Dota 2

Requires too much time investment.

The original Dota was groundbreaking and innovative. This one picks where that left off, but somehow couldn't keep me engaged. Too difficult, too stressing. I wish there was a middle ground between this and LoL.

Despite loving the cast of characters and their abilities I can't give it a higher rating because it's plagued by a toxic community, absurd "microtransactions" in a Battle Pass with 200$ limited-time cosmetics & a monthly subscription service for QoL features, making this look more like a storefront than a game, strict balance around pro play (the 0.01%) & arbitrarily complex mechanics dragging it down + a steep learning curve. If you want a game to have fun with your friends, this isn't it.

Valve have got me by the balls. I'm hooked and I can't stop. Does that make Dota 2 a good game or do I have Stockholm Syndrome? Unsure on that one. Shame about a lot of toxcity in the community however I don't hold that against the game itself and I honestly think that's a larger problem with competitive games of this nature. Oh and just to be clear, despite the score I gave this game, much like heroin, I do not reccomend trying it as your might never escape.

despite is toxic community, it is probably the best competitive game out there. its level of complexity shines through on every level. hands down the best esports game to watch, and if you have patience its best one to play too.

Fuck this game. I hate it but I also love it. It's not for everyone because of the complexities but that's what also makes it even more rewarding to get good. Also, fuck this game.

Despite the fact I have almost 1000 hours in this, I can only come away from it with an 85 at best, mostly because of the community. Attempting to learn this game is tricky, and for games so focused on teamplay the lack of it from random people screaming into their mics kind of ruins a lot of the fun. Playing this in a full stack of friends, or watching at a pro level once you understand the mechanics, is infinitely enjoyable though: especially The Invitational.

It's to much. There is a lot of complexity that doesn't really add anything to the game other than complexity for complexities sake. I'm not huge into MOBAs but they're all right. I just think others are more fun unless you are ready to spend the 10000 hours required to go pro and make a million dollars. I will say I do enjoy watching a game well enough.

Although I think some mechanics are arbitrary and asinine (things like the high ground and general RNG are lame), Dota 2 is one of the most well developed and nuanced mobas on the market. Every hero brings something completely new to the table which makes counter picking and knowing how to counter build all the more important, adding depth to the game. Dota generally leaves me feeling more satisfied with a game than League, even if the sense of falling off by late game is more obnoxious.

I tried, for about 50 hours. Apparently there's a lot of fun here but I can't find it. As such this rating isn't a criticism of the game (I feel too disconnected from what is good about mobas to make any coherent point about them). It is only a reflection of the terrible time I always had when trying to play it.