
the	O
grail	B-General_Concept
artifact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
player	O
finds	O
the	O
Grail	B-General_Concept
artifact	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
deliver	O
it	O
to	O
a	O
town	O
to	O
make	O
that	O
town	O
the	O
Grail	B-General_Concept
's	O
permanent	O
home	O
by	O
creating	O
a	O
special	O
structure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Grail	B-General_Concept
bestows	O
greatly	O
increased	O
creature	O
growth	O
and	O
weekly	O
income	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
a	O
bonus	O
unique	O
to	O
the	O
town	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
eight	O
different	O
castles	O
available	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
are	O
classified	O
as	O
good	O
,	O
evil	O
,	O
and	O
neutral	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
disappearance	O
of	O
King	O
Roland	O
Ironfist	O
of	O
Enroth	O
prior	O
to	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VI	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Mandate	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heaven	I-Application
,	O
his	O
wife	O
,	O
Queen	O
Catherine	O
,	O
is	O
left	O
to	O
rule	O
the	O
realm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wizards	O
of	O
Bracada	O
and	O
the	O
elves	B-Application
of	O
AvLee	O
answer	O
her	O
call	O
,	O
and	O
together	O
they	O
push	O
towards	O
Steadwick	O
and	O
eventually	O
retake	O
it	O
,	O
quickly	O
quelling	O
the	O
border	O
war	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
meantime	O
,	O
the	O
necromancers	B-Operating_System
of	O
Deyja	O
,	O
having	O
been	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
assassination	O
of	O
King	O
Gryphonheart	O
,	O
plot	O
to	O
revive	O
his	O
corpse	O
as	O
a	O
lich	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
King	O
Gryphonheart	O
's	O
will	O
proves	O
too	O
much	O
for	O
the	O
necromancers	B-Operating_System
even	O
in	O
his	O
corrupted	O
state	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
becomes	O
a	O
rogue	O
lich	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
little	O
other	O
recourse	O
,	O
Queen	O
Catherine	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
ally	O
herself	O
with	O
the	O
necromancers	B-Operating_System
and	O
together	O
they	O
set	O
out	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
lich	O
of	O
King	O
Gryphonheart	O
before	O
he	O
becomes	O
too	O
powerful	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
later	O
implied	O
that	O
this	O
rising	O
was	O
orchestrated	O
by	O
Archibald	O
Ironfist	O
,	O
the	O
antagonist	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
PC	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
on	O
March	O
3	O
,	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintosh	I-Device
port	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
3DO	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
Linux	B-Application
port	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Loki	O
Software	O
,	O
both	O
in	O
late	O
December	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
a	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
entitled	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
straight	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
port	O
retaining	O
the	O
original	O
title	O
was	O
also	O
developed	O
and	O
completed	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
released	O
due	O
to	O
technical	O
issues	O
that	O
prevented	O
the	O
console	O
running	O
the	O
game	O
adequately	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
official	O
expansion	O
packs	O
were	O
released	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
expansions	O
,	O
Armageddon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
introduced	O
a	O
ninth	O
town	O
alignment	O
,	O
the	O
Conflux	O
;	O
a	O
random	O
scenario	O
generator	O
,	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
new	O
creatures	O
,	O
heroes	O
,	O
and	O
structures	O
;	O
and	O
six	O
new	O
playable	O
campaigns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
Death	I-Application
,	O
was	O
a	O
stand-alone	O
expansion	O
that	O
included	O
Restoration	O
of	O
Erathia	O
and	O
added	O
seven	O
new	O
playable	O
campaigns	O
and	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
new	O
artifacts	O
,	O
including	O
Combination	O
Artifacts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
a	O
bundle	O
containing	O
Heroes	B-Application
III	I-Application
and	O
both	O
expansion	O
packs	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
:	O
Complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
29	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
about	O
15	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
of	O
Heroes	O
of	O
Might	O
&	O
Magic	O
III	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
released	O
a	O
new	O
high-definition	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
compatible	O
with	O
PCs	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
tablets	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
VCMI	O
is	O
an	O
open	O
source	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
macOS	O
,	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
game	O
received	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
:	O
"	O
Ultimately	O
,	O
the	O
rewards	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
far	O
outweigh	O
its	O
few	O
drawbacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
1999	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
prize	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
RollerCoaster	B-Application
Tycoon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
PC	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
at	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
 '	O
3rd	O
Annual	O
Interactive	O
Achievement	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Age	I-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Music	O
"	O
at	O
GameSpots	O
Best	O
&	O
Worst	O
of	O
1999	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Homeworld	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
and	O
iOS	B-Application
versions	O
of	O
the	O
HD	O
Edition	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
Archon	O
Games	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
creating	O
a	O
board	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
