Dota 2 (2013)
The official free-to-play sequel to the Warcraft III custom scenario that originally popularized the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena sub-genre.
First released
Jul 9, 2013
Aliases
Defense of the Ancients 2, Defence of the Ancients 2
Franchises
Dota
Developed by
Valve Corporation
Published by
Valve Corporation, Nexon Corporation, Perfect World Entertainment
Platforms
Mac, PC, Linux
Genres
MOBA
Themes
Fantasy
Releases
- LIN - Dota 2 United States
- MAC - Dota 2 United States
- PC - Dota 2 United States
Community reviews
Great game, but too hard and chaotic for me.
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.
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.