The MOBA space is being flooded. Between League of Legends, DOTA 2, Heroes of Newerth, Infinite Crisis, Dawngate and other MOBAs, I'm getting a bit burnt out. I need something that's different — something that takes chances.
Enter Games of Glory. A futuristic sci-fi MOBA from Lightbulb Crew, Games of Glory features unique combat and gameplay, as well as a setting and story that you don't see get much attention in this genre. In Games of Glory, you play as Clones in an eSport. The controls feel like something out of an action RPG, like Diablo. While you use the left mouse button to move, you need need to fire your weapon and aim shots with the right mouse button. That's right, there's aiming — none of this right click on the enemy bullsh*t. There's definitely a learning curve. I only played two matches and still didn't feel entirely comfortable by the end of my play session, but skill comes into play a lot more.
A big part of the combat in Games of Glory is the ability to change weapons during the match. You'll buy weapons during a match to suit your play style. If you want to push enemies back, choose a shotgun. Want long, powerful attacks? Go sniper rifle. In addition to weapons, each clone has a set of unique abilities to set them apart from other clones, so some interesting strategy will come into play based on Clone/weapon combinations. Clones are also customizable. You can change pieces of equipment, which change the Clone's appearance. There's also skins for each Clone, which is standard MOBA fare. Clones are also divided into Tank, Carry, Scout, Assassin and Support classes.
The Clones I used in my two matches were Ragnar and Jorndyr. Ragnar is a member of the Synarch's Guard faction. He uses abilities of ice and snow, slowing opponents, restricting their vision, protecting his allies, and burying enemies with an avalanche. Jorndyr, on the other hand, is a member of Khain Corp and the ex-leader of the Synarchic Guard. Jorndyr can heal his allies, stun opponents and buff his allies. I used assault rifles with both because they provided a good balance of ammo, damage and attack speed. Players can also switch to a melee weapon during combat and slash away at opponents, but combat was so frenetic that I kept forgetting to switch. Needless to say, it's not your typical MOBA control scheme or combat.
The games we played featured an announcer that game the matches a sports game feel. The maps feature capture points, gold points, neutral mobs, a huge middle area and two main lanes. There's always objectives to capture and always something to do. While fighting over capture points and kills enemies, you'll push your way to the enemy base, where you'll take down towers and eventually destroy the enemy's base.
Since I was busy playing the matches — and losing, I might add — I didn't have a lot of time to delve into two big draws of Games of Glory: eSports and a persistent universe. Games of Glory will feature stars and managers; it's an attempt to recreate the way traditional sports are organized. You can create Clubs and become the star player, coach or Club president. A Club is kind of like a guild in other games. You can gain fame and rise in the ranking, and as your club becomes better known, you'll gain benefits. Members might gain credits and experience faster. Clubs can also create their own skins and emblems.
This ties into the persistent universe. There' are political and economic factions at play, and players' support for different factions will shape the future and evolution of the game. Also, players will be able to discover the history and conflicts in the factions by completing quests.
Games of Glory isn't your typical MOBA — and that's a good thing. It's taking a different, fresh approach to the genre. While the gameplay and controls might not resonate with those used to the standard MOBA mechanics right away, they're risks that set the game apart from others. It's a very ambitious game with very strategic, frenetic combat.
There's a Kickstarter for Games of Glory, so you can go there to learn more, or visit their website.
You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. Or you can email him at LLiebl@GameZone.com.
