Dota Underlords Review - GameSpot

Dota Underlords is a diverse and constantly captivating experience where no match plays out the same way twice. Having been with the genre since ... Review DotaUnderlordsReview FirstReleasedJun20,2019 released LNX MAC AND PC GameInfo DotaUnderlords Reviews News&Features Videos Check,automate.By JoabGilroy onMarch9,2020at10:41AMPDT Theauto-battlerrevolutionof2019sawaflurryofactivityfrompublishersastheytriedtotakeadvantageofthelatestcraze:Dota2AutoChess.AcustomgamemodbuiltusingDota2itself,AutoChesswasanotherproductoftheendlessiterationfoundinthecustommapmoddingscene--DotawasbornoutofaWarcraft3custommap,whichiteratedonaStarCraftcustommap,andAutoChessitselfiteratedonaseparateWarcraft3map,andsoon.Ayearlater,Valve'sfree-to-playinterpretationofAutoChessisoneofthefewleftstanding,andforgoodreason:DotaUnderlordsisathrillinggamethatpromoteslayeredstrategy,mentalacuity,andtherushthatcomeswithbeatingoverwhelmingodds,makingitacontinuallydiverseandcompellingexperience.UnlikeDota2,DotaUnderlordsisastraightforwardgame.Youcaneasilythinkofitlikeadeckbuilderordraftinggamewithmultipleeconomies--Dominion,Ascension,ortheLegendaryseriesaresomegoodtouchstones.Facingoffagainstsevenotherpeople,youhavetobuildateamfromaselectionofheroespresentedtoyou,andthatteamwillthenfightinhead-to-headbattleswithothersoveraseriesofroundsuntilonlyoneplayerremains.Gallery ThegameusestheheroesfromDota2,anditautomaticallyresolvesthebattlesoverthecourseofa30-secondperiod,withtheheroesusingahand-pickedselectionofskillstowalloponeanotherasfastastheycan.Oncearoundhasbegun,youdon'thaveanyinfluenceonit,soallyoucandoiswatch,wait,andpraythatyourteamstrategywillworkforyou.BecauseDotaUnderlordsisamostlyautomatedgame,itisabletoevolvetheexcitingintricaciesofdeckbuilding--synergies,strengthsandweaknesses,etc.--inwaysthattabletopgamescan't.Andasaresult,Underlordsisabletolayersystem-upon-systemasitincreasesitscomplexityandskillceilingthroughacombinationofresourceandrandomnumbergenerator(RNG)management.ThefactthatmostofUnderlordsisautomateddoesn'tmeanthere'salackofdepth,though.Beforelong--it'ssurprisinglyeasytopickup--you'llbeabletocontemplatenotjustyourownrandomselectionofheroes,buttheheropoolsofsevenotherplayersinthegameasyoutrytocrafttheperfectteam.YoumayoptoutofpickingupthatDisruptorbecauseyouknowthreeotherteamsaretryingtopickhimupalready,andthatlowersthepercentagechanceofyoubeingabletogetthethreeyouneedtoupgradehim.Withalittlemoreexperienceyoumightpickhimupjusttolowerthepercentageforyouropponents.Asanyonewhoplaysboardgames,poker,orevenbattleroyaleswilltellyou,theopportunitytoturnbadfortuneintovictoryistheultimatethrill.Randomnesscanleadtobothgoodandbadsituations,butmostoftherandomnessinDotaUnderlordsisgoodbecausethegamegivesyouplentyofviableavenuestochangeyourfatethroughsmartplay.IfyouknowyouneedjustonemoreBloodseekertoupgradehimtoanearlythree-star,forexample,yourbeststrategyistospendabitoftimererollingyourheroselectionatearlylevels(usuallyaninefficientplansincegoldispreciousatthestartofthegame)tofindhim.YouroddsoffindingBloodseekerdropdramaticallyonceyoupasslevelfive,soyoucanmanagethoseoddsbydelayinglevellingyourselfup--andanearlythree-starBloodseekerwithaStonehallPikeorCloakisavery,verydangerousthing.OneareawheretheRNGmanagementgetsalottougherisinopponentselectionasyoumovethroughamatch'srounds.Youhavenoimpactonitall,andnotallopponentsarecreatedequal.Somearebetterplayers,whilesomejusthavebetterstarts.Somearedeliberatelylosingearlyroundstoputtogetheraquicklossstreak,tradingtheirhealthforfreererollsandextramoneytogetaleg-uplaterdowntheline.Andifyou'reaplayerjustdoingthebestwithwhatyou'vebeenoffered,youwillfaceoffagainstoneofthematrandom.Ifit'sthepersonwhorolledintoaround-onetwo-starNyxAssassinwithasideofWeaver,youmightaswellstarttryingforthatlosingstreaknow.Ifithappenstobetheplayerwhodidn'tfieldanyheroes,youjustgotafreewin.TruerandomnessmeansthatineachroundUnderlordsrollsaneight-sideddieanddetermineswhoyouwillface,andthatmeansyoucouldconceivablyrunintoNyxandWeaverthreetimesinfiverounds.Thisisfrustrating,andrepeatedlyfacingoffagainsttheplayerinthetoppositionisnotsomethingyoucanmanagearound.Itwouldbefoolishtotrytoshiftyourstrategyintobeatingasingleplayerwhileyoustillneedtoworryaboutsixothersstillinthegame,anditisdemoralisingwhenithappensagainduringthesamematch.Everythingalreadymentionedisprimarilydetailing"Standard,"butDotaUnderlordsactuallycomeswiththreeothermodesthatcanmixuphowyouthinkaboutthegame.ThefirstisDuos,whichisStandardonlywithapartner.Youcantradeheroesandgoldbackandforthbetweenoneanother,sothedynamicsoftheeconomyaredifferentandthepowerspikescanhappenalotearlier.Knockout,ontheotherhand,isafast-pacedvariantofDotaUnderlordsdesignedtocreateamorepalatableexperience--whichsuitsthemobileversionofthegamequitewell.WhenDotaUnderlordsfirstlaunchedinearlyaccess,Standardmatchescouldlastupto50minutes(whichisverycharacteristicofDota,butbadformobilephonebatteries),thoughtheaveragesitsatroughly25minutesnow.ButKnockoutgamesaredesignedtolastabout15minutestops,andbecauseofthewaythey'restructured,yougettoseealotmorehigh-poweredthree-starunits.WhileIcommonlysecurewinsinStandardwithjustoneortwothree-starsheroes,I'veplayedKnockoutgameswhereeverycharacterontheboardhadbeenupgradedtothemax,andit'sveryexciting.Withareducedcosttolevelupheroesandasimplifiedhealthsystem,Knockoutgamesplayouthardandfast.Economymanagementisnon-existent,aseveryoneracestospendalloftheirmoneyeachround,andvictoryordefeatisalwaysasingleluckyrollaway.Itfeelslikeaperversionoftheform,anditwon'thelpyouhoneyourstrategiesfortheStandardgame,butit'sentertainingnonetheless.Theotheraddition,whichwasreleasedalongsideDotaUnderlords'v1.0update,istheCityCrawl,anarrative-focusedmodewhichtellsthestoryofWhiteSpire.WiththedeathofoneMommaEeb,thecriminalelementinWhiteSpirehasfounditselfsearchingforanewruler.Now,eachofthecity'sfourUnderlords--Anessix,Jull,HobgenandEnno--isattemptingtosecuretheirplaceastopdog.Gallery CityCrawltasksyouwithchartingtheirpathwaystothetopbygettingyoutoparticipateinaseriesofUnderlords-basedPuzzles,Knockout-styleStreetBrawls,andChallenges.Thepuzzlesvarybetweencomicallysimpleandgenuinelychallenging,andtheStreetBrawlsarewellconstructed,buttheChallenges,whichaskyoutowinwithcertainconditions,don'tseemtohaveasmuchthoughtinthem.Taskedwithwinning40roundswithEnnoandInsectssawmespecificallyforcinginsectsintoteamswheretheydidn'tfit,forexample,andasanexperiencedAuto-Battler,IcouldrecognisethisasinefficientplaythatIemployedonlytoachievemyChallengegoal.Butnewplayers,keentostartwiththegame'scampaign,canformbadhabitsasaresultofit.Italsofeelsasifsomechallengesaredesignedsolelytogetplayerstospendtheir"KeystotheCity"--itemsobtainedviatheBattlePass,theonlymonetisationelementinUnderlords.Beingtaskedtodeal30,000damagewithSavageunits,forexample,isn'tadifficulttask,butit'sincrediblytedious.Butby-and-large,theCityCrawlincentivisesplaystylesthatyoumightnototherwiseenjoy--completingpuzzlesalmostfeellikereadingchessbooksinbetweengames.Andasaresult,CityCrawldoesagreatjobofremindingyouwhyDotaUnderlordsissuchacompellingandchallengingexperience.Alotofgamesthesedaysrequireahighdegreeofmanualdexterityfromtheplayer,butapartfrombriefmomentsspentfranticallyclickingthererollbuttontofindthesolitaryMedusathatwillnodoubtgiveyouvictory,DotaUnderlordslargelyexercisesyourbrain,notyourmousehand.IfUnderlordsfacesanychallenges,it'sthankstoitsgames-as-a-servicemodel.ThedecisiontorotateheroesinandoutofthegameallowsValvetomaintainasemblanceofbalance,buttherewillalwaysbepeopleunhappythattheirfavouriteherohaschangedordisappeared.Asseason1'schangestoAxeprovedthough,therotationsystemprovidesthegameanopportunitytotakeacharacterconsideredlargelyuselessandturnthemintoanexcitinganddominantforceonthechessboard.Thingscanandwillchangeinthefuture,butUnderlords'launchgivestheimpressionthatthereisstrongthoughtdrivingthegameforwardbehindthescenes.DotaUnderlordsisadiverseandconstantlycaptivatingexperiencewherenomatchplaysoutthesamewaytwice.Havingbeenwiththegenresinceitwasacustommapmod,it'shearteningtoseeitexecutedaswellasithasbeenhere.Outwittingyouropponentsandtheoddsthroughcleverthinkingisalwaysimmenselysatisfying,andthegame'scomplexitymeansthatthereareplentyofinterestingstrategiestotry.DotaUnderlordsisawonderfullyrobustandwell-craftedstrategygamethatisveryeasytoloseyourselfin. Upvote(83)LeaveBlankViewComments(8) BackToTop 9Superb AboutGameSpotReviews TheGood Accessiblemultiplayerstrategywherenogamewilleverplayoutthesamewaytwice Layered,interweavingsystemsrewardcleverstrategicthinking Thefeelingofoutwittingsevendifferentopponentsandladyluckherselfisalwaysincrediblysatisfying Knockoutmodeisfastandexciting TheBad Unweightedrandomnessduringin-matchopponentselectioncanbefrustrating SometediouschallengesintheCityCrawlrewardpoorstrategicdecisions DotaUnderlordsFollowGameSpotmaygetacommissionfromretailoffers. AbouttheAuthor JoabGilroy JoabGilroyhadplayedmorethan160hoursofDotaUnderlordssinceitfirstlaunchedandhasaboutthesametimeplayedinotherAuto-Battlers.Hissignaturemoveissellingallofhisunitsinthesecondroundandstartingfromscratch. 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