Heroes of the Storm

It was only a matter of time until Blizzard throws down its hand in the MOBA market. And they did in 2015 by releasing Heroes of the Storm. This game became yet another example of the highest quality from this developer and their ability to refine ideas that have been explored elsewhere.

Heroes of the Storm seems like a comment on the MOBA by the company that inspired this genre. They stepped into the territory which is both deeply familiar and deeply alien to them: alongside the world of chunky characters and competitive strategy Blizzard embrace, they face the world of fathomless homebrew complexity.

So, Blizzard took what is fun and exciting about a MOBA and spliced that formula into an approachable, yet compellingly deep game.

Graphics 5/5

The landscapes, animations, and sounds of the game all evoke a mental investment in the action. Animations are flashy and elegant, featuring enough clarity that it’s rare to be confused about what just killed you.

Tassadar’s Psionic Storm flashes and crackles for each enemy it hits. The Rock God leaps into the fray across the map, and a rocking guitar riff signals his arrival. And the trio of Lost Vikings mounts up to the longboat when activating a heroic ability and sing a merry tune as they drop cannon fire on their foes and towers.

Gameplay 4,5/5

As with games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, two teams of five face off with the goal of destroying the opponent's base. However, unlike those games, the map upon which teams encounter is not a carbon copy of those from other genres.

Heroes of the Storm provides seven unique maps that feature various secondary objectives which can assist a team in their siege of the enemy base. These secondary objectives serve to create interesting movement and points of conflict, preventing the game from devolving into stalemates where teams are too afraid to risk and engage with each other.

While most characters are divided into the standard classes like Warrior, Assassin, and Supports, Heroes of the Storm also features a fourth classification called Specialists. They have unique mechanics and don’t really compare to the rest of the characters in the game.

For example, Abathur can attach a symbiote to an allied unit to launch his attacks from the safety of his base. Azmodan empowers nearby minions while summoning an army all his own. Murky, the Baby Murloc, can lay an egg anywhere on the map to respawn there within a few seconds after death, rather than the long respawning to revive in a base. Each Specialist character offers an entirely different perspective on Heroes of the Storm's gameplay.

Controls 5/5

Heroes of Storm has typical RTS controls, which are easy to figure out. You move your character by clicking on the map, and hot keys can perform the other actions like putting spells on the enemy.

Replay Value 4,5/5

Heroes of the Storm’s match length is short, compared to other games in the genre. They often decisively end within 20 minutes, rather than an hour or longer when you just hope for a game to finally come to an end.

Although evenly matched teams may have trouble managing to finish the game against one another, the game's rapidly scaling death timers usually enable one team to end the competition before that point is reached.

So, since the games are over quickly enough, you'll likely convince yourself you always have time for one more game.

In-game purchases

For a free title, Heroes of the Storm is really expensive, whether we are talking about money or time. New players don’t even have access to all of the free characters from the get-go; they have to grind a lot for the additional characters slots. It seems like an awful and greedy limitation system solvable only by grinding or spending. So, there is just unlocking for the sake of unlocking.

Hero prices range from $4 to $10 USD, with a handful of more expensive bundles included in the game’s shop. Thankfully, you can try any hero in a bot match before you buy to figure if it’s really suitable.

You can’t do with only free characters as a competitive player because owning characters is necessary to access Hero League, the game’s ranked playlist. Qualification for entry requires you to own 10 heroes and a level 30 profile. It might take you about 40 hours of play before you enter your first Hero League game.

It is hardly worth it, but Hero League is the best way to play Heroes of the Storm. Once you try it, you’ll never return to the Quick Match public wasteland again.

Conclusion

Heroes of the Storm leaves little breathing between its sharp peaks and deep valleys. It’s a fast-paced game with a plenty of diverse heroes with their own skills that synergize with other classic characters.

Heroes of the Storm is incredibly fun to play thanks to its competitiveness and breathtaking fighting system, but some of the restrictions for new players are troublesome. The emphasis on grinding or spending to get to the more evenly balanced matches might deter some players.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 4.5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 4.5

Pros

Fun and frantic fights;
Multiple maps;
Recognizable characters;
Exciting short matches;
Specialist characters offer different styles of play.

Cons

Unnecessary restrictions;
Excessive grinding;
Poor maps and objectives.