Game Reviews

Heroes of Order & Chaos

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Heroes of Order & Chaos

Gameloft's World of Warcraft wannabe Order & Chaos is now so well-established that it's getting spin-off titles - the first of which is Heroes of Order & Chaos, a multiplayer online battle arena (or MOBA, for short) title set in the same universe, but showcasing entirely different gameplay.

While the core Order & Chaos title is all about questing and forming alliances with other players, Heroes of Order & Chaos is a more tactical experience.

Set across two large maps (we can safely assume that more will be added later), the game expects you to pick a character class and stride forth into combat, taking down the enemies and gaining experience as you go.

Chaos Engine

You're not on your own in Heroes of Order & Chaos. Your team is made up of either live players or AI-controlled bots, and is supplemented by other units that act on their own instinct. Therefore, much of the game's core appeal revolves around teaming up with these other parties and creating a solid strategy.

It's not just the enemy you'll be contending with in Heroes of Order & Chaos - the landscape also poses a challenge. Two maps may seem like a rather stingy number, but they're massive and packed with variety.

They also feature nooks, crannies, and alternative routes, all of which can be explored during battle to seek out pockets of resistance. Sometimes it can be incredibly satisfying to strike out on your own and discover new shortcuts.

You can pick one of six character classes when you begin your game, and other choices are locked behind a paywall. Once you've got your hands dirty and put a few opponents to the sword, you can make use of the game's precise skill tree to customise your warrior to suit your own personal taste. Using this system, those six starter classes can branch into many variations.

Order in the court

Visually, Heroes of Order & Chaos maintains Gameloft's strong reputation for crafting gorgeous mobile titles. However, the shine is dulled slightly by some choppy performance during intense battles - this is almost certainly down to the high load on the game's servers.

Gameloft seems to be getting a grip on this now and general performance is gradually getting better, but don't expect an entirely smooth experience all of the time.

As the first game of its type on iOS, Heroes of Order & Chaos is an impressive achievement. Although Gameloft is clearly hoping that you'll spend real-life cash on in-app purchases, there's actually very little need to: the game remains massively enjoyable even if you keep your wallet firmly closed.

The six 'free' characters rotate on a weekly basis, which means you'll get to enjoy all of the classes if you stick with the game for a prolonged period.

Once more maps are added then Heroes of Order & Chaos will become even more interesting. At present, its technical issues can be a bit of a bother, but they don't stand in the way of your overall enjoyment. This is well worth your time, even if you disliked the original Order & Chaos.

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Heroes of Order & Chaos

Gameloft expands its Order & Chaos universe with this excellent multiplayer online battle arena game, which is packed with depth and playability. Once more content is added and stability is improved, it will become a mobile must-have
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Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.