Tag Archives: moba

A Whole Bunch of Character Based Multiplayer Games

January 28, 2016 Alex McCumbers

This year looks to be a competitive year in the multiplayer space. The past few years have shown the rise of E-Sports centered on MOBAs, creating some of the most exciting and memorable moments in gaming history. Looking to cash in on this action, or looking to innovate, many large gaming companies have invested in pursuing character-based, multiplayer experiences. What has resulted is many, many games, most of which are in testing phases and are almost ready for launch. While there may be too many to note in one article, I’ll be attempting to catalog the newest fad in game design.

Paragon – Release date to be announced

Paragon comes from Epic Games, the team behind the Xbox giant Gears of War. Even with limited footage, Paragon looks like Gears if each character had special powers in a MOBA setting. Gameplay looks awesome and the characters carry that detail expected from the studio. Beta tests will roll out early this year and hopefully Giga will get a chance to try it first had. Either way, given Epic’s resume in the multiplayer space, Paragon is a game to watch.

Battleborn – May 3rd, 2016

Created by Gearbox Software, Battleborn looks to be bringing its chaotic style to the MOBA market. The art style is stylized using similar character designs to its hit Borderlands franchise, but with more accentuated limbs and body types. Characters range from a fungal ninja to a penguin in a mech suit to provide a hilarious spin to gameplay. Battleborn looks to be a game with tons of variety in characters, but will its final version be able to stay afloat in the market? We’ll find out in May.

Overwatch – June 21st, 2016

Sporting a visual style comparable to a Pixar film, Blizzard‘s Overwatch has recently seen positive praise in closed beta. While that same beta is currently taking a break for improvements, it should be returning early this year with a full release coming in June. Blizzard’s excellent design creates a fun blast-fest with each character teeming with personality. As of yet, this game doesn’t sport the MOBA-style gameplay as the games I mentioned earlier, but it does have some solid modes that are familiar to anyone who’s played Team Fortress 2. Blizzard’s track record and knack for continued support could make Overwatch a must play, not just for this year, but for years to come.

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Paladins – Release date to be announced

Paladins is a game from one of my favorite studios, Hi-Rez the same team behind Smite, an awesome MOBA with mythological characters. Its newest project, Paladins, seeks to shake up the arena FPS genre with its card system. While I’ve already went in depth with Paladins, its important to note that its being made by a much smaller studio by comparison. That said, Paladins is shaping up to be an awesome game, as its updated frequently with help by its players. Even in its early stages, there is tons of potential in this one.

Final Thoughts

What is there to take from this movement in game design? Following major success, many game companies try their hand in similar styles. It’s nothing new for the industry. When Street Fighter 2 became insanely popular, there were tons of fighting games to come out soon after like TMNT: Tournament Fighters and King of Fighters. That’s just a small example as it’s happened several times over each generation of video games.

Taking a step back and looking at this similarity in the market is a bit disconcerting and comical. Yet, these games need to be made to explore the genre. Who knows which of the games above will truly blow its players out of the water? Each explore similar concepts in different ways. It’s a necessary part of the evolution of gaming as a whole.

What’s important is that even if these games succeed or fail, gamers win. These shooters could release to a trumpet of praise, standing on their own merit and creating awesome experiences and communities. Each of these character-based games, while similar, will provide another world for gamers to explore.

Nothing is wrong with more worlds to visit, but all of them seem to have a blue sky.

Games and Software

Top Japanese Gods that Deserve a Spot in Smite

January 19, 2016 Alex McCumbers 8 Comments

Smite‘s newest addition of Amaterasu to the playable roster is not only interesting from a player’s perspective, but also for the potential additions that Japanese mythology could bring. The ritualistic Shinto religion has some truly awesome entities, adding a multitude of possible designs and game mechanics.

To celebrate the new Pantheon, I’ve compiled a list of candidates that need to be in my favorite MOBA. These choices are in no particular order. I’ll also add my thoughts on what class they could be categorized by in the game.

Fujin and Raijin – Mage

Heroes of the Storm introduced an interesting cooperative character this year in the form of Cho’gall, adding an interesting layer to the MOBA scene. What better way for Hi-Rez to experiment with this than with Fujin and Raijin.

Fujin and Raijin are gods of wind and thunder respectively, being some of the oldest deities in Japanese culture. It’s also odd to not see them together both in myth and in pop culture, so it makes sense to attempt a cooperative character. Together with two players, these demons could bring about truly terrible storms that would leave even might Zeus scared.

Kappa – Mage

Aside from the hilarious comparison to one of the famous emoticons of Twitch, Kappa would make for an interesting comedic character for the Japanese Pantheon. Kappa are devious little creatures that try to pull their victims into rivers. Their downfall lies in their bowl-like heads full of water for if this becomes empty, they die.

