First thing first, Battleborn is not Overwatch. It’s also not DOTA, though it has similarities to both. Battleborn is a MOBS-esque First Person Hero Shooter, and it’s great.
While it is targeting the same audience as DOTA and Overwatch, it has enough unique elements to offer so as to suck you in and keep you coming back to the game.
Made by Gearbox, the guys behind Borderlands, it boasts the same art style and the humor.
While Overwatch takes the more Team Fortress 2 approach with the character design, gameplay and visual aesthetic, Battleborn is more like DOTA in a first person mode, and is highly reminiscent of Borderlands 2. There’s delightful dash of Tiny Tina all over the game and Ashly Burch even voices a character in the game.
The humor, the characters, the story and the epic voice lines and interactions with the characters and NPCs are all really well done.
As in any MOBA, you rank up your characters and customise then to suit your play-style. And with a cast of 25 characters, there’s a perfect fit for every play-style.
The game does have a single player mode, which can be played in co-op, both split screena and online. It does a good job of getting you familiar with the feel of the game, and its mechanics. The story however loses heat after the first few missions and can start to feel grindy. Not that grinding can’t be fun, but it just does not match up to how good the earlier few missions are.
The multiplayer portion is where the game really stands out. There are three game modes, and each of them has two different maps. There’s the standard Capture mode, where you capture and defend a zone to score points. Then there’s the Incursion mode, which is the most MOBA-like, where you escort minions to the enemy base to destroy their sentries. And the final mode is Meltdown, where you lead your minions to a sacrificial ritual.
The modes are varied and need different strategies while playing them. And this is what makes Battleborn really fun. However, I am hoping new modes and maps are added soon.
The visuals are great, but the cell-shaded art style can make everything feel messy at times. It’s still beautiful when the action is frantic. Also the maps are set across a good variety of locales that stand out, and feel well designed. The dialogues are especially outstanding, and genuinely hilarious. And the in-game soundtrack sets the right time for the game.
The game is highly replayable, and in this market where games are demanding more and more of your time and money, Battleborn is absolutely worth it. And there’s no pay to win. At all!
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