Game Review - Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes

Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes

Genre: MOBA/3rd person action

Price: Free to play (Earn gold or buy xp/gold boosts and heroes/skins)

Gameplay

Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes (from this point on I shall just refer to it as WoH) is a 3rd person MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) style game with a twist. First of all, the game plays in a very similar style to an MMO Player vs. Player match. Teamwork is essential for any form of success in this game, and more so than any other MOBA I have played because of the twist. What is it? WoH is a 6v6v6 online arena game, with a variety of gametypes. There's one simple rule which becomes apparent within minutes of playing this game. If you aren't working as a team, you could be attacked by 12 other heroes and simply melt in their wake. Not only is it a struggle to survive without teamwork, but every single gametype is also impossible to win without it. The gametypes are pretty easy to understand themselves; capture the flag, collect and steal artifacts and arena/deathmatch. Heroes (the character you play as) range from support/healers, magic/area damage and armour/physical damage. Each hero has a differemt style because of this, and positioning yourself poorly can lead to a quick death for you and your teammates. Because of this, WoH has quite a steep learning curve. Combat is hectic, easily disorganised and confusing at times. However, there is a large reward for marching as a team of 6 when the other two teams are mid-battle and coming out the victor. 

Gameplay Score: 7/10 The gameplay is fun and unique but has its drawbacks because of this.

Graphics

I will keep it as short and sweet for this section as I can. My laptop is pretty low spec and so I ran this game on the smoothest possible settings. That being said, the graphics are great for a free to play game, and manages to stay smooth during 18 player combat. To make a comparison that most can understand, the game is just above that of World of Warcraft with it's graphics quality. The graphics do not hinder the battles in anyway, while still being nice to the eyes.

Graphics Score: 8/10 Amazing graphics isn't needed for this type of game, and it fits its target audience well and still looks nice.

Business Model

Now this may seem like a weird section for a game review, but if you have any experience in Free to Play games (commonly referred to as F2P), you'll know that there is a way the games make money. In WoH, the model is similar to many other MOBA games in that you start off with a certain hero and there is also a free rotation of heroes. There is even a starter bundle of heroes to save you some cash if your inclined to spend some. However, those who are interested in a completely free experience are looking at a frustrating road. Playing matches earns you experience which levels you up, in turn unlocking mastery points. These points unlock advantages via a skill tree. But, and its a big but, you can only spend mastery points on a hero you have unlocked. You unlock one hero, who is pretty standard, and have 3 heroes on the free rotation. Not only will it take a lot of games to unlock a hero so that you can improve it with masteries, you will also be at a big disadvantage whilst using that hero against a player who has bought theirs (with in game cash or real). This just steepens the learning curve more, and makes the game feel like a grind somehow. Business models keep free to play games going, and if they are not enticing enough to encourage players to spend cash, then it cuts off its potential customers.

Business Model Score: 4/10 Arguably one of the most important factors of a free to play game, and I understand that this game is only in its infancy, but they have already set off on the wrong foot.

Final Judgement!

So, how do I feel overall about this game? The game itself is fun, relatively simple to grasp and potentially a lot of fun with friends. But I feel it was let down by what I can only describe as an obvious attempt to make the most money from the game. However, this heavy weighting on the shop system only makes me want to avoid the game. Why should I feel like I'm working for something which is supposed to be recreational? This spoiled the experience for me, and ultimately I didnt find myself getting addicted to this game (which a F2P game which depends on people being drawn into purchasing something should achieve). Hopefully as the playerbase expands and more people pick up the game the system will improve. With many other fantastic and hugely popular MOBA's out there, WoH has not set itself up for the easiest ride.

Overall Score: 5/10 The game was fun at first but quickly left a bad taste of corporate greed in my mouth!

If you're interested in trying the game for yourself, it can be found here!

Let me know what you think of my writing style in the comments below, it really helps me out since I'm not to confident in my writing!