VERY First Thoughts On Heroes Of The Storm

This is a very first impression of Blizzard's new game and newest MOBA game, Heroes of the Storm, which at this point of writing this article it's on alpha. It will have heavy changes and the sorts in the future.

Also, on terms of MOBA games, the only other game I played on this genre is League of Legends/LoL, so comparison will be made with LoL.

Here, we have some of the most famous heroes and villains from Blizzard's games (that is Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo), being trapped to a place which connects all worlds called the Nexus (kinda weird, since all three games have something called the Nexus, but whatever) and duke it out.

I have to admit it's easier/more casual compared to LoL. You have all three abilities of Q, W, and E unlocked already, when you kill enemy minions and players, the whole team gains EXP, thus whole team levels up and you have to choose talents on certain levels that affect you. So, it works equally for all. Another thing is the non-existence of shops, so you can't buy anything at all. So, it's straight-forward and easier to catch on. And the addition of a tutorial to learn the basics of the game helps a lot to understand how the game works. Another thing this game has to LoL, are the mounts, which give speed bonus and run faster, 'till you dismount. And yes, one of the mounts is a unicorn. And yes, you can make Diablo ride a unicorn. But they cost money.

Another unique thing of this game, are the different maps it has and its objectives. While on each map, the main objective is the same thing (destroy the enemy's core), they all have something different to spice it up and offering a new experience and not being the same thing over and over again. Before loading the map, it says the side quest and what you should do.

It also has a level progression system where you unlock modes and gold for each level you gain after matches, which brings up some reason to keep playing, compared to LoL where each level was meaningless and it was taking long time to level up, just to add a rune or something like that.

Since, essentially, the game is a big crossover of Blizzard's games, you see all your favorite characters from Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo as your champions. Tyrael, Diablo, Malfurion, Raynor, Uther, and many more are there to fight for you. As with each MOBA, there is a free character rotation, but as always you can purchase either with in-game currency (gold) or with real money. I found the prices kinda high for me (6 euros and a bit higher) for permanent purchase, but hey that's me. And some of the characters are very weird and make me question their choice of inclusion on the game: Why would anyone want Elite Tauren Chieftan, a SINGER NPC, Tychus who looks a lot like Raynor, Li Li that should have been Chen Stormstout, a faerie dragon from World of Warcraft and Sgt, Hammer and Stitches, and Nova from that cancelled Starcraft Ghost action game? I suppose they will add more characters in the future, but I see many weird choices so far to fill the ranks.

Still, what I see is on alpha and inevitably, a lot of stuff will change, hopefully for the better.