Dota 2

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 11934 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7,265 out of 11934
  2. Mixed: 790 out of 11934
  3. Negative: 3,879 out of 11934

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  1. MNoya
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    Great game ruined by terrible company that is not involved enough with it's playerbase, zero communication, dubious approach to bug fixing and balance.
  2. rafaram
    Jul 10, 2013
    10
    This game improved so much since it was released on the beta. There are over 90 heroes to choose from currently and the gamplay is as intence and as rewarding as DOTA 1. I know alot of people will be hesitant to try it at first but there has been a new tutorial system implemented in DOTA 2 and I think it will help new comers. I know some people who play LOL might bash in this game, butThis game improved so much since it was released on the beta. There are over 90 heroes to choose from currently and the gamplay is as intence and as rewarding as DOTA 1. I know alot of people will be hesitant to try it at first but there has been a new tutorial system implemented in DOTA 2 and I think it will help new comers. I know some people who play LOL might bash in this game, but both games are compleatly different. Its like comparing COD and Battlefield, they are so different that connot be compared. (no preference on either game, I think bot of them are good) Give this game a try, the learning curve is very steep but it is rewarding when you learn. I think this is the best gave valve has ever developed and has been the most played game on steam ever since the second year of beta development. Try it out, its free and badass!… Expand
  3. grimly56
    Jul 22, 2013
    10
    I don't see why people are giving this game a low rating just for the community. Yes they are really aggressive and that is something that should not dictate a games rating but I think this game is great and its free so why complain if you don't like it no problem its free.
  4. FlipFlapFlipper
    Nov 1, 2013
    8
    I would not rate this game 10/10, nor would I rate it 0/10. This game has a some good aspects to it, but it does have bad ones too.

    Pros: A lot of different heroes (Characters to choose from) Each hero has their own set of moves Competitive Customize-able Ability to learn Constantly puts cosmetic items into the game (Items that don't do very much) Has things set up for new    I would not rate this game 10/10, nor would I rate it 0/10. This game has a some good aspects to it, but it does have bad ones too.

    Pros:
    A lot of different heroes (Characters to choose from)
    Each hero has their own set of moves
    Competitive
    Customize-able
    Ability to learn
    Constantly puts cosmetic items into the game (Items that don't do very much)
    Has things set up for new players
    Very nice looking
    Can be fun in some games

    Cons:
    Constantly after money for in-game purchases
    Does not fix bugs/glitches very often
    Bad community
    Competitive (Yes I put this in twice)
    Not very much updates
    The game can get VERY unbalanced with super strong heroes and super weak ones
    Honestly gets a bit boring after a while of playing it
    Does not meet the expectations they put out for themselves
    Very bad language barrier
    Very bad matchmaking (Finding matches suitable for you)
    It keeps getting worse over time
    Updates contain things that no one wants (I.e.: People ask for events but Dota 2 gives them hats)
    Never communicates with the community
    Does not update their websites

