Dota 2 (2013)

DOTA 2 is a highly competitive, team-based multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game that has become a staple of the esports scene. Developed by Valve as a sequel to the original Defense of the Ancients mod, it offers a rich and complex gameplay experience centered around two teams of five players battling to destroy the opposing team’s Ancient. Each player selects a unique hero with distinct abilities and roles, creating endless strategic possibilities and team compositions.

This is one of the examples that a mod can become, not just a game, but it can shift the entire gaming industry and community, similar to what happened to other titles such as League of Legends and Team Fortress, which share a lot of similarities to DOTA and DOTA2. I admit that I was late to the party for these titles, I had home internet very late compared to most people so I never got into competitive online gaming as much as wanted to, so it was very hard for me to become a good enough player in those games.

The game is renowned for its deep mechanics, requiring not only individual skill and quick reflexes but also strong teamwork, map awareness, and tactical planning. Its steep learning curve can be daunting for newcomers, but the rewarding sense of progression and mastery keeps players hooked. Regular updates and a vibrant community continually refresh the game’s meta, making every match feel dynamic and engaging.

This game changes so much to the point that you really need to dedicate yourself almost solely to playing this title, and no other, in order to keep up with it's changes, similar to other MOBAs such as League of Legends. DOTA 2’s influence extends beyond casual play, boasting one of the largest and most passionate esports communities worldwide, with tournaments offering massive prize pools. Overall, DOTA 2 remains a challenging, highly strategic title that appeals to players who enjoy complex, team-oriented competition. I didn't really played much of this title compared to League of Legends for example, but I enjoyed playing it's heroes more since they are way more unique than any other hero multiplayer game that I've ever played before.

I liked Dota 2. It’s mechanics, variation and tension is a unique concept and I enjoyed it very much. I especially liked it’s balance.

In Dota 2, two teams, each up to 10 players, battle it out on a map. Their goal is to destroy the “Ancient” of the other team. This is a large, bulky structure. Each team can choose their own unique hero, 4 skills and choose if they want to play a support character or an attack character.

The attack character specializes in damage and destruction, while the support character focusses on healing, buffs and utilizations. At the start of each match, a little time is given to the players in the team to discuss tactics.

Along the way to the enemy base, various monsters spawn on the road. This monsters do not attack until you do first. They drop currency, which a player can use to buy items in the various little shops around the map. There are also some boss monsters, which drop special items, some of which can increase damage, allow a resurrection and much more.

The graphics in Dota 2 are nice and colorful. The environments on the maps are detailed and full of life and although simple, it has a certain charm. The only problem for me with the graphics, are the various effects of magic, explosions, hits, elemental attacks that blast in your screen during heavy combat, making me lose overview of the situation sometimes.

The sound and ambient music is great and adds to the experience. When sh!t hits the fan, it can be a little chaotic, but overall, nothing to complain here.

The mechanics, menu’s and action bars are a little confusing and need some time to get used to. The learning curve is a little steep here, and some training matches are certainly recommended. The way the game is supposed to be played (with the right tactics that is), takes even longer and in the beginning, many noob mistakes will be made. Certain items are used in the wrong moment, certain skills have been used too early, that kind of stuff.

Like mentioned, the best part of Dota 2, is its balance. Every player has equal chance of winning. If a player is stronger than you, or kills you with two hits, it is probably because they risked their lives while getting some unique items from monsters on the road. The magic attacks drain mana, which recharges over time. This way, the game prevents spamming the same attack multiple times, keeping it fair.

I liked Dota 2 and it’s mechanics a lot better than League of Legends. There is more balanced gameplay, more tactics (in my opinion) and, because you play in teams, there is more coordination and teamwork.

The only problem, and reason, I stopped playing, is (once again) my lack of skill with this kinds of games. I do like them, and surely want to try them out, however, this kind of intense, fast and “professional” games are not for some hours of relaxation. So in the end, I just cherished the few happy memories I had with this game and moved on.

In terms of gameplay, mechanics and overall feel however, I would certainly recommend this game.

'Average completion time (main story): 3485.67 hours' says it all, goddamnit.

Mechanically undoubtedly the smoothest moba with the highest skill ceiling not even only in its genre.

The game suffers from a great lack of good game design, though. Instead of widening possibilities and defining a diversity of playstyles, Icefrog has added and removed numerous features instead of offering different maps with different possibilities as other Mobas have.

Maintaining pro-gaming balancing is no excuse. Icefrog has failed to develop Dota in any sense whatsoever. A bunch of a few new items throughout seven years and a handful of new heroes is not enough. The talent trees are the biggest game design joke I've seen in my life so far. Just compare them with the talent trees of HoTS which allow you different playstyles for every hero. +8 Agility, take a load of that. Just no.

The game principle is brilliant, and Dota 1 invented it. But Dota 2 never added anything new to it. The laning stage is amazing in how mechanically complex and skilfull it is, and all other Mobas lack that. But you cannot give all the credit for the brilliance of the genre to Dota 2, especially because Icefrog and Valve are earning the fruits of the labour of others like Guinsoo.

Bottom line, it's an amazing game to play competitively and deservedly outstanding e-sports title. But the lack of creativity in the game design will cause the end of Dota, which is in the process of dying in this very moment.