Dota 2

Free to play

About

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA), a sequel to Dota, which stands for Defence of the Ancients, which itself arose from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. It is one of the very few popular games that is truly communal, having been conceived, tested and released on community fora. About the Game In the game you are divided into teams of five and battle against another similar team – all these warring groups of ten are in distinct places on the map. Each of the ten players c...

Developer:

Valve,

Publisher:

Valve,

Release date:

8 July 2013

Genre:

Action, Strategy,

Recent Steam reviews:

Mostly positive (22915)

User tags*: Steam Deck playable moba strategy esports team-based competitive action online co-op pvp difficult co-op rts rpg tower defense fantasy character customization replay value action rpg simulation ...

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Description

About the Game

In the game you are divided into teams of five and battle against another similar team – all these warring groups of ten are in distinct places on the map. Each of the ten players controls a unique hero each with their own skills and abilities. There are 121 of these unique characters altogether (see below for a sample of some of them).

Heroes are divided into two loose groups: Cores (also called Carries) and supports. Supports are useful, if somewhat lightweight providing solid back-up without any exciting powers. Cores, on the other hand, start off weak but gain in strength and power until they can ‘carry’ the whole team (hence their sometimes being called ‘Carries’).

You must collect XP (experience points) and items to defeat the other team by destroying their ‘Ancient’, which is a large structure on their base. At the same time, you must defend your own Ancient, as the opposition will be trying to take it down in their turn!

Battle to take down arrays of defensive towers to get to the Ancient, which is usually behind four sets of towers in total, and do watch out for AI-spawned minions called ‘creeps’ who – as the name gently hints – creep up on you! In any game, one teams is Radiant and the other is Dire: Dire creeps always head for Radiant towers to try and destroy them, and vice versa.

The Nitty Gritty

Dota 2 is not a kind game for beginners, with a brutally steep learning curve and complex gameplay, but once you have learned your way around, you will begin to relax and enjoy yourself a bit more. The game does try to lighten up the atmosphere with a bright and cheerful colour palette and dad-joke level puns, which might surprise a laugh out of you, even as you curse the difficulty of understanding what’s going on.

Ultimately, the complexity earns its place in your heart – keeping track of all ten players and the various (and different) spells they are unleashing becomes much easier when you understand the complex systems and lore of the game, including the odd, contradictory decisions that you might face – for example, rather than let the enemy shoot down your AI units to gain valuable XP, it’s better for you to shoot the AI instead, denying others the prize.

Expect to spend your first week on the game mainly learning how it all works and how to read the battlefield – you might get there quicker, but allowing for at least a week takes the pressure off your shoulders. Pro tip: the game is almost as compelling to watch as it is to play – learn by watching game footage for an ‘easy’ (easier anyway!) way in.

Once you do get to the point where you know what’s happening you will have usually invested a lot of time in the game already and will be eager to get to grips with what’s going on.

During gameplay, you can’t concede battles, which can be a pain when you’re taking a spanking, but it also means that when you’re playing particularly well, no spoil-sport can drop out to end the game prematurely and ruin your victory!

Need a Hero?

Some of the heroes to look out for and try out. However, do remember – every hero has an opposite, a nemesis, that the other team might be playing!

Riki: has permanent invisibility from level 6 – they can’t kill you if they can’t see you!

Drow Ranger: can unleash huge amounts of damage from her maximum power-up, also achieved at level 6 (as is the case with many heroes). She also fires slowing ice arrows that can give you the edge in a tight fight

Templar Assassin: can manipulate armour

Storm Spirit: fast enough to avoid trouble by zooming around the battlefield

Bloodseeker: has a power called Rupture that is almost overkill!

Juggernaut: unstoppable and incredibly fast, this guy can do a lot of damage very quickly

Dota is a fast-paced exciting game that is well worth the time and frustration it takes to get to grips with it!