gamesandtings

Deadlock

Valve’s “new” MOBA is still locked behind a semi-invited beta stage and I’ve been in it for nearing a year now. I hadn’t played in half a year, sort of got bored with the offering as I wasn’t particularly enamoured with it. There were issues that I felt they should have already been sorted out, like the inconsistency of abilities having priorities over ultis, considering their extensive experience with Dota 2.

Unsure if it was just out of boredom or masochism, I decided to come back and give it another go. To be very frank, I’m having a lot of fun with it. The change from 4 to 3 lanes helped balance the game; bad matchups were no longer as punishable as they once were. Maybe they changed up my boy Dynamo or it could have been the additional items to help maximise the fun, but I’ve been having a very enjoyable time in this recent session.

I’ve even done the unthinkable: trying out other characters to see how I’d gel with them/learn the actual matchups so I don’t feel as out of wack as I once did.

There’s definitely a fun experience to be had with this game but I’m concerned that the momentum has already slowed with it. It’s still impenetrable for those that have never played a MOBA before – they may be mistaken in thinking it’s a hero shooter where you run around like a maniac. And for Shiv players, that’s exactly what the game is. But for Valve to have another successful launch along with a sustained game that can stick around for a decade, they need to do so much more with the onboarding it would require.

Valve had done a great job in creating an identity with the game – a mishmash of steampunk in 1920s New York. If you know anything about me, I’m a sl*g for all things New York and so the recent map upgrades help evoke those familiar surroundings.

So what are they waiting for? What’s the hold up in releasing this? The game itself seems to be in a good place, enough to launch with. I just hope it’s Valve giving the polish around the game the attention it deserves i.e. the ability to introduce the game to new players and supporting a “professional” scene.

I love you Dynamo