MOBAs

Welcome back, Attack! So 2014 was a really big year for moba games, and also a sad year with Transformers, Universe and Dawngate being cancelled, but can we be more optimistic this year?  We can at least try to be. This is going to be a Top 10 list for upcoming MOBAs this year, for 2015.  Get stoked, get hyped, let’s get on with the list.

[heading]Master X Master[/heading]

Alighty everybody, to start off our countdown, our list, we gotta talk about Master X Master, or just Master Master.  This is going to be a top-down shooting MOBA, so it’s going to be somewhat similar to XAM, or it’s going to be similar to Shards of War – basically you have a different kind of control scheme than what you’re used to in normal MOBA, considering DOTA 2 and League of Legends.  You are actually controlling a shooter character- kind of like a twin-stick shooter – you are aiming your cursor, you are shooting skill shots, but it’s still top-down.  If you guys are used to playing action RPG’s,  used to the mechanical-intensive characters of League of Legends, and hey, if you’ve played shards of war, maybe you’ve played XAM, you’re going to fall into this game and you’re going to enjoy it. Dead Island, Epidemic is even using these kinds of control scheme.  So we see a lot of Moba coming out that are actually utilizing this control scheme and it really just works.  Hopefully, though, oh, and it looks like it – I mean based on the trailers, it looks like this game is going to live up to those mechanics, and actually have gameplay that’s worthy of those mechanics: lots of skill shots, lots of things that you need to avoid – PVE and PVP considered.  Hopefully, thematically, everything is going to fit  together and we’re going to fall in love with these characters, and hopefully, it’s going to translate well to the West.

[heading]Lord of Vermillion: Arena[/heading]

So the next game we’re going to be talking about is Lord of Vermillion: Arena, by Square Enix., that is actually based on an extremely popular card game in the East, but it’s pretty much unknown in the West, which could be kind of a tragedy, because maybe we won’t even see this game and maybe it’s not going to translate very well, but either way, this is probably going to be a good MOBA.  Now, the card game iteration of the game essentially was a translation of MOBA mechanics for card game, now we’re getting a true, full MOBA, and this is going to be Square Enix’s first attempt into the MOBA market.  The gameplay is going to be kind of reminiscent of MMO PVP battle grounds – gameplay that’s kind of similar to SMITE.  So hopefully, with this, it’s actually going to blow up, and we’re going to have a really deep and complicated game, but still have the mechanics that we want from MMO Battle Grounds or PVP games, like Arena Fighters.

[heading]Core Masters[/heading]

Alright guys, so a game I’m really going to be excited for is Core Masters – I think it just has a lot of character, it really reminds me of League of Legends when it was first starting.  And yes, I can’t really disagree saying that this does look very similar to League of Legends – I mean, cosmetically, yeah, a lot mechanically, as well. But the thing this game has is it has a lot of character, and has a really clean art style.  Not only that, it has a lot of interesting mechanics.  These characters not only look really interesting, but mechanically, I’m excited to get my hands on them.  Not only that, but it seems like it has a lot of really interesting game types, and really interesting objective play that really focuses on brawling and fighting.  And sure, it might not be competitive, it might not have the most strategic depth, but overall it just seems like a really fun and olorful game that I just want to dive into.  Core Masters is really focused on Eastern audiences, but when it comes to the West, we can still hope for the best.

[heading]Arena of Fate[/heading]

Alright guys, let’s talk about Arena of Fate. Now, I don’t know about you guys but I’m not really sold into the art style or even the aesthetics, because apparently it’s supposed to be fairy characters like Red Riding Hood and such, but if you actually look at the gameplay, it looks really interesting and at least really good graphically.  But of course, it’s Crytek.  The game actually has a time limit- it’s supposed to be a very casual MOBA where matches don’t take that long, well, because of the time limit, and also because it’s very fighting-focused.  Fighting both PVE for the objectives, and also brawling-focused with a lot of mechanics so you can get into the fight and fight others easily without too much consequence, kind of similar to Dawngate, may it rest in peace, Heartstone, and Strife.  This is going to be one of those games that tries to fill that niche, casual market for MOBA.  It’s cartoony, it’s silly, it’s promising  fun, quick fights. Honestly there’s not too much hype behind the game, but it’s by a big company.  I think it’s safe to say that you don’t want to keep your eyes off of this one for too long – it might just surprise us.

[heading]DeadBreed[/heading]

Alright everybody, let’s talk about DeadBreed.  Now this is a game that has a lot of hype behind it because of its really interesting aesthetic, unlike any other MOBA out there that has a really cartoony look to it, but this game is really looking kind of classic, dirty, and gritty. And true to its a ction RPG aesthetic, yes, it actually players like an action RPG.  You are going to be equipping items (that kind of sounds like a normal MOBA), but your character actually wears the item.  You’re not just starting out as an archer- you’re not just starting out as a claymore-wielding badass, no, you actually buy those items and every character has it’s own, innate abilities, but you choose the weapon that he uses.  You also choose the armor and the artifacts and from that, the store actually has a huge amount of impact, not just aestheticall, just cause your character looks awesome with that cape, but also mechanically, because you are giving him a totally different playstyle depending on the weapons and armors that you are choosing.  Add in the fact that there is going to be a lots of different characters and the map design is very RPG-based, where there’s even dungeons and lots of different objectives, you guys c an start to see where all the fun is to be had here.

