It is quite confusing.
So, for starters
Paladins: Champions of the Realm is a new free to play objective-based team-first person shooter from Hi-Rez Studios (Also makers of SMITE and Tribes: Ascend.) which has the ambition to rival other similar games like the future LawBreakers and the current throned one: Overwatch.
Be that as it may, let's clarify one thing: Paladins is in development. Right now, by name, it is in a closed beta, however anybody can download and play the game... Yet, Hi-Rez Patches are centered around the very core of Paladins: gameplay, matchmaking, champions, maps, etc. Which for some counts as an Alpha kind of action.
But you are not here to discuss controversy, are you?
First, I'll state the obvious: Paladins is Fun.
With easy going graphics and a fast paced action, since minute one I laughed like crazy when getting a kill or escaping at 1 hp (Which I'm sorry but it tends to happen to me very often. I have lost friends because of it). There is a nice variety of champions which to choose from at the beginning, enough to satisfy any gaming need:
Fernando, a Mexican knight... with a flamethrower; Ruckus, a goblin? who is such a Diva; Cassie, a sexy female archer with a bird companion and lots of swag; Kinessa, you'll recognize her after getting your head blown away by her Laser-sniper-Rifle; Viktor, the soldier who mistook Paladins for Call Of Duty; Drogoz, a drake that doesn't breath fire... but that does come with a rocket launcher; Evie, a mix between a witch and an Ice mage that really knows how to ride a staff; and Pip, an alchemist fox whose potions can cure any illness... or cause a lethal one.
And there are even more that you can unlock as you progress and earn gold, with different play styles to accommodate your interests. What's more, you don't have to worry about the currency, as soon you'll end up asking yourself "How the heck did I get so much?"
But then again, Tetris is also fun for some... so What makes Paladins "fun"?
Well, besides its variety of champions, is also simple. Right now there is only one playable mode called
Siege, where both teams must fight in order to capture a point, then push a Payload to the enemy base. (Before CB33 patch, there was also a game mode called
Payload and was basically faster, as you only had to play the last phase).
Easy, right?
There is also a nice gamma of maps, from a Glacier to Tropical temple ruins, all of which have at least two kinds of the same theme, denying the possibility of two rounds being the same.
Furthermore, no map can be traversed in only one way: there are passages, tunnels, stairs... all in order to allow counterplay... because believe me, a good Kinessa is not to mess with in the correct circumstances. That, until the rogue like champion, Skye, suddenly appears behind you, dropping a bomb right under your unaware bottom.
Because invisibility is OP.
Yet, If I had to name Paladins strong points...
Those would be its two mechanics:
Card loadouts, and
Burn Cards.
Every champion has a number of cards which tweaks each of its abilities, modifying its gameplay or fortes. The combination of those cards are called
Loadout, of which you are allow to have six per character, and can be swapped in game.
For example, Cassie has an ability called "Dodge Roll" which is basically a move that allows her to quickly change positions across the battlefield. Now, there are various improvements for it: More distance covered, lifesteal for the next attack...
In a Loadout you can have up to five cards, each with a cost of one point. Next, you can upgrade those cards, improving their effects but also making them cost one point more each time. Furthermore, a Loadout composition can't go past 12 points.
But how can I get those cards in the first place, Masterseek? Great question my dear reader.
Loadout cards can be earn in reward chest that you'll get as you play (which can also be found in the store in exchange of Crystals, the real money currency of the game), or be bought with gold.
But this is only the head of the iceberg, as in game you'll meet the other kind:
Burn cards.
These cards, since CB33 patch, are like items you can buy every time you hit your spawn. They can also be upgraded for better effects and are basically the counterplay to some mechanics, like Fernando's shield or Barik's turrets.
There are four kinds of burn cards:
-
Defense: from cc reduction to damage reduction.
-
Utility: from mount riding speed to cooldown reduction.
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Healing: from life on kill to life steal.
-
Attack: from more damage to shields, to reload speed.
You can only have one of each, so think carefully on which one do you want. Protip: Mount riding speed is OP (For tanks at least).
Yet, I'm sure some of you are wondering already... How is Paladins in comparison with Overwatch?
Well, let's first make the next statement: Right now they can't be compared at the same level. Paladins is like a roughly drawn sketch, in which Hi-Rez is just starting to apply color and quality. Overwatch is a Picasso.
As a second one: Hi-Rez wanted to create something different and innovative, and although is a matter of controversy if they have moved towards that goal, the game has still much more to give if they do it right.
Going by this, I can say that Paladins is indeed promising. It has Overwatch like mechanics (A dwarf that build turrets, a sniper with a switching rifle, a knight with a giant energy shield...) but the game is not defined by them. Its graphics aren't as detailed, but is also a different style entirely.
If I had to name a real point of comparison, that would be the payment mode, as Paladins will be free to play; And the hitboxes: they are bigger than in OW, which leads to a higher probability of getting shot by something that shouldn't have hit you. Trust me: is way easier to snipe as Kinessa than as a Widowmaker.
I can't say for sure if it was on purpose or not, but I've seen more times a Makoa hitting me with a hook through a wall, than a Roadhog's.
But as I said: they can't be compared in the same level. Not yet.
So, in my opinion:
Paladins is a great game. It has to evolve, it has to get fixed and debugged. Hi-Rez is trying so many things right now that you'll probably find a nest of nasty little errors all over the place, like Loadouts not being loaded, in lack of a less redundant word; Matchmaking issues, as of now it prioritizes a short queue instead of a balanced game, or a good connection to the server... but don't let that discourage you.
Don't let it. Try the game, see if you like it. And if you do, pay attention to it, and help if you feel like it so that this game becomes something good, something innovative.
And see if it gets as great as to become a Kingslayer.
And that's it! If you enjoyed the review please click the like button down here, and if you have anything to say, don't hesitate to leave a comment.
PEACE.