So what does The Shadow of Death offer? It features extensive gameplay via 86 stand-alone missions and 14 campaigns, including the original Restoration of Erathia maps, 38 brand new single scenario maps and 7 Shadow of Death campaigns. If you've played Heroes of Might & Magic III but haven't tried the Armageddon's Blade expansion pack, you'll be treated to a number of new creatures. If you have played Armageddon's Blade, you'll be familiar with all combat units as well as the usual 16 hero classes and hundreds of structures. Unique to Shadow of Death are 8 special terrains, each with it's set of unique tactics. There are also 12 new combination artifacts to go with the 138 magical artifacts already available. Last but not least, the map and campaign editor have been upgraded with new features. So, pending your previous experience with the Heroes of Might & Magic III game, there's quite the number of features in The Shadow of Death.

The Shadow of Death storyline revolves around an evil wizard, Sandro the Necromancer, who has garnered the help of four unwitting heroes to assemble two artifacts of tremendous power. You guessed it, world domination is within Sandro's grasp as he stands at the brink of invading Erathia and AvLee. It's up to you to find the one and only artifact with enough strength to defeat Sandro the Necromancer.

Gameplay elements in The Shadow of Death are no different from the original game. Purchasing structures for your towns, hiring new heroes for battle, building up massive armies and adventuring around the land is the order of the day. The only two additions that make a difference within the add-on are the special terrain types and the new artifacts. New terrain types include Clover Fields, Evil Fog and Holy Ground with each providing their own effects upon the armies doing battle. For example, the Holy Ground adds to the morale of good aligned troops and reduces the morale for evil troops. The opposite is true for the Evil Fog terrain. It allows for new tactics within each battle.

New artifacts include such items as the Cloak of the Undead King, a garment that improves the hero's Necromancy skill via resurrection of deceased troops. Also available are items like the Angelic Alliance, Armor of the Damned and the Statue of Legion, a precious item that increases creature growth within all your towns. Visual, audio and multiplayer elements remain exactly the same as Heroes of Might & Magic III, and the only other feature that has been improved is the map editor.

Heroes of Might & Magic III: The Shadow of Death is the ultimate package if you've yet to purchase the original game and its first expansion pack, Armageddon's Blade. If you own both of those products, the Shadow of Death is basically a mission pack that adds some new campaigns and 40 new single scenarios. It comes at a hefty price if you fall into the second category, but 3DO does offer a rebate to those individuals who bought Heroes of Might & Magic III. It's a $10 rebate and the details are available at their website. In terms of add-ons, Armageddon's Blade was much more valuable, but The Shadow of Death still offers enough for fans of the series.