Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes Preview

IGN has whipped up an enthusiastic preview of Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes, Ubisoft and Capybara's upcoming RPG/puzzle hybrid for the Nintendo DS. Developer commentary is included, too:
"It is a prequel [to] the acclaimed Heroes series & the Dark Messiah," says Erwan Le Breton, Producer on the Might & Magic Teams, Ubisoft. " The plot is set in Ashan, 40 years before. You will rediscover your favorite heroes, like Godric and Markal, when they were young and eager to embark onto their very fist adventures.

".we wanted to have a game full of factions and creatures, with magic and fantasy themes that the Might & Magic games are well known for."

As you would expect in an RPG you can level up your characters, improve their stats, and accept quests from NPCs. There is an overworld to explore, although players can't roam around freely you jump from node to node on the map to find new missions (much like Puzzle Quest). Secret areas are waiting to be discovered by keen-eyed adventurers.