As a Mage, Kappa could lay down tricky spells, spraying water all about. His ultimate could pull enemies into a river, similar to Sobek’s ultimate, but one that could isolate opponents for damage.

Hotei – Guardian

Every pantheon needs a few hefty Guardians to distract opponents and be the pillars of team fights. Hotei is prominently seen as a god of luck and wealth. Many statues can be found in Japanese homes, hopefully bringing prosperity to those who leave offerings.

Hotei could make for an interesting character in Smite, especially if Hi-Rez decided to add a way for Hotei to spread wealth and prosperity to the team. Doing so without upsetting balance could prove challenging, but it would be interesting to see a much more passive Guardian on the roster.

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Susanoo – Warrior

Sure, Amaterasu is already a bad ass samurai, but why not open up the roster with even more katana wielders. Susanoo would make for an interesting Warrior, able to dish out damage or stay in the fight. Known for his battle against Orochi, there are few warriors more deserving than this guy.

Hi-Rez could certainly work into Susanoo’s design Orochi as well, either as a cool passive involving the many heads or an ultimate using this deadly dragon in some way.

Hare of Inaba – Assassin

The Norse Pantheon recieved a tiny, but mighty Assassin when Ratatoskr was released. Hi-Rez definitely had a blast designing the messenger squirrel, so it would make sense for them to do similar treatment for the Japanese rabbit. The Hare of Inaba also has connection to Amaterasu, once guiding her to a sacred mountain.

As a character, the Hare could also guide her allies into battle with plenty of buffs and heals. For damage, she could lead enemies away with a hypnosis like attack to pull them away and then follow up with a line dash. There’s also room for more cute characters in the roster.

Komainu – Warrior

Smite is particularly interesting with its non-human characters, such as Kukulkhan. Adding to that mix, the Komainu have an iconic design found guarding many Shinto shrines in Japan. Komainu are the guardians of special places, showing nobility or sacredness. They are usually fierce, warding off evil from these places.

Playing on the fact that these lion-like monsters are usually made of stone, Hi-Rez could add in a protective stone form that adds defense. Couple this with a pounce and a stun, would make for an interesting beast character.

Wow, the possibilities that the Japanese culture brings to Smite are staggering. There are so many creatures and deities I would love to see in the game.

What Japanese entities deserve a spot in Smite? Let us know, Giga Bytes.

Games and Software

Smite World Championships 2016

January 11, 2016 Alex McCumbers

Yes, I’ve harped about Smite for years, almost since its inception, but it has become one of the top E-Sports spectator games available. That is a fact, Giga Bytes. Riding off the success of League of Legends treatment of high level play and showmanship, Hi-Rez has created an amazing environment for community members, fans, and players that rivals all other gaming events.

This year’s World Championships saw some awesome match ups and included a whole new platform with the release on the Xbox One. Both tournaments were filled with exciting moments from Thanatos triple kills to Adapting‘s dominating presence with Thor. Every god kill, tower takedown, and objective acquisition was met with the roar of thousands of diehard fans at the event. Even I, at the comfort of my home on Twitch’s livestream, found myself shouting and clapping with each battle.

On the Xbox One, controls were still a factor, even after being available for almost a year, making dangerous gods like the Egyptian assassin Serquet less mobile. Even with less precise options, the players in the finals make it look easy. In fact, some teams opted most of their members out of the PC bracket to try to take the gold on the newest console.

The final match-up on the Xbox brought EnVyUs against COGnitive, who won last year’s World Championships. One player in particular, dubbed Omega, showed excellent play for EnVyUS with the tanky Xing Tian, forcing COGnitive to keep an eye out for his mobility and dominance.

Unfortunately, COG was dominated by EnVyUS 3-0. The competition was fierce, but a closer margin would always have been better. Despite a fairly split record this year, COG, last year’s champions still impressed by earning second. EnVy, celebrates as the first to claim victory on the Xbox One.

The PC tournament held the most excitement, bringing more than 50,000 people on Twitch, let alone the packed house at the venue in Atlanta, Georgia. While this pales in comparison to League of Legend‘s numbers, it stands as a testament to just how far Smite has come.

The final match up put the North American underdogs Enemy against the European Epsilon who’ve put up consistent victories throughout the year. Would Enemy’s new team prove the perfect formula to combat Epsilon’s solid structure?

No secrets here, I wanted Enemy to pull through with a victory for North America. Even though, I usually spend my picks on Epsilon, due to their record, remaining almost undefeated with a 27-1 record for the year. Enemy were definitely the underdogs, almost completely reforming their team not long before the Championships. Many were surprised at their positioning, but their skills just weren’t enough for the expert objective coverage of Epsilon.

