Heroes of the Storm

With quick and action-packed games, Heroes of the Storm is accessible to new players, but with enough depth that to ensure that you are still learning new ways to use your abilities in different situations and battlegrounds after hundreds of games.

Heroes of the Storm successfully brings innovation to a stale genre dominated by 2 giants. Its bare-bones mechanics make it a truly fun game to play, from the beginning of a match to the very end.

It has a sneaky depth to it, a crafty addiction about it, where you'll start out just playing a game a day and then suddenly you're browsing the forums on your phone during the intervention your wife is holding because your addiction to Heroes of the Storm has affected her in the following ways...

Heroes of the Storm is an exceptional game that’s thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in this rigid genre.

In Heroes of the Storm you play as one of Blizzard's iconic characters from Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo. At first glance the game looks like a typical 5 vs 5 MOBA, but there are changes that differentiate it from its competitors. The matches are shorter, items have been replaced with talents and all maps have different side objectives. Overall, the changes have made the game more intense and varied. The main thing that I have issues with is the payment model. At first it seems fair and reasonable, but after a while you realize that you have to spend tons of money if you want to unlock all the characters or play the game for a long time. [Sept 2015]

An excellent introduction to the world of MOBAs for anyone put off by the learning curve or community of other games. [Aug 2015, p.63]

I can't recommend Heroes of the Storm's friendly approach enough.

Politics aside, Blizzard have done what they do best: produced a great online multiplayer game.

Simpler, faster and more accessible MOBA where someone actually thought about design beyond the point of “let's pimp up the 13-years-old fan mod”. Heroes of the Storm is not for everyone, but it will suit players who feel the genre is too complex, difficult and inaccessible. Blizzard actually succeeded in creating almost the exact opposite.

As long as new heroes and maps continue arriving in frequent content updates, we expect Heroes of the Storm to have a very long and profitable lifespan.

The competitive ranks are locked behind pay walls or dozens of hours of grinding, but the grind is an enjoyable one nonetheless, with the lure to keep you coming back, especially with friends.

Funny, innovative and easy to learn. Heroes of the Storm is not just another MOBA. It's "just" another great Blizzard game.

A fantastic casual-competitive game that offers untold hours of enjoyment.

Heroes of the Storm Has some small flaws (mainly associated with micro-transactions and the technical side) but all in all is a very good game. It doesn't copy things from other games and freshens up the MOBA genre in a really satisfying way. While playing HOTS I have never felt alienated, bored or unnecessary.

It's strange to think about it in these terms, but Heroes of the Storm is the perfect MOBA for those who don't care for League of Legends and Dota 2. The removal of items simplifies gameplay in comparison to League and Dota, but the focus on teamwork, communication, learning the roster, speed and environmental objectives helps make up for the things MOBA fans may nitpick about Heroes (such as its lack of items).

Heroes of the Storm could be the next huge franchise of Blizzard. It delivers a solid gameplay and tons of fun, and since it's free-to-play, it's definitely worth trying.

Blizzard proves that there is still something to say in the crowded MOBA market with a well-crafted game that only lacks some more characters and a little polish here and there. Mercenaries, mechanically interesting maps, shorter match duration are just a few elements that put Heroes of the Storm in the position to be competitive against its more popular brothers.

Heroes of the Storm is one of the most accessible MOBAs. Rapid, intense in its action and with an amazing roster. It's pure addiction.

Heroes of the Storm is like a MOBA highlight reel, cutting right to the best moments and doing away with all the boring bits. It's a fast, lean, and relentlessly fun 5v5 experience.

Heroes of the Storm is the least intimidating of the major MOBAs and that's a good part of what makes it so easy to keep coming back. It's easy to pick up and learn, while the option to turn Allied Chat off makes the game a pressure-free environment.

Heroes of the Storm is probably what many MOBA players dislike: a real teamplay game, with a more accessible gameplay and an upheaval of known codes of the genre, which is ten years old today. That does not make it a bad game, far from it. It happens to give the players new reasons to play a MOBA, and it shows us that real team play is possible in a MOBA, even for 5 people who do not know each others. Try it!

Heroes of the Storm is polished and knows what it wants to be. It is addictive and simply a blast to play. Even in short 20-minute increments, it is incredibly satisfying. Will it replace DOTA or LoL? Not likely, as the depth of combat is not there. What it is however is a fantastic alternative for looking to get away from the toxicity of other MOBAs.

One of the most accessible and most fun multiplayer online battle arena titles out there. Sure, it lacks the complexity of Dota 2 or League of Legends, but the short length of matches (around 20 minutes) and the polish that's characteristic of a Blizzard product make it stand out.

Heroes of the Storm is a unique MOBA. A breath of fresh air to the genre that comes to us thanks to Blizzard from one of his premises: “Easy to learn, hard to master”.

Heroes of the Storm has a champion's core. Fast, competitive and,most of all, cooperative. And with all the attractive of the Blizzard characters. The MOBA through Blizzard glasses.

For fans of Blizzard's IPs, it's a game that holds tremendous value despite its free-to-play nature. For others, it's an exceptional multiplayer game that merits consideration.

