OK, so saying that this is a Dota Underlords game review might be a bit harsh. You see as I write this, Dota Underlords is in a very early access beta (currently only Battle Pass owners can play) so it is far from complete. Still, we kind of knew this was coming, but Valve shocked everyone with how soon they released their own take on Auto Chess (read our review).
How to Download Dota Underlords
Dota Underlords can be downloaded for free from Steam.
The Game Review
Auto Chess is one of the most popular mods for Dota 2 and Valve have long wanted to do their own version of it. While chess is the name thrown around, Dota Underlords is