    Long story short: The games Cons weigh out their pros by a lot. If you wish to play an unbalanced game with people speaking Russian in an English server who are either too inexperienced for your level or have too much experience, then by all means download this game.    … Expand
  5. tewtz
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    Valve won't even give a single message to its community. Instead if fills the store with stupid ass cosmetics for them to line their pockets with. I appreciate that the game is free to play but it takes 10 seconds to log on to twitter or facebook and go "Sorry guys, no event this year." Instead they sit completely silent while the player base hypes itself up out of control in expectation.Valve won't even give a single message to its community. Instead if fills the store with stupid ass cosmetics for them to line their pockets with. I appreciate that the game is free to play but it takes 10 seconds to log on to twitter or facebook and go "Sorry guys, no event this year." Instead they sit completely silent while the player base hypes itself up out of control in expectation. Valve has nothing to gain by being silent.… Expand
  6. vforvengance
    Nov 1, 2013
    8
    Don't bother with this game the developer has just trolled the entire community and has zero respect for it's player base Matchmaking is broken to the point of 1000 wins players being grouped against 2 wins players no region locking...and no diretide
  7. illtakethebox
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    diretide when i wasn't playing but of course when Halloween comes around when i DO play no diretide. wtf this makes 150 characters you son of a beetch
  8. Scratator
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    Good things:
    -The graphics are gorgeous.
    -Animations are almost perfect and natural like they're supposed to be. -The core mechanics are extremely well-made. -It's quite fun at times. Bad things: -The matchmaking is a horror. Before you queue up for a game you get to choose the region you want to play in and the language preference, but the game doesn't really respect that. Almost    Good things:
    -The graphics are gorgeous.
    -Animations are almost perfect and natural like they're supposed to be.
    -The core mechanics are extremely well-made.
    -It's quite fun at times.
    Bad things:
    -The matchmaking is a horror. Before you queue up for a game you get to choose the region you want to play in and the language preference, but the game doesn't really respect that. Almost everyone that played this game already knows this, russians are everywhere, no matter where you play, it can be US, it can be Europe or Asia, russians are everywhere. Now I've had some bad experience with these type of players even though I do not wish to generalize but when even the language preference gets ignored when you queue up for a game and you get a game full of russians where only 2 of them speak english.
    In my experience, russians are the worst players to have in your team. I am not generalizing here, I know there are exceptions, there are always exceptions but almost everytime I had a russian in my team he didn't even speak english or he didn't even try to communicate with his own team besides cursing and I only wish that I won't deal with these kind of players in my future games but it's inevitable since Russia is the prime demographic for dota2 by population.
    -The community is toxic, no matter what you, no matter how you do it, the community will always be toxic. It's a competitive game, it's completely normal, but man, I've encountered some type of players that are the worst human beings in this world. Now I'm speaking about cursing your own teammates or stuff like that, when you try and help someone, or teach them a lesson that apparently they don't know, their ego inflates so much that he will no longer be a part of your team. Most of them will either leave, feed intentionally by walking right into the enemy and staying there until they kill him or just doing things that generally helps the enemy team more than it helps you (a.k.a. sending the courier into the enemy lines so it will die therefore we cannot transport items and the enemy team earns a bounty for killing our courier, OR even using special items like the force staff to push you into the enemy etc, the list is way too long). Meanwhile there ARE indeed consequences, leaving puts you into low priority for X ammount of time based on your total abandons or abandon spree and reporting players but that doesn't seem to be enough.
    -The reporting system is a spam and that's it. If someone does not like you, they'll report you for whatever reason. I don't know how the reporting system works but sometimes I get into low priority for nothing, literally nothing or nothing that I know about. Do people actually check the replay for every report submission sent? Because that would be way too hard for the devs to do considering it's players number and the devs number and/or admins.
    -The matchmaking is a forced 50%. This means that if you win 9 games in a row, you will lose 9 games in a row and not in the same way. For example today you win 4 times and lose 5 times, tomorrow you'll lose 3 more times and so on until your win/lose ratio ends up to a roughly 50%. This thing means nothing whatsoever. People who are playing competitive games usually have hopes or are actively practicing games so they could step in the pro scene. Now the way other games in this genre are doing is by adding a ranking system bronze, silver, diamond, cheese, bacon whatever etc that a player can be proud of and show to the team he wishes to enter or to know his current status as a player compared to others. What does the 50% win ratio prove? Absolutely nothing, you're the same as the other players, it doesn't matter that you stack with other players and you're on skype or whatever, you'll eventually end up with players better than you that will kick you back down and down from the very beggining. The matchmaking should add players of your current skill level so the match would be even. Most games I get are usually one sided stomps that don't even get to see the 30 minutes mark of the game, which is considered a very important part of the game since there are actually heroes that are good only after that 30 minute mark, also known as hard-carries.
    -This game used to have weekly updates with old heroes that needed to be ported into the game, cosmetics so the developers can actually earn money and general gameplay updates and bugfixes. They also used to make events during the obvious holidays of the year, well, most of the time. A year ago DotA2 had an event called Diretide during the Halloween that had a new gamemode added to the game that was Halloween inspired, The Greeviling for the christmas and so on and so forth, but this year, it seems like that has changed. DotA 2 didn't get any Halloween inspired event at all and in the past 3 months, the game had a single patch besides cosmetics patch.