[heading]Fates Forever[/heading]

Alright so now, the next game we’re going to be looking at is Fates Forever, which is for the mobile devices and for the tablet, but guys, guys, don’t leave the video yet – know that this is actually a full-fledged MOBA.  You’re going to have mobility, you’re going to have all the strategy that want.  And, it’s gonna be fully-functional, fully mechanical.  All these characters would totally fit in your League of Legends and your Dota.  Not only that, but they totally look just as good, too.  It’s fully-fleshed out, extremely colorful, has a lot of character, and overall this is probably going to be the single best mobile MOBA, and it’s going to be great. And it controls very well for the tablets as well, seemingly.  And I know mobas are kind of well known for being kind of competitive, but if you’re looking for a casual, and fun experience Fates Forever is definitely going to deliver it.

[heading]King of Wushu[/heading]

Ok, guys, next up on the list, is King of freaking Wushu.  Or really just King of Wushu.  But anyways, this game is CRAZY, this game is kung-fu crazy.  There’s kung-fu fighting, lightning fast-whatever the song, and so, King of Wushu is, oh my goodness. It’s supposed to be an action MOBA and hopefuly it will live up to maybe, say, the predecessor to SMITE, hopefully, you know, SMITE’s really a freaking awesome game, so if we can get that kind of game, but a little more on the action side, take away some of the strategy, I guess would be the appropriate sacrifice, if we could have a really mechanical freaking kung-fu MOBA, I would dig it.  I think Western audiences would even dig it, it doesn’t really need to be crazy compicated or anything, just give us a lot of really cool flying fast kicks and punches, course a colorful cast of characters with all sorts of different kind of mojos and wujus and else…I’m definitely being insensitive, but I’m honestly quite excited for this game.  I hope you are too, King of Wushu, coming soon.

[heading]Strife[/heading]

Okay, so similar in name to Heroes of Storm, we now have Strife.  Strife is kind of trying to be the Team Fortress 2 of MOBA, it’s just going to be fun, fun, fun – a lot of different mechanics are of course added into the game, but it’s not there to be competitive- it’s really just there to have fun and be silly and just kind of be random.  There’s so many variables in theis game.  The map is so huge, there’s so many different kinds of characgters and so much customizations wit hthese characters, especially with the pet system.  Guys, you can have pets.  With the pet system, that, it’s kind of hard to make this game competiive, but I don’t think they’re trying to be that, no.  Strife is actually just trying to be a really fun, silly game kind of in vain, just like Heroes of the Storm.  Ok, but where Heroes of the Storm is really meant for the small Arenas, not too much complexity, Strife is going the opposite.  Stille wants that complexity, still wants that huge item shopping, the fact that you can even have item crating, but it wants all that randomness and all that chaos just for the fun of it.  So if you love the depth and strategy of MOBA, and you still do enjoy the standard MOBA experience, and maybe you want a little less competitive atmosphere, then Strife is definitely the game for you.

[heading]Heroes of the Storm[/heading]

Ok so now we have Heroes of the Storm, and I know a lot of people are super psyched for this game, super stoked for this game, and it looks really fun, actually.  Yes, I have hands-on with it, I’ve bee playing it for a while now, and it is really interesting.  For one, there’s no item shop, so instead of having a broad item shop, where people can pick and choose different items, sometimes you can have bad builds, sometimes you can have good builds, really there’s not that much specialization within a broad item shop, and in this game you actually have individual traits for each individual character, so it’s essentially like an item shop specialized for those characters, so there’s never a really wrong build, and you can only ever really specialize and do different niche, unique things with your character from there.  Leveling is also a pretty unique mechanic in this game as well, because everyone levels together, yeah, experience is shared, so as you kill someone, everyone gets experience for that. Also, it’s  pretty interesting because instead of just focusing on just one map rotation, it’s actually going to have a full roster of maps, and each one of these maps are actually totally different thematically, and mechanically, with different sort of side objectives and quests.  And overall, the game is just a lot of fun, and sure it might not be as competitive as League of Legends, or DOTA 2, and it might not be as mechanical as something as SMITE, but in the end, it is really good casual fun, and I think a lot of people are going to enjoy that.

[heading]Gigantic[/heading]

Alright guys, so our number one spot has to go to Gigantic.  Gigantic is going to be like a MOBA but it’s going to be not like a MOBA, I don’t know but it’s trying to say that it’s going to try to be like so manydiffernet kind of genres, it’s taking from so many ideas, that are taken from so many different RPG ideas, action RPG ideas, third person shooter ideas, MOBA ideas, basically this game is going to be kind of genre-defining, and I hope it is.  I hope that it’s going to be amazing, I hope it’s going to be big and epic, and so far all the gameplay screens look like it’s going to be.  Its art style is super clean, it looks like it’s going to run amazingly, 60 FPS smooth.  Now, the only problem is hoping that there’s going to be a lot of strategy and and tactics with different characters, with the different maps, and whatever we have with the player versus environment.  These giant, well wherever we get the namesake from these gigantic monsters that are going to be basically the point of each match.  Hopefully this turns out as awesome as it seems, guys.  If it does, if it doesn’t, I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing game regardless, I’m sure it’s at least it’s going to be at least a good game, so keep your eyes forward, on the horizon, for all these games, but especially, our number one, Gigantic.

