MOBA Madness: Five new games on the horizon, and how they measure up

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The MOBA/ARPG genre is exploding. From indie devs to mid-sized studios in international markets, the subgenre that began as a WarCraft III custom map is gaining traction and diversity. Over the last few weeks, we've taken a look at a fair few upcoming challengers in the arena. From a modern military MOBA/top-down shooter hybrid to a licensed effort with steampunk Batman, we've broken down where each one fits in, and what makes it different from what's already out there.

Infinite Crisis

Made by: Turbine, best known for Lord of the Rings Online

Releasing: 2013

Hands-on: Yes

What's different about it?

The most notable element in Infinite Crisis' corner is the DC Comics license. While much of the gameplay remains about what you'd expect from the likes of League of Legends or Dota, recognizable characters (12 of which have been announced ) take the place of the unknown-outside-their game casts most MOBA players are accustomed to. Other interesting additions are comic book tropes such as destructible terrain, and the ability for super strong characters to pick up objects from the world to use as weapons.

How does it play?

The mode I played was similar to League of Legends dominion mode, with capturable points scattered radially around the map. The moment-to-moment also feels much closer to League than Dota, in terms of hero life pools and ability power. Long-time ARPG players should have no trouble adapting to the controls.

Can I play it?

Not yet. But you can sign-up for beta access on the official site.

Len Hafer
Contributor

Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.