Heroes of the Storm: A MOBA for the Rest of Us
If you’re intimidated by MOBAs, Heroes of the Storm might be a good way to dive in for the first time
Five years ago, I installed Heroes of the Storm from the Battle.net client. I had played a game or two of League of Legends and wanted to see what Blizzard brought to the table. I walked through the tutorial, with Uther Lightbringer of Warcraft fame serving as my teacher. Afterward, I was given three “heroes” that I could play with and would have to unlock the rest, whether with in-game currency, or real money. Little did I know that this game would become the only competitive game I would play for the foreseeable future. With a friendly method of play and a recognizable cast of likable characters, Heroes of the Storm is the MOBA anyone can pick up and enjoy.
The Game
Heroes of the Storm works similar to most MOBAs. You have a group of five, there are 2 to 3 lanes to a map, and you have to destroy the opponent’s “core”.
However, the incessant micromanagement that other MOBAs force upon you (leveling up an ability, purchasing items from an item shop) is cast to the side in favor of a talent structure.
Every 3 levels (starting at level 1), you get to pick a new talent. This can give you a new ability, or enhance your basic abilities. At level 10, you receive your “Heroic Ability” (or at least a choice of them), which is usually an incredibly strong attack, stun, or heal, depending on the hero being played.
For instance, Diablo can pick either Apocalypse, a global stun, or Lightning Breath, an intense damage/slow cone for opposing players, as his heroic ability. Depending on your team composition, or the opponents, either one could work out.
Another thing that Heroes of the Storm brings to the table: one level for the entire team. While other MOBAs will allow players to climb levels by themselves, your level is tied to your entire team’s play in Heroes. This is slightly controversial. People will claim that they aren’t given the chance to shine over team members not carrying their weight. To me, this is the beauty of a team game, you’re only as good as your weakest link. If you pick your heroes well, lane, and show up to team fights, your team will definitely have a fighting chance.
The final difference: objectives. I LOVE this part of Heroes of the Storm. Every map has an objective that will spawn from time to time. The team that completes the objective will get a powerful boost of some sort and will gain a huge advantage in a lane (possibly). This forces team fighting early on in the game and shakes the game up tremendously.
The Heroes
For most gamers, there’s a Blizzard game that inspires some love/nostalgia in them. For me, it’s Diablo and Warcraft/World of Warcraft, and oh boy, does Heroes of the Storm cater to my nostalgia.
As of this moment, there are 88 heroes in the game. While the majority come from the Warcraft franchise, you can still find many from Diablo, Starcraft, Overwatch, and even a couple of original characters…oh, and The Lost Vikings!
The hero selection is tremendous, and you can feel the love put into them. The character models that have numerous different skins are just fantastic. The voice acting for each one is well done, as many have personalized voice lines. I still feel the chill from the first time I killed an Arthas player with Illidan, and he chimes in “Today and forever, I am your better Arthas!” Delivered by the fantastic Liam O’Brien, this was an icy delivery, and just adds to the spectacle that is the game.
Each character has a specific role, whether it’s tanking, ranged damage, melee damage, support, etc. Some characters play better on certain maps, and in different situations. With the exception of a few, I’ve enjoyed most of the characters and really think that as a game, this is one of its truly strong points. Fans of Blizzard should look at this game as a love letter.
Dead Game?
This had to be addressed, as it’s something that is brought up when the game is talked about. “Dude, they got rid of the competitive league and moved some developers. Game is dead.” I’m not going to defend the game where it doesn’t need defense. Blizzard did those things, it’s true.
However, it’s been about a year since they did those things, and they’ve continued putting out new heroes, reworking heroes, and balancing the game. These are not the moves of a dead game, but one that understands what it is. It can’t compete with the likes of DOTA 2 and League of Legends. Those two games are simply too entrenched in the MOBA community to be unseated, and throwing money at it was not going to solve it.
You have to grow a community for a game organically, and Blizzard didn’t want to wait for that. So they’ve left it to the caretakers to make that happen. I still get into games within 30 seconds of queueing up. I still have fun, and enjoy those “WHOA” moments. There are smaller leagues that keep the competitive side of it going, and that says something about this game.
So How Do I Play?
Install the Blizzard launcher, and install Heroes of the Storm. You’ll be given a few free heroes, and you should be able to easily acquire new heroes from playing. You can also purchase hero bundles if you can’t wait to play certain heroes.
Heroes of the Storm has provided a lot of awesome gaming moments for me, and I intend to keep playing. There’s always something new, and a hero that you can work on. If you’re like me, life has become hectic. A MOBA that one can easily jump in and out of has been refreshing.
I’ll see you in the Nexus!
Thinking of playing? Any questions? Let me know, or add me on Battle.net: Helkaweth#1696
