Game Review: ‘Heroes of the Storm’ gathers greatness in one epic package

 

Multiple international tournaments. Thousands of dollars in prizes. Millions of devoted fans worldwide. The MOBA genre has exploded to become today’s biggest gaming phenomenon, but let’s not forget it was born as a humble mod of Blizzard’s “Warcraft III .”

 

“Heroes of the Storm,” Blizzard insists, is not a MOBA but a “hero brawler.” What that means is unclear – at the moment. One thing is for certain, however; Blizzard has decades of “Warcraft,” “StarCraft,” and “Diablo” lore to pull inspiration from. But is a battle royal between PC gaming legends enough to make “Heroes of the Storm” an investment worthy of your time?

 

 

 

A different experience

 

The concept of all MOBAs is simple. Two teams of five heroes enter an arena and attempt to dismantle each other’s forces. Structures bombard enemies with cannon fire, making pushing forward into the opposition’s base difficult. To assist you, waves of minions march across two or three lanes to attack said structures and rival warriors. As the body count rises, so will the strength of your heroes. Fortresses will crumble. Fantastic powers will engulf the battlefield in whirlwinds of deadly technology and exotic arcana. And in the end, only one team will emerge victorious.

 

This, however, is where “Heroes of the Storm” distances itself from other MOBAs. And it does so in ways that might prove controversial among hardcore MOBA players, but delightful to genre newcomers.

 

“Heroes of the Storm’s” most noticeable departure from the genre is the non-existence of purchasable items in-game. Players who’ve spent years juggling such items to create the perfect character build in games such as “League of Legends” are understandably concerned. “Heroes of the Storm’s” hero customization is less complex, they say. And to some extent, they’re correct. The hero brawler’s answer to items involves abilities you can select for your heroes, which can affect everything from their health regeneration to damage absorption. And the more you play, the more abilities you’ll unlock, with all of them becoming available once the player’s level reaches 25.

 

True, a small pool of abilities to choose from is no real replacement for hundreds of purchasable items. But the most important change this brings about is the ease with which you can pick any character and play. You can literally join a match with little or no knowledge of MOBAs and do fairly well. And because you can still achieve a good variety of builds with abilities, there’s plenty of room for high level play.

 

 

The priority also shifts from how good you are at item selection to how well you cooperate with your team – which brings us to the next major change. Heroes don’t level up individually in “Heroes of the Storm”; instead experience points are distributed equally among team members. Consequently, everything you do is for the good of the team. Again, the result is twofold; one, the atmosphere is friendlier, more relaxed, and more encouraging of team play. Two, slackers will receive the same benefits as the team’s more effective players. Undoubtedly, this will be another source of contention among MOBA veterans.

 

Team strategy extends to how well you operate within an arena. There are seven at launch, each boasting its own quest line. For example, in Blackheart’s Bay, you can collect coins from chests, then bribe the pirate captain to assault the enemy fort with artillery fire. Haunted Mines features a subterranean level where you can butcher ghouls for their skulls; the team with the greatest number of skulls summons the stronger golem. Accomplishing such objectives can turn the tide in a match, making it possible for even the leading team to lose. Because victory is never quite assured for anyone, both teams are forced to always function at their best.

 

Ultimately, the pros of these changes outweigh the cons. Fights start early and are resolved more quickly, taking some 25 minutes compared to “League of Legends’ ” 45. Matches are more furious, with plenty of shifts in lanes, tactics, and goals, and with almost zero lulls between the action. It’s possible to main many characters instead of a few.

 

 

Guns, magic, and zombies

 

Speaking of characters, these heroes bring with them their colorful personalities and the richness of their disparate universes.

 

And what an eclectic bunch they are! Play styles vary significantly from the nimble, somersaulting Valla to the lumbering siege specialist Sergeant Hammer, whose tank can enter a stationary siege mode for bonus damage against structures. Then there’s Abathur, who assists and controls heroes instead of participating in direct combat; Murky, who respawns almost immediately from a previously laid egg; and the Lost Vikings, who are actually three units in one. Personal favorites include Nazeebo, who summons zombies and exploding toads into battle, and Zagara, who carpets the ground with creep and commands StarCraft’s Hydralisks and Banelings.

 

Characters also interact with each other in-game. Diablo will threaten Valla the Demon Hunter. Nazeebo will advise Tychus to go back to a healing fountain. Tassadar will offer words of encouragement to Jaina Proudmoore. It doesn’t alter the gameplay, but it helps maintain an exciting and supportive atmosphere.

 

Free-to-play characters are rotated weekly; for a character to remain permanently accessible, you’ll have to purchase them using real money. Alternatively, you can use the gold that trickles into your virtual wallet by playing matches. Given how expensive some heroes are, however, this means several days of grinding just to be able to afford that one favorite character.

 

 

 

 

A war of silence

 

Modes include the non-ranked Quick Match, which randomly groups teams to go up against each other. Players aren’t given the option to discuss their picks and strategies before the fight, which sometimes leads to heavily skewed compositions, such as groups with too many or no healers.

 

Thankfully, other modes – like Custom Game and the ranked Hero League – allow players to coordinate during hero selection.

 

“Heroes of the Storm,” however, does away with voice chat. While Blizzard’s rationale for this is to reduce player toxicity, typing as the only means to coordinate with your allies is potentially hazardous in MOBAs. There’s a helpful minimap ping feature, but it pales in comparison to the level of strategizing that can be achieved with vocal communication.

 

Removing this convenience is strange, especially for a game built around the importance of team work. We’ll just have to wait and see if and how this particular issue will be addressed. Good thing MOBAs are continuously evolving entities.

 

 

Fast, furious, and fun

 

So what is a hero brawler?

 

Blizzard has always prized accessibility above all, and that is no truer than in “Heroes of the Storm.” It streamlines the MOBA by reinforcing the elements that make the genre so compelling, and discarding the concepts that alienate newcomers. The result is a game that’s immediately inviting, but that promises a satisfying degree of complexity for serious, long-term players.

 

True, its current form isn’t perfect. But this is Blizzard we’re talking about, and we know they consider fan input valuable. In the meantime, drop by the Nexus, and join the fight. Who knows, you may end up staying a long, long while.

 

Rating – 9/10

Platform: PC

 

— TJD, GMA News