While it's not my usual habit to reply to some random reviewers from, well, some random sites on the Internet, it was too hard to resist the urge in this case. The author makes two totally ridiculous statements: (a) the graphics are bad, since 3DO failed to hire descent designers (sic!); (b) the game per se, as a strategy, is totally unbalanced, e. g. Warlock creatures (I believe that is what he means by 'mountain species') are superior.
On the first point I've already seen someone answer the author on the first page of this thread. In a nutshell: the graphics are cartoonish, almost child-like, deliberately, that is - by design. Personally, I find this approach extremely fortunate: the graphics have aged well, the game still looks fresh and stylish after all those years.
The second point, however, was not yet addressed here. Well, let's put it this way: either the author has a very, very limited experience with strategy games in general, or something is wrong with his version of the game
In fact, the game is ideally balanced, with two factions better suited for early game rush (=small/medium maps), namely, Knights and Barbarians -- their units and buildings are dirt cheap and have a better increase per week rate, and two factions better suited for long-term development (=large/XL maps) -- Sorceress and Warlock buildings and units require a lot of gold and resources and have low increase per week rates. By the way, out of the latter, Sorceress is, in the long run, far superior to Warlock, since Phoenixes can be buffed/ressurrected, while Dragons have that nasty mixed blessing - magic immunity. Excuse me for stating the obvious, but the reviewer seems to miss those evident points somehow
And one more thing for strategy fans: HOMM1 features the absolutely best AI I've ever experienced over the years. Genius AI + King difficulty setting + hard map = diabolically challenging experience. It will push you to your limits, literally. A pity the same AI was never reproduced later in the series, but fortunately, we still have this gem.