In each match, Epsilon kept objectives on their minds, rotating in and out of their lanes, baiting in Enemy at every turn. It seemed like every time the Fire Giant was contested, one of the game’s strongest power ups, Epsilon was there to capitalize on it. The third match was the closest, as Enemy lead significantly in overall character levels and stayed ahead a few hundred gold.

However, smart plays by Epsilon turned their potential Championship victory around, not even giving Enemy a single match victory. The European Epsilon finished out their amazing year as the top Smite team in the world, beating Enemy 3-0. Epsilon takes the one million dollar prize pool, the beautiful champion cup, and each of them earn a championship ring.
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Now, I eagerly await a character skin to congratulate them, and give them a permanent mark in Smite history.

Not only did the Smite World Championships bring high octane competition, but it also brought a god reveal. A while back, Hi Rez confirmed it would be adding a new pantheon. Japanese gods will prove to add some more variety in the character roster, starting first with Amaterasu, The Shining Light.

Adding Japanese deities is a big step for Smite as a game that will stay in the minds of players for many years to come. Fans have been asking for new pantheons for quite some time, asking for Japanese, Celtic, and the twisted creatures of Lovecraft. Hi Rez have been at the forefront of letting the community help shape Smite, adding a Cthulhu inspired skin and many, many balance changes over the years.

All of this was built on the free to play model, offering much of the game’s content for no cost at all. Combine this with the ability to purchase every character and all future characters for about thirty dollars. Smite has become a dominant force on the PC marketplace.

E-Sports continues to fascinate, considering most of my peers are into professional football and basketball. What’s interesting is that these people miss some games due to it not being on a TV station or stingy leagues having the rights to live streams. On the other hand, almost every major E-Sports event is streamed on Twitch for free. That alone is a dead giveaway for the popularity of the sport, aside from the support developers have given.

Smite has been a game that I continue to come back to. It’s mechanics and competitive nature creates a timeless play environment. Hi-Rez continues to impress with their support of the game and of high level competitions.

Needless to say, Smite has a permanent home on my PC’s hard drive.

Watch the final day of the Smite World Championships in full below. Might have to skip a countdown timer to get to the action, but there are some truly epic moments.

Game File, Games and Software

Paladins: First Impressions with the Beta

December 28, 2015 Alex McCumbers

It’s no mystery that I am a huge fan of Smite by HiRez Studios. Many tireless hours have been spent dropping the hammer as Thor or opening the pits of the underworld as Anubis. Even though I shy away from the usual MOBA fair, Smite does a great job of blending action, quirky characters and MOBA elements for a solid multiplayer addiction with plenty of depth.

Thus when Paladins, a first person shooter created by the same team was announced, I was giddy. I’ll admit it.

Ruckus is capable of laying down fire while others swoop in for points.

Paladins is a team-based shooter in which players will control a hero with unique skills and weaponry. One minute you can be a knight with a laser shield and a flamethrower, the next minute you can be a goblin piloting a steampunk mech suit. Characters are zany, interesting in their design and have unique play styles. They do lack the familiarity of the mythical beings found in Smite, but these new designs should continue to evolve as the game sees more development.

The core focus of the game is player vs player action. The current mode is comparable to Siege in Smite, but in Paladins there is more speed built into the game type. On average, a match takes about 10-13 minutes, but can be as short as five. On the map are areas which must be held by standing in them. If another player of the opposite team is in the same circle, no points are made (similar to Battlefield or Warframe). Once the bar is filled, a Siege weapon spawns then travels down a set path to one of the enemy’s three gates. The final goal of the match is to use the siege weapon to do massive damage, crushing each gate before blasting the final one, ending the match.

Cards take the place of levels or items and have sweet art to boot!

Mechanically, the game is similar to Smite in its ability use, but feels more like Team Fortress 2. Heroes will have to be rather precise with their shots, like an Unreal Tournament contender or the origin of Deathmatch, Doom. Certain heroes are easier to use than others, with weapons that makes contact easier or an ability that hits a larger area. Experimenting with each character is recommended. Ultimate abilities are currently missing, but may not be needed in the grand scheme of things.

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Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically. — Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically for success.

What sets Paladins apart from other arena based shooters is its unique card system. Instead of building items like in Smite or picking a loadout like in Call of Duty, once a level is gained, three random cards are drawn from a random or pre-constructed deck depending on the mode being played. The player then picks which cards they want for the effect to activate, creating a controlled random element, forcing strategies and experimentation. Each character has their own special sets of cards, as well. So playing a new character will have a different experience with card builds as well as their innate abilities.

Adding to the card strategy is the ability to construct decks with earned cards. Cards can be unlocked from chests, a mechanic similar to that found in Hearthstone. Earning Epic cards is still just as rewarding, while familiarity with the cards and their effects will build with time as you play the game.