    I am no longer buying cosmetics from the store until they decide to work on the game.    … Expand
  9. lenppqq
    Jul 16, 2013
    9
    Dota 2 is a great game. I like its UI design, hero design and that beautiful map. Valve didn't disappoint players this time. However, the only reason I do not give a 10 is that this game still have some bugs and Valve has already released it. Those bugs do damage the game experience.
  10. steamboat_willy
    Jul 18, 2013
    10
    A faithful recreation of the game that inspired LoL and HoN. Valve absolutely nailed it, the graphical style and voice work are incredible. No pay2win but cosmetics for those who want them. 10/10
  11. pepitogrillo
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    Dota2 was the best game in the world until a fat man as gabe newell (pepito grillo) ruined our game with no communication, no diretide, NO HEROES, HE LAUNCHED THE OFFICIAL GAME AND THEN WENT ON HOLIDAYS OR WENT SLEEPING HIS FAT FACE A 0.
  12. bp88
    Jul 20, 2013
    9
    If you enjoyed the original DOTA or League of Legends, then you'll definitely want to grab this game. I started playing later in the beta, around mid 2012, and it's always the game I go back to when I get bored of everything else. The game is free but you're able to purchase items and other things in the DOTA 2 Store if you so desire. I'll buy something every now and then to support theIf you enjoyed the original DOTA or League of Legends, then you'll definitely want to grab this game. I started playing later in the beta, around mid 2012, and it's always the game I go back to when I get bored of everything else. The game is free but you're able to purchase items and other things in the DOTA 2 Store if you so desire. I'll buy something every now and then to support the developers, but make sure you don't wind up spending a bunch of money on a free game; defeats the whole point! They're taking a while to release all of the new heroes, but a good game takes some time to evolve. Definitely get it if you have Steam!… Expand
  13. DivineWrath
    Nov 14, 2013
    10
    DOTA 2 is the best game in its genre due to the variety of heroes and game modes it provides and most importantly it's free without any pay-to-win features. Matchmaking system needs some improvement but other than that it's flaws are minimal.
  14. watuz1337
    Nov 10, 2013
    10
    Excellent game, with much more sophisticated mechanics than LoL. It is very unforgiving and requires lots of effort to master it sufficiently enough to know what needs to be done (doing it is even harder). Dota 2 is so good, that I will focus on negatives Unfortunately there are some and three of them I consider major issue. First match making I think it has improved, but it is… Expand
  15. LimBizBrony
    Nov 2, 2013
    10
    I'm from Ukraine too, and I do not care whether or not Diretide, I thing in this game is a team game, and because of the lack of Diretide, I'm not going to put this game a bad score. But, I will say only one thing, Valve, do not forget about the players, and they will not forget about you.
  16. Axlomon
    Nov 9, 2013
    10
    Great game ruined by terrible company that is not involved enough with it's playerbase, zero communication, dubious approach to bug fixing and balance.
  17. Duskspark
    Jul 21, 2013
    10
    Few games manage to be both entertaining as well as extremely challenging, with a high learning curve, tons of different classes, customuzation, and in-game item builds. The game looks gorgeous, matches are lengthy, the community is friendly and well groomed, and the gameplay is as solid as it can get.
  18. RustyMR
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    DOTA is a great game.
    Valve promised us a new and good Dota experience, and after 3 years we still got no Dota.
    This DOTA2 is no Dota.
    This is a game made by a whore company who doesnt even care about their community.
    I dont want HATS. I want the game you promised us!
  19. CasualGaming
    Jul 15, 2013
    9
    The first time I played Dota 2, The opposing team did not show us any mercy, and I loved every second of it. This game is so addicting and fun, I didnt even care about winning or losing. Great characters, Epic Gameplay TeamWork Wide range of Options and all out fun are all available in Dota 2. A must Have
  20. siveZ
    Jul 12, 2013
    10
    One of the best, most difficult and truly competitive games I've ever played. It is free and doesn't have any pay-to-win, all heroes are free, the only paid content are cosmetical items that DO NOT change gameplay.
  21. FBF
    Jul 16, 2013
    10
    Pros:

    - seemingly infinite strategical aspects (!)
    - complex gameplay and mechanics
    - a thriving, international competitive scene
    - free to play
    - never gets boring (Really. I've been playing Dota 2 and it's precursor for 5-6 years now.)

    Cons:

    - steep learning curve
    - as in every multiplayer game, some people you encounter can be rude
  22. faceless-1
    Aug 31, 2014
    8
    If you liked original dota like me, you will like Dota 2. Dota 2 is same as original Dota with upgraded graphics and controls. Plays still 5v5 in some mods like random pick (random heroes). I am glad Valve did not changed game play of original dota. I know some people expected more than old dota in better graphics, but i am glad it is still same game. I recommend to try this game, its freeIf you liked original dota like me, you will like Dota 2. Dota 2 is same as original Dota with upgraded graphics and controls. Plays still 5v5 in some mods like random pick (random heroes). I am glad Valve did not changed game play of original dota. I know some people expected more than old dota in better graphics, but i am glad it is still same game. I recommend to try this game, its free after all. Just if you did not liked original Dota, you wont like Dota 2.

