Might & Magic Heroes VII

This complex strategy game seems to assume most players are familiar with the franchise, because it throws them into the deep end without much in the way of a tutorial or instruction. The good news is that the initial maps in each campaign are pretty easy and let players experiment without much risk of failure -- especially on easier settings. The bad news is that later stages become a lot more challenging and likely will require some restarts (even on easier difficulties) as players struggle to get the lay of the land, trying to figure out what to do and how to go about doing it as efficiently as possible.

The turn-based combat of Might & Magic Heroes VII requires time to master too. Learning to properly exploit the abilities of each type of unit at your disposal demands patience and practice, as does taking advantage of earned abilities wielded by the powerful heroes who command armies from the sidelines. That said, in some campaigns you may personally engage in only a handful of battles, opting instead to simulate most encounters to save time. You can usually do a bit better than the AI that stands in your place, but the difference is small enough that it only really matters in battles with an unpredictable outcome, which smart players will try to avoid. In the end, Might & Magic Heroes VII, like its predecessors, will appeal primarily to a niche audience of fantasy and turn-based strategy fans, but those players likely will appreciate the scope and depth of what they get.