Simplicity meets function in the character designs. Cassie sports her falcon friend and her bow with flair and is one of the better damage dealers in the game.

Artistically, the game looks simple, but with enough fantasy detail to make it seem bigger than it actually is. Dwarves toting around heavy weapons meet elves with bows. Anything can happen in Paladins‘ design, an open way of leaving room for the game to evolve in any direction Hi-Rez decides.

Paladins‘ Beta tests are shaping up to be another interesting multiplayer affair. With Hi-Rez’s track record, one can also assume they will be giving Paladins the eSports treatment, meaning competition will be fierce. The game’s framework is fairly solid, but what will be built upon it is what’s exciting. Even after just a few months, several patches have been added.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on Paladins as it develops.

Games and Software, Industry Now, Pop Culture

How Nintendo Could Make A MOBA

August 3, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Gaming trends come and go. Hell, when Doom appeared, developers frantically emulated that iconic first person style. For many years, FPS games were referred to as Doom Clones. When a game truly perfects a style and is wildly successful, developers will inevitably put their own spin on it or sometimes shamefully try to make a quick buck.

Nintendo seems to ignore these trends in the industry. In fact, it’s just now getting into the mobile-gaming scene, years after Apple and Google created an environment, which generates tons of revenue. What’s sad is that there are many Nintendo franchises that can easily be used in interesting ways. I’m not saying it should just copy everything that becomes popular, but there are whole genres being developed that could use that Nintendo touch, just for the sake of the genre.

This is why Nintendo needs to make a MOBA.

Before I go any further, let me first say that I am in no way a MOBA fanatic. In fact, the only MOBA I regularly play is Smite and its a prime example of what can be done with the style. That being said, I have immense respect for what MOBA games have done for that style of game, the heightened awareness of competitive gaming that comes with its popularity.

Without MOBAs like League and DOTA 2, this wouldn't be possible. — Without MOBAs like League and DOTA 2, this wouldn’t be possible.

While trying to come up with the general concept for a Nintendo MOBA, I spent hours thinking of how it could be done without it being too much like Super Smash Bros. Using that sort of model, a MOBA by the Big N would simply be an extra mode for Smash, something that wouldn’t really take advantage of the mechanics of the genre, a rushed multiplayer mode on a clearly single player experience if it were.

That's right Bioshock 2! I'm looking at you. — That’s right Bioshock 2! I’m looking at you.

Then, a revelation occurred while playing my DS. What other Nintendo franchise has a vast history, tons of characters, and a strategy-centered gameplay? Fire Emblem.

Fire Emblem has a vast history and cast that can be pulled from to make a truly awesome MOBA experience.

Think of it this way. How simple would it be to replace all the characters in Smite or League with characters from Fire Emblem? Even that simple act alone would still be an interesting way to play. Add in some locales from various games and let the money roll in. However, something that simple wouldn’t take advantage of the concept, even though it would inevitably be profitable.

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This Fire Emblem title could also make interesting use of the Wii U gamepad or the dual screens of the 3DS. Not only could maps be presented, but players could also ping locations, and mark out strategies; pretty much anything that could be done with a PC is possible. This would also give Nintendo a chance to add more voice chat support to its games.

One of the defining features of Fire Emblem is that characters can upgrade their class. This could be done mid-game, allowing players to choose to upgrade after reaching level ten. Players could also hold back on upgrading for the extra stats as well, just like in the source material. This could create many interesting decisions from players and develop unique abilities for characters. Add in characters that can choose between a few classes will make things even better.

As another interesting spin, most MOBA games are played in real time, while every Fire Emblem title is turn based. Thus a MOBA could be created in a turn-based system, fitting more with the style of the source material, while experimenting with the genre. This could also be played against friends similarly to the Civilization series that enables players to play a single game over several days, if not longer. That sort of play could also be ported over to smart phones with little difficulty.

A Fire Emblem MOBA could also give players a chance to create their own champions, due to the classes of the games each having unique looks and skills. Players could choose a class, edit a model, and gank lanes as their own characters. Most characters would be the iconic characters throughout the series and could have powers unique to their stories or design, retaining the general idea of their respective class.

Even though I can see this sort of project being immensely amazing for fans of Nintendo, MOBA games, and the Fire Emblem franchise, I don’t see this sort of thing happening for a while. Nintendo really doesn’t like to take risks with its franchises. Although, sometimes those titles such as Metroid Prime or Wind Waker, prove to be some of the most interesting. In fact, maybe Retro Studios need to head this project. Seriously guys, this could be a great chance to get Nintendo into MOBA games or even the PC market. Call me if you need a project leader.

Or fans should start making this a reality. Of course Nintendo would cancel it, but hey, it’d be fun for a while.

Until I can have Lyn take out monsters in the jungle, I can be found putting some serious hours into Shadow Dragon on the DS.