Just a few weeks ago I was invited to join the Heroes of the Storm alpha. Hopping in to play it I had high expectations; it’s a Blizzard game, so I knew it would be good. What I didn’t know is it would become my most anticipated upcoming title.
Heroes of the Storm is a huge endeavor by Blizzard. You could even argue that it’s the single most important game coming from the studio in the next couple years (Project Titan isn’t coming anytime soon, sorry folks). It has the qualities necessary to be the next big thing in online gaming.
Related: Heroes of the Storm Hands-On Preview
So, why am I drooling over Heroes of the Storm? Below I’ll go over several points that make it the online game to look forward to.
A MOBA That’s Hospitable
In case you’re unaware, MOBA/action-RTS games are the biggest in the world right now. There are more people playing games in the genre right now than any other, with League of Legends leading the charge with its monstrous 27 million players per day, making it the most popular game on the planet. It goes without saying that MOBAs are a big deal.
The problem is, the two biggest MOBAs, League of Legends and Dota 2, are quite a handful. They require the same level of investment as an RTS, but a team relies on you. If you don’t perform, you have four people upset with you for being useless. Their entertainment value can be hit or miss.
Heroes of the Storm is the first large-budget MOBA to target the casual crowd, and strongly consider during development what would make the experience lasting for them. It accomplishes this in a few different ways. For one, it emphasizes teamwork over individual play. Instead of single players becoming insanely powerful and destroying you in a single shot, your team will grow together. No matter if you play support or a melee assassin, you’re a critically important part of your team’s success. Also, neither team ever really becomes strong enough to where there’s no fighting chance for the opponent. As long as your base is still intact, a few smart plays can turn the tides quickly like a Hockey game.
Matches are also substantially shorter. I can’t even begin to count how many Dota 2 matches I played where I knew my team was bound to lose after 15 minutes of play, and then had to suffer through another 30 minutes of agony. Heroes of the Storm’s matches are about 20 – 25 minutes, which is about the same amount of time as the laning phase in competing games. In other words, it knows how to get to the point.
There are also no items to buy, or couriers to worry about in Heroes of the Storm. You don’t even have to last hit or deny creep. You simply play the game, and work together with your team to conquer objectives. As a result, it’s a game you can just pick up and play without headache—or arthritis.
…But Don’t Underestimate its Complexity
Yes, Heroes of the Storm is an easier game to handle than Dota 2 or League of Legends. However, it emphasizes teamwork unlike any other.
This is a game where success is completely reliant on your ability to work with your team. There are no carries in the traditional sense. Instead, being at the right place at the right time with the right strategy is how you make quick work of enemies. The entire game is designed around this philosophy, with each hero scaling in a relatively linear fashion, and that’s a good thing for anyone who prefers collective play versus lone wolfing.
Also, each character gets a mount, allowing for quick travel between objectives and lanes. Instead of the more static lane phase setup of other games, you’ll see a variety of strategies that incorporate quick lane transfers often for gank opportunities. In a sense, it feels like a tactical game where the location of each player on a team is more important than having a more powerful carry.
Heroes of the Storm also has some unique game modes that ensure objectives are critical to success; you can’t just ignore them and expect to get away with it. If you do, the enemy team can pressure you to a point of no return.
This teamwork-oriented design is sure to give it legs for competitive gamers despite its welcoming nature.
A Character Cast with History
Blizzard has been making games since the early 90s. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans came out in 1994, while Diablo and StarCraft would join the fray just a few years later. During the past couple decades their franchises have developed deep and interesting stories, amassing a fan following as a result.
Heroes of the Storm is a game that, for the first time ever, brings three of Blizzard’s most successful IPs together. Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft have converged for pure awesomeness. Playing as Arthas is cool, but dashing around as Kerrigan assassinating foes is even cooler. Or, if you’re more of a Diablo gamer, you can play as a Witch Doctor or Barbarian. There’s something for everyone, even those who enjoy the less notorious characters like Stitches and Abathur.
Related: HOTS Trailer Shows Playable Characters
I’ve played League of Legends and Dota 2 extensively. I like some of their characters (especially Tidehunter), but I’ve never been thrilled before using any of them. Heroes of the Storm is a different story. Hopping into the character list and seeing some of my favorite characters was a joy in and of itself. It goes without saying that I’m extremely excited to see what additional characters are added to the roster.
Header image by Omar-Atef.
