MOBAplayers are usually so preoccupied with penta-killing the other side that they often forget to ask why they even need to fight. For most MOBAs, it’s merely a classic case of good versus evil, just to provide a bit of context on why there needs to be a clash in mid or something. But a few MOBAs actually take time to build up their lore.
Related:Mobile Legends: Beginner Tips For The MOBA You Need To Know
There’s more to these few select MOBAs other than destroying the opposition’s base. They haveworlds that are carefully crafted and make sense for a MOBA game. It’s these kinds of MOBAs that provide some awesome context for roleplaying and a better arena atmosphere so that players don’t get too hung up on their KDAs or other numbers.
8DOTA Allstars
We’re not talking aboutDOTA 2, because that one’s lore is comparatively generic compared to the original. The original notably started out as a mod forWarcraft 3and thus used that game as a template. The firstDOTAthus featured the Sentinels and the Scourge ofWarcraftlore, two of which are eternally feuding factions in a constant state of tug-of-war.
Of course,the originalDOTAmodborrowed some heroes inWarcraftand repurposed it into its own unique but similar lore. Each of them has its own personality and backstory and also a reason for joining the Sentinel and the Scourge. And despite the outdated visuals, the originalDOTAnotably had better music and ambiance seeing as it also borrowed those fromWarcraft 3.
7Heroes Of The Storm
After Valve took theDOTAlicense away fromWarcraft 3, Blizzard knew it had to create something of its own. And it did withHeroes of the Storm. It already had a template, after all, and a complete cast of special and distinct characters from its own video games.
Related:League Of Legends Wild Rift: Major Differences With The PC MOBA
It had a rather simple explanation for why Diablo is now clashing against Sarah Kerrigan: a vortex grouped them all in an arena dimension, so now they must fight. It’s a pretty bare context, but there was already tons of lore associated with each hero; Blizzard’s signature fantasy and sci-fi aesthetic also helped a lot in building upHeroes of the Storm.
6League Of Legends
Long before Valve capitalized on theDOTAtitle,League of Legendssnatched the opportunity to establish its own franchise built upon the originalDOTA’s popularity. Initially, it was more of a generic fantasy steampunk world but as time and decades went by,League of Legendsstarted to develop its own lore and built up its world along the way.
Now (mostly thanks toArcane),League of Legends' lorehas gotten its much-needed boost. This peculiar combination of technology and magic madeLeague of Legends' lore all the more chaotic. The usual context here typically appears as a good versus evil or law versus order affair, but the neutral andmorally ambiguous championsmake the dynamics interesting.
5Smite
Smiteoffers players a different takeon the MOBA formula. Instead of making up heroes and champions with good and evil motivations, it instead uses established mythological gods as its roster. Hence, players will see some familiar names here such as Zeus, Cthulhu, Thor, Horus, and many other gods and legends.
Related:Great PvP Games On Steam That Deserve More Attention
Sure enough, there are evil gods and good gods here, but that typically doesn’t limit players from picking their favorite god in matches regardless of their side. In terms of visuals, it looks a little too similar to other top-down MOBAs but the lore and novel take on clashing and warring gods certainly add to the entertainment.
4Marvel Super War
Instead of gods or fantasy heroes,Marvel Super Warsets its arena in the Marvel comic book universe, meaning it already offers something more familiar. After all,Marvel comic books— particularly those involvingAvengersorX-Men,are practically just MOBAs in literature form, so why not turn them into a game?
Players get to control their favorite superheroes and supervillains here and the context is pretty obvious. There are bad guys who either want revenge, domination, or destruction, and the good guys want to stop them. This was a low-hanging fruit for Marvel, but it surprisingly took a long time for them to catch on with the MOBA trend.
3Infinite Crisis
Comic book universes turned into MOBAs are low-hanging fruits, and DC actually grabbed that big opportunity long before Marvel did withSuper Wars. The result was something calledInfinite Crisiswhere Justice League members clash with their usual villains who have banded together against them.
Related:Best Fantasy Shows On Netflix To Watch If You Like Dota: Dragon’s Blood
Players also get to pick some familiar faces here from Batman to Superman for heroes and Joker to Darkseid for the villains. The possibilities were limitless like in Marvel comic books. Sadly, like most DC projects outside of animated shows or comic books,Infinite Crisisis basically a dead venture. Still, that doesn’t diminish its qualityDC worldbuilding.
2Awesomenauts
Awesomenauts' concept already made itself individual compared to other MOBAs. Because instead of the usual 3D top-down perspective, it’s a 2D side-scroller MOBA that’s akin to the likes ofSuper Smash Bros.It’s also set in a space sci-fi universe, and given how there are so few pure sci-fi MOBAs around (at least those that are successful),Awesomenautsis already a breath of fresh air.
This time around, the MOBA toys with the idea of a stalemate between two warring factions in the far future; these two factions then call upon the help of mercenaries all over the universe to help them win the war. The art style alone and the aesthetics make it highly distinguishable from the rest.
1Pokemon Unite
Like Marvel, it took a while for Nintendo to jump into the MOBA craze, because they already had their own low-hanging fruit, namelyPokemon.They finally did withPokemon Unite, and it’s one of thehottestPokemongamesat the moment.
Being set in thePokemonworld, this MOBA already had a huge advantage, likeMarvel Super Wars. It also offers a less violent and more adorable way to enjoy MOBAs since players are essentially controlling cuddly animal prizefighters. Also compared to other MOBA worlds, this one is a lot more believable.
