by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

It’s been difficult to tear myself away from Heroes of the Storm long enough to share my observations. The game is, simply put, a bunch of fun. Blizzard’s made sure to beat it into our heads that the game is largely an unfinished product, but even so, Heroes boasts a degree of polish that some games in full release cannot possibly hope for. Gushing aside, here are some observations that I feel are important for those not currently playing.

Quests

I made an allusion to the Hearthstone quest system yesterday. The Heroes’ quest system is similar, but with a lot more quests. Daily quests are what you’d expect; win two games, play as a character from each universe, et cetera. However, by level nine, players have access to hero specific quests which offer them more incentive to queue up for additional matches. I have no issue whatsoever queuing for match after match, but I’m also a bit of a MOBA enthusiast. A dynamic quest system will go a long way in motivating more casual individuals to log in and play.

The Leveling System

Why do we like leveling up? It’s a simple question, with a very simple, two part answer. There’s something about seeing those numbers go up (or down, depending on the game) that gives us an innate feeling of accomplishment, translating to satisfaction. Yes, we sat around the house all day with no pants on, but at least we have some numbers that tell us the day wasn’t totally unproductive. The other major perk to leveling up is receiving stuff. Currency, aesthetics, titles, they provide increased incentive to say ‘eh, one more game’ at 2:30 in the morning. Heroes offers gold, additional talents, new quests and more for dinging. That’ll prove essential in creating the sort of inviting experience that charms players into actually logging in and queuing up.

A World Without Items

I had some reservations about playing a MOBA with no items, and frankly, I was wrong. I realized it about four minutes in. I was playing as Muradin (who is DISGUSTING) and the opposing Uther ran off to go do something else. My instinct was to push the lane up, teleport and buy .. and then I realized I didn’t have to. I could chase him, I could keep pushing the lane .. I could just have fun. In that moment I learned that, not only can this system work, but it makes so much more sense. It’s certainly a break from convention, but it’s one I hope gains traction.

The Heroes Themselves

I’ve tried almost all of the free hero pool at present. I also purchased Muradin, and recevied Abathur as an additional free hero by hitting account level seven. Thus far, all of them have been a bunch of fun, save Tyrael. I cannot get into playing him. He’s supposed to have a couple of different options to his build into, but frankly I feel like support is the only viable spec. There’s just something missing to his more aggressive talents. That gripe aside, Muradin, Abathur and Gazlowe impressed me the most. Muradin and Gazlowe are heroes that feature a couple of unique play styles depending on what the match requires, and Abathur’s 100% different every time you play him. He lives and dies by the competence and communication of those he’s grouping with.

Abathur’s not easy to play, but he’ll reward a dedicated team.

There’s a lot more to come from us here at BlizzPro, but these are just some quick observations from day one. Feel free to check out my stream when it goes live for more insight, analysis and world class Muradin play.