In this article, I will be taking a look at four hero-based games:  Overwatch, Paladins, Battleborn, and Smite. These really are not full length reviews…in fact, it’s more of a discussion on which one you might potentially enjoy. I mentioned all these specifically because all are on console. I kind of just felt like talking anyway.

Hero-based games and why I love them

Hero-based games in general are my favorite. By hero I mean “role specific.” Some people get a kick out of being able to fine tune their character to a T and have complete freedom. I enjoy specialization and seeing how that plays out against other players or to a lesser extent the environment (PVE). So let’s start with the odd man out here: Smite.

1) Smite

If you were ever interested in playing something like League of legends or DOTA 2 but the sheer amount of things on screen and potential information was too much for you I would suggest trying smite. It plays really similar to those games as far as the fundamental concepts go. You’ve got 3 lanes, gear you can buy through out the match, pockets of enemies that you kill for various buffs etc. But on a much smaller scale. The only downside for a newer player to Smite in my opinion is the fact that you don’t have every hero to start with.

I get that because it’s F2P, this is one way for them to make money. But if you happen to pick up Smite during a week that most heroes you have access to are off meta it might not be enjoyable for you. Instead I think all hero’s should be available in Smite at the start but you get a limited time to play them. After you’ve tried out each hero untill the trials are gone, you’ll have earned enough in game currency to buy 1-3 heros you really enjoyed and you can choose to earn the rest VIA grinding out in game currency. Or buying the god pack to unlock all current and future gods.

2) Overwatch

I would say that if you wanted to have “specialized” people to play but no nonsense like progression or equipment buying OW is the game for you. What Overwatch does best in my opinion is the world they’ve created. maps are balanced well. But also feel like they fit into the world Blizzard has established. Same goes for the heroes you get to play. Tracer feels like an actual person.

However, the way they chose to approach the hero genre also comes with some issues. Some heroes are gimped due to being shoved into a specific situation and having no way to make them more flexible. Added to that, ultimates are also very strong and every competitive match revolves around ultimates. Actual player skill is diminished because of this.

From a spectator’s perspective, it’s not very fun to watch. Yet it surprisingly works well for montages. My last final issue with Overwatch is that the unlock system for cosmetics is not friendly at all. I get that it’s “just” cosmetics. But it’s a huge reason why people play. (aside from competitive people that is.) I myself am burnt on playing just because there is no sense of progression to the skin I want. In game currency is rare to get and often not worth it when it does show up in the form of duplicates.

3) Battleborn

Battleborn tried to create a fusion of first person shooter and MOBA genres. A genre that is in my opinion needs more games in. It’s got the easy of use from being an fps. yet it’s got the progression of your hero via the helix system. and equipment. Unlike all other games mentioned here Battleborn also had a story mode. Well worth playing I might add. Not just because it has the borderlands charm but because it’s also one way to get loot. The sad thing about Battleborn though is that it flopped pretty bad. It obviously should have been F2P from the start but it was sold as a finished product, which if you are unaware was not the case at all.

Progression was all over the place and very unfriendly. Balance was way out of whack. Spec ops missions were busted both in terms of balance for players but also some just actually didn’t work. Eventually that all got fixed. But it was too little too late and even going F2P now doesn’t fix anything because people at 2k continually dig this game’s grave. It’s a solid game now and I encourage you to try it out since the pvp portion is free. It’s a game that by all rights that should have been successful but it wasn’t due to 2k’s demise.

4) Paladins

Last but not least Paladins. I would say Paladins is in the middle of Overwatch and Battleborn. It’s less moba like Battleborn but it’s nowhere close to being a pure shooter like Overwatch is. It has the card system which is the progression of your hero (in a sense.) and the burn card system in match which can be seen as similar to equipment in MOBA. But because you don’t have to level up mid match for the card system and instead build that outside the match it’s not the same. and because the burn card system is much more simplified compared to equipment, it’s also not the same. Paladins is great in the sense that the heroes feel more diverse. This is in part due to having more abilities.

The card system lets you tweak your hero to a specific way, thus adding diversity and flexibility. This is something that Overwatch lacks with hero design. However, Paladins isn’t perfect. The progression/currency system is not friendly to new players. Heroes themselves are not fleshed out – they’re just cool ideas and they don’t fit into the world they play in. Part of that due to the map design being 90% about balance and 10% looks.

So, which game is the winner?

If you asked me which my favorite one of these would be, I’d say hands down Battleborn. Interesting universe. Good characters. Great PVE. PVP is fun and has depth. But alas, it’s a dead game. So I can’t really hone my skills as a player. This kills most of my reason to really play it, so I play Paladins instead. It doesn’t revolve around ultimates. There is diversity VIA decks for heroes.

I don’t play Smite much just because I don’t have the god pack. If I did i’d probably play it more. And i’m spent on Overwatch. I’ll come back for events and new heroes but I can’t play it day in and day out anymore. TTK is too quick for my liking. ultimates are still too important. and I can’t reasonably progress towards cosmetics for heroes I care about.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you did, you could read Overwatch’s favorite Dorito next. Alternatively, you could read Onine Shooter Battleborn Ceasing Development.