Heroes of the Storm is the newest MOBA game that really conquers our hearts. Blizzard reinvents the MOBA genre with unique features in an easy to grasp game.

If you’re both a fan of the MOBA genre and Blizzard’s various properties, there’s no reason you shouldn’t check Heroes of the Storm out. It may seem like Blizzard’s just got another “me too” on its hands at first glance, but there’s enough to set this MOBA apart from the rest and it all combines together to make for a distinct and thoroughly fun experience that no fan of the genre should miss.

Blizzard succeeded in reworking the MOBA base formula, and gives both genre fans and newcomers something different, accessible but deep enough when it comes to cooperative mechanics.

A welcoming avenue into a visually complex genre, with supreme production values. [Summer 2015, p.74]

A very unique MOBA where you can lose most of teamfights, lag behind in terms of levels, and still win the match thanks to map mechanics and NPCs. That’s why HotS isn’t a “simplified Dota 2” – it requires strategic thinking and ability to prioritize tasks properly. [Issue#199, p.68]

HotS is great piece of fanservice that’s wrapped in accessible, polished MOBA trappings. [Aug 2015, p.081]

A well balanced and dynamic MOBA game that proves that this genre doesn’t need to follow strict rules. Blizzard has proven their class once again.

Heroes of the Storm is a living proof that companies can innovate in a genre with strictly established rules. It is developed with only one premise in mind: being fun.

Heroes of the Storm offers a different MOBA experience with iconic Blizzard characters. Heroes of the Storm doesn’t contain gold and gold farm, level based character progress, and inventory system unlike other MOBA’s. It has it's own cleverly designed rules.

Heroes of the Storm is the perfect place for newcomers to experience the MOBA genre. It’s simple and easy to get into. It shouldn’t be dismissed by veterans either. There is a layer of complexity that even the most hardcore of MOBA gamers can appreciate.

Both highly accessible and super fun to play, Heroes of the Storm comes heartily recommended. Give it a try, it's free.

Heroes of the Storm has plenty of room to grow, but even with its numerous deficiencies, we’re simply not having as much fun with any other MOBA. At this point, we’ve overdosed on so many would-be competitors to League of Legends. Heroes of the Storm is a revitalizing and largely successful attempt at looking at the genre in a different way. Blizzard refused to say “me too” and we’re all better off for it.

The game is appealing to both casual and hardcore players, seamlessly splitting them into different player groups. If you've never given a MOBA a try, Heroes of the Storm is the perfect entry point.

Heroes of the Storm manages to make room for itself in the crowded MOBA genre, thanks to its original gameplay mechanics, an outright immediacy and its addicting nature. The microtransactions are a little pricey, but everything else deserves your undivided attention.

Finally Blizzard has released its MOBA and it's a really good game. It has several flaws in the gameplay but we’re confident that Blizzard will resolve them in the coming months.

The most any studio has done to open up a complex genre to a new audience. Inviting, entertaining, and deceptively deep.

It's seems a bit like heresy compared to other games of the genre. But Bliizard found a way to make it easier to get into the game without taking away the fun. Simple to learn, hard to master.

Fast, uncomplicated MOBA for almost everyone. [08/2015, p.50]

Blizzard’s attempt to target a community discouraged by other MOBA games has succeeded. Heroes of the Storm is funny, imaginative and yet not overly complex.

Heroes of the Storm's great success is that it works harder than any other game to date to open up the strengths of this genre. [Aug 2015, p.114]

The few shortcomings are not enough to make Heroes of the Storm less satisfying. It's a light and pleasant MOBA, at least in comparison with Dota 2 and League of Legends. Definitely worth a try - and it costs us nothing.

Heroes of the Storm is the hyperactive little brother of DotA 2. Blizzard has made a fluent and accessible team game. Every match is exciting all throughout the end and we appreciate the Blizzard-nostalgia that comes with it.

Heroes of the Storm is a refreshing hero brawler that offers intense gameplay with iconic heroes from many Blizzard games. The loading times are annoyingly long and sometimes the teams are not balanced. However, the game is still very enjoyable to play and easy to learn.

If I’m going to play a MOBA, it’s going to be this one.

Heroes of the Storm is a more user-friendly approach to the genre, but lacks the depth and complexity of other offerings. A great game to pick up for a quick couple matches, filled with Blizzard star power and fun matches that last just long enough, but no real meta-gaming or theory yet.

Quotation forthcoming.

Heroes is perhaps the most accessible MOBA ever created - which can either be a good or bad thing for you. Regardless, you're getting Blizzard-level production values - at Blizzard prices, if you choose to spend money. For what it is, Heroes is a great game with some room for improvement. Whether "what it is" appeals to you or not is a matter of personal preference.

It may not win over the "hordes" of LOL gamers, but HoS has its own strengths and a unique style of play that will probably appeal to many fans of MOBA games.

It’s a decent MOBA with some good ideas, and it has a promising patch-filled future, but they need refinement before Heroes of the Storm can join the big leagues.