    On the other hand this game got horrible community full of nerds raging just about anything. If you want to start plaing this game, or got friend who who wants to start play this game, get prepared for raging nerds. I really didnot seen so many ragin idiots in dota 1, well i guest its because it was Warcraft 3 mod, but this game got the worst community i ever seen. Even CoD community is great in compare to Dota 2 community.    … Expand
  23. DE4D
    Jul 16, 2013
    10
    Valve did a great job by hiring Icefrog, you can't find such a balanced game without Icefrog and you can't find such a great detailed game without Valve

    Balanced Game Competitive game Greatly detailed GOTY 2013 :D
  24. Kromatik22
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    Alright, first of all I'll be the first to admit that DotA has it's own flaws in itself, being a really competitive game but some of the reviews on here are utterly disgusting. So let me bring this up as a Dota2 ex DotA and HoN and LoL player.

    If you're transitioning from league of legends, you don't have to worry about runes or stuff like that, since any imbalance caused by that is no    Alright, first of all I'll be the first to admit that DotA has it's own flaws in itself, being a really competitive game but some of the reviews on here are utterly disgusting. So let me bring this up as a Dota2 ex DotA and HoN and LoL player.

    If you're transitioning from league of legends, you don't have to worry about runes or stuff like that, since any imbalance caused by that is no trouble to us, secondly, you have ALL the heroes/champions. You can experiment without playing x amount of games for a 6300 IP champion, and doing that about 50 times but you have to keep in mind that DotA has more advanced mechanics and is more punishing.

    If you are saying that this games changes you, it's not the game that changes you, it's yourself letting changed by the nature of the game, you become more competitive and forgetting that you are playing with other players.

    While I do admit DotA has some minor issues as to the matchmaking system but it's not extremely easy to asses each player's skill and their improvement, it's never been done by machines with 100% success we have to be patient.
    F
    And lastly, please do not talk about the game if you didn't play it extensively and competitively, since some reviews say that vote of surrender IS a feature in dota 2 (it's not). Don't follow the ragers that critic everything just for the sake of being cynical.

    All in all this is a REALLY strong game with each hero being unique and strong in itself but keep in mind the advanced mechanics, and if you are new, try practicing with bots, they are pretty okay to start, read guides, don't assume you're the all knowing guy and see you in the game.    … Expand
  25. Joha
    Jul 23, 2013
    9
    I've been playing this game for quite some time now and I can say that while I enjoyed original DotA, this one is more polished and the gameplay is very smooth. The graphics are amazing too and the community has been quite helpful so far (even though some people say otherwise).

    I totally recommend this game to any MOBA fan.
  26. Ascent
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    The game was well improved by their new character models,graphics,sounds and gameplays. The developers also allow users to create their own customization of the models.The developers also feature levels,stats,tournaments,live gameplay and battle history.But this game also has a problem like glitches and bugs.And lastly the game updates every weekend.
  27. Franksnbeans
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    I have spent nearly 1500 hours playing this game. It's been frustrating,punishing and perplexing; yet very enjoyable. it was overwhelming for the first 100 hours or so, not knowing the heroes or the items. However with some determination and guide reading/watching you unlock a highly rewarding and rich gaming experience which is unmatched!

    I have noticed in other reviews they talk of    I have spent nearly 1500 hours playing this game. It's been frustrating,punishing and perplexing; yet very enjoyable. it was overwhelming for the first 100 hours or so, not knowing the heroes or the items. However with some determination and guide reading/watching you unlock a highly rewarding and rich gaming experience which is unmatched!

    I have noticed in other reviews they talk of the trash talking community; ALL team games will have douche bags though dota compared to its counterparts is not as bad. You can easily mute unwanted language.

    This game is truly free to play. It's pay to look cool and some of the cosmetics you can purchase (or receive as drops after games) are truly amazing! you also have a say of what will be sold in the store by voting on potential items in the steam workshop.

    all in all Dota 2 is a demanding game and you will suck at first. Keep with it though and prepare for one of the gaming experiences.... oh and say goodbye to all other games!!    … Expand
  28. coolerdude
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    I will try to be unbiased in this review as much as I can possibly imagine (despite the 10 in my score. I wish there was a 9.5). I've dedicated over 1400 hours to this game, and probably more in it's original incarnation of DotA back on the Warcraft 3 engine. NOTE: I will list all the technical aspects first, then go through the bad and mixed after that, and the reasons I absolutely rateI will try to be unbiased in this review as much as I can possibly imagine (despite the 10 in my score. I wish there was a 9.5). I've dedicated over 1400 hours to this game, and probably more in it's original incarnation of DotA back on the Warcraft 3 engine. NOTE: I will list all the technical aspects first, then go through the bad and mixed after that, and the reasons I absolutely rate this game a 10 will be listed after.

