<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Gus	O
Smedstad	O
through	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
the	O
3DO	O
Company	O
for	O
Microsoft	O
Windows-based	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Macintosh	B-Device
port	O
was	O
subsequently	O
developed	O
by	O
Contraband	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
the	O
3DO	O
Company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fourth	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
popular	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
by	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
introduced	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
major	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
traditional	O
hexagon-based	O
battle	O
grid	O
was	O
converted	O
into	O
a	O
much	O
higher-resolution	O
square-based	O
grid	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
feature	O
units	O
of	O
different	O
sizes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
of	I-Application
Frost	I-Application
,	O
Gelu	O
,	O
the	O
leader	O
of	O
AvLee	O
's	O
Forest	O
Guard	O
and	O
wielder	O
of	O
Armageddon	O
's	O
Blade	O
,	O
attacks	O
Kilgor	O
,	O
the	O
Barbarian	O
King	O
of	O
Krewlod	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
claim	O
and	O
destroy	O
the	O
Sword	O
of	O
Frost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	O
inhabitants	O
of	O
the	O
planet	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
escape	O
through	O
mysterious	O
portals	O
that	O
appear	O
during	O
the	O
Reckoning	O
that	O
lead	O
them	O
to	O
another	O
world	O
,	O
called	O
Axeoth	O
–	O
also	O
the	O
setting	O
for	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IX	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
unfolds	O
primarily	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
six	O
campaigns	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
establishes	O
how	O
the	O
major	O
kingdoms	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
Axeoth	O
's	O
continents	O
were	O
forged	O
in	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
the	O
Reckoning	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
arrival	O
of	O
the	O
Enrothian	O
refugees	O
on	O
Axeoth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
campaigns	O
are	O
accessible	O
from	O
the	O
beginning	O
,	O
and	O
each	O
unfolds	O
as	O
a	O
stand-alone	O
tale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intent	O
on	O
restoring	O
the	O
barbarian	O
kingdom	O
to	O
its	O
more	O
peaceful	O
state	O
before	O
Kilgor	O
's	O
ascension	O
,	O
Waerjak	O
sets	O
out	O
to	O
prove	O
his	O
strength	O
and	O
to	O
subdue	O
his	O
rivals	O
,	O
guided	O
by	O
his	O
mentor	O
,	O
Tarnum	B-Application
(	O
previously	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	O
Heroes	B-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
series	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Queen	O
Emilia	O
's	O
success	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
attracts	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
Gavin	O
Magnus	O
,	O
the	O
Immortal	O
King	O
of	O
Bracada	O
from	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
III	I-Application
and	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
and	O
his	O
genie	B-Language
servant	O
,	O
Solmyr	B-Application
,	O
who	O
seek	O
to	O
prevent	O
Axeoth	O
from	O
meeting	O
the	O
same	O
fate	O
as	O
Enroth	O
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Preserve	O
campaign	O
,	O
Elwin	O
and	O
Shaera	O
,	O
Elwin	O
,	O
a	O
simple	O
elf	B-Application
from	O
the	O
Elven	O
kingdom	O
of	O
Aranorn	O
(	O
mainly	O
populated	O
by	O
survivors	O
from	O
AvLee	O
)	O
,	O
is	O
in	O
love	O
with	O
Shaera	O
,	O
but	O
their	O
romance	O
is	O
threatened	O
by	O
Lord	O
Harke	O
,	O
a	O
powerful	O
rival	O
for	O
Shaera	O
's	O
affection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tired	O
of	O
living	O
on	O
the	O
scraps	O
of	O
food	O
he	O
can	O
steal	O
from	O
fearful	O
villagers	O
,	O
Gauldoth	O
unites	O
the	O
forces	O
of	O
the	O
surviving	O
Necromancers	O
and	O
demonic	O
Kreegans	B-Application
from	O
Enroth	O
's	O
old	O
kingdoms	O
of	O
Deyja	O
and	O
Eeofol	O
into	O
Nekross	O
,	O
a	O
powerful	O
and	O
feared	O
kingdom	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
protector	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
living	O
and	O
the	O
dead	O
when	O
a	O
powerful	O
being	O
from	O
another	O
dimension	O
arrives	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
end	O
all	O
life	O
in	O
the	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
were	O
released	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
:	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Gathering	O
Storm	O
(	O
2002	O
)	O
and	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
IV	I-Application
:	O
Winds	O
of	O
War	O
(	O
2003	O
)	O
,	O
both	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Winds	O
of	O
War	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
Might	I-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
series	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
by	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Afterwards	O
,	O
the	O
bankruptcy	O
of	O
the	O
3DO	O
Company	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
the	O
Might	B-Application
and	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
franchise	O
to	O
Ubisoft	O
for	O
$1.3	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
clearly	O
a	O
worthy	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
and	O
has	O
very	O
clearly	O
been	O
worth	O
the	O
wait	O
"	O
,	O
praising	O
New	O
World	O
Computing	O
for	O
being	O
"	O
able	O
to	O
incorporate	O
so	O
many	O
new	O
and	O
interesting	O
features	O
into	O
this	O
sequel	O
while	O
still	O
making	O
sure	O
it	O
kept	O
all	O
the	O
core	O
elements	O
that	O
made	O
all	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
so	O
great.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
The	O
Electric	O
Playgrounds	O
2002	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
for	O
PC	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
but	O
lost	O
to	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Reign	I-Application
of	I-Application
Chaos	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Gathering	O
Storm	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
more	O
so	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
Heroes	B-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