Thank you so much, Attack, for checking out our top 10 2015 MOBA’s coming out, hopefully they’re going to be as good as they’re hyped up to be, and if they are, we’ll definitely see you on there.  And yeah, go check out MMOATK.COM, we got some really cool articles and gaming goodness like this video, if you like it, maybe? I don’t know.  Leave a comment in the comment section below, if you think a game should have been on this list, or maybe shouldn’t be on this list, and guys – subscribe!  We got a lot of really cool content coming out, thank you for stopping by, and hopefully, we’ll see you later.

MOBAS are all the rage today, and that means game companies are pushing them out at record pace.  This list is for MOBAs that are to be released here in 2014.  Some you’ve heard of, others you haven’t.  Enjoy, rate, comment!

[heading]Strife[/heading]
Strife is a fun moba that aims to take out the toxicity that plagues the genre. In few words, it’s the team fortress 2 of the MOBA genre. There are pets you can customize colorfully and use their abilities, and heroes themselves also have a ton of character. Strife so far seems to be an all around fun experience that might not be competitive, but it will accomplish what it is setting out for.

[heading]Heroes of the Storm[/heading]
Coming from the powerhouse that is Blizzard, this is one moba that should be expected to change the scene forever. Heroes of the Storm takes all the characters from Blizzard’s past and sums up their might here in this Battle Arena. Expect a unique playing field with novelty and certainly a breath of fresh air between standard mobas and obscure mobas. Heroes of the Storm aims to have unique gameplay while maintaining that same impactful strategic game feel that we know and love.

[heading]Magicka: Wizard Wars[/heading]
Magicka: Wizard Wars has the gameplay of Magicka, but in versus mode. Take your host of spells and mix & match them together with your mix matched team against theirs. High skill cap doesn’t make this game any less fun as spell spam is the name of the game. Certainly there is a competitive atmosphere but Wizard Wars trims down the strategic noise such as towers/jungle/and item purchasing in favor of mechanical strategy and skill.

[heading]Dead Island: Epidemic[/heading]
Epidemic is the MOBA game coming out soon in the Dead Island universe and not only does it fit in, but it expands it. Not only does it have an interesting zombie infested theme, but its gameplay has a bit of flavor to it as well with action being more on the action side and also including co-op modes alongside the normal 5v5. Craft and customize your different characters which include human or infested versions. Dead Island: Epidemic should be a welcome addition to the games namesake and to the moba genre.

[heading]DeadBreed[/heading]
A fast paced 3v3 MOBA with tons of customization from what happens on the map with quests and dungeons, to the characters which have tons of cosmetic and playmaking options. It seems this game will carry a heavy rpg focus with items that persist through matches and maybe we’ll even see some form of collecting or crafting. Deadbreed looks refreshing even with its dark atmosphere.

[heading]Core Masters[/heading]
This upcoming moba wants to shine through its action packed character kits which should be familiar to fans of League of Legends. Core Masters promises impactful gameplay within MOBA boundaries though note that this isn’t your average moba and will run on its own very unique rules which is heavily focused towards directly player to player interaction & combat. Core Masters offers us an interesting and eastern aesthetic versus the western scene so prevalent now and so far it looks great.

[heading]Orcs Must Die: Unchained[/heading]
Expect comedy, color and character in this undoubtedly action packed MOBA. Third person action combat and skill shots everywhere, they claim action and we expect action. Place traps and alike traverse enemy traps in this siege warfare battle arena. Graphics look awesome and gameplay promises to be competitive, the hype is real.

[heading]Total War: Arena[/heading]
Total War is known as one of the biggest and most spectacular strategy series but with ARENA players will be able to engage with teammates in a mix of strategy and moba combat against enemy teams and better yet, it’s going to be free to play. While very little is known about Total War: Arena, what we do know is that there is certain potential because of the franchises history to make this one of the best and more unique moba experiences out there.

[heading]Eterlands[/heading]
MOBA and immersion aren’t two things that would normally be very cohesive but Eterlands is attempting to bring as many immersive mechanics into its moba gameplay as possible which is welcome in addition to the normally very arcade genre that is battle arenas. Eterlands promises destructible environments, multiple maps, and a focus on strategic gameplay that should bring something new to the playing field instead of the usual meta.

[heading]Transformers Universe[/heading]
While Transformers Universe started out as a full on MMO project, Jagex has decided that it wanted to focus on what really matters most instead of infesting a game with filler quests and content. Universe will still have many rpg and mmo aspects to it, but it will also be very much centered around the arena fights. This innovative design should bring in casual players everywhere, especially with the branding of Transformers, and with the deep rpg elements and mmo mechanics, Transformers Universe by Jagex will almost certainly flourish.