    First off, the game itself is solid. It is mechanically and competitively balanced. There may be certain heroes that are currently favored in both high level public matches and in professional matches, but statistics show that win rates are pretty balanced at the 50% mark.

    Secondly, the aesthetics and graphics are pretty well done. It is clearly a step above the original DotA. However, design style in comparison to other DotA clones are strictly to a user's preference. I know people who love LoL's design over Dota2's and vice versa. The caveat is that these things SHOULD NOT matter. It might get some getting use to, but overall, it will not detract from the experience.

    Thirdly, the (may be) bad. This is true for every ARTS (or MOBA) game out there. There WILL be rude players out there. This is a game where every game counts. Since each match lasts for about 30 minutes to an hour each, a lot of people will only be able to play 1 to 2 games at a time. As such, they are emotionally invested to get the best experience of playing the game every time. Being so will encourage players to be extremely passionate about each match, so when there exists a player who is clearly not up to snuff, a visceral raging will most likely ensue. This leads me up to the next point:

    Fourthly, the mix: This is not a game you can play just play casually forever. This game has a learning curve for EVERY aspect of the game, i.e. heroes, item builds, map control, laning, jungle control, warding, etc. You will SUCK at the beginning. It is inevitable. Everyone who starts this game has to go through it. This is the source of what many people call "Egoism" among veteran players. All of us veterans had to go through periods of mediocrity to be where we are now. We invested hours and hours into not just playing the game, but reading about it outside the game. This means we did homework on reading hero guides, watching replays, looking for tips on ward positions, etc. We went through sort of a "rite of initiation" to attain the personal skill level we are at now. In order for ANYONE to play this game WELL, they'd have to go through the same process over time. However, you will not go through this process alone which is illustrated in the next point.

    Fifthly, the good: The community as a whole is one of the BEST i've ever been a part of. This may seem weird after I listed the third point. However, aside from the vicious minority, I've largely felt that this is the multiplayer game with the least amount of "a**holes". I've also found that the people who regularly complained about the "horrible" community are also the ones who regularly berates others in game. A bad attitude always begets bad attitude from others. However, this is one community that also LOVES to help new players succeed. People regularly posts guides and videos to help new players out. You just have to search for them. There are alot of resources to be gain from youtube as well. And friends i have that had just started out regularly tells me about their experiences where their teammates and even their opponents would give them tips to perform better each time. It is always best to upfront about your level of expertise, especially if you're new. This will set your teammates expectations at the appropriate level from the beginning and they'd be able to help you out when you need it. I've even seen people offer to train new players.

    Sixth, The game itself has one of the most deepest design I have ever experienced in a game. You know that feeling that after 100 games of COD multiplayer, you'd feel like there's nothing new anymore? I've played this game (Dota2 and DotA) for 8 years and I'm still learning something new and subtle everyday. What sets this game apart from the other ARTS games is the things you DONT see on the surface. Everything is manipulatable, which translates to the evolution of a large variety of strategies that continues to expand after so many years. Things like creep pulling, stacking, lane control, etc are little nuances that may seem irrelevant to the untrained eye, but as you evolve as a player, you'd realize these little things help so much in the metagame. In extreme cases in high level play, a game can be said to be one from the moment you pick your heroes. This high level of strategic thinking is something other multiplayer games cannot achieve and is something is refined and evolved from community enacted plays over these years.

    I'm running out of space to write more about this game. Just know this, this game is WORTH IT.    … Expand
  29. wampirue
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    I've come to Dota from League of Legends and that was like changing 10 years old Toyota car to brand new Ferrari. Better community, better ingame, no lags, no servers down and most of all NO ANNOYING 10 YEARS OLD KIDS.
  30. ERB
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    DOTA 2 is probably one of the best games this year.It is fun playing this games and every challenges is very challenging.Still this game should be on the top this year.
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
5
#5 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Polygon
    Aug 15, 2017
    85
    And this dichotomy is perhaps the best descriptor I can attach to Dota 2. It is frequently a game which occupies two opposite spaces simultaneously. It is the best game. It is also the worst game. No game has ever made me as miserable as Dota 2 has. But no game has made me feel so consistently rewarded for my time, and as consistently, wonderfully connected to the friends I play it with.
    Read full review
  2. GameOver.gr
    Feb 19, 2014
    95
    Simply irresistible and addictive as hell.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    Sep 1, 2013
    90
    Unforgiving from the get-go, but a landmark in competitive multiplayer design. [Oct 2013, p.68]
See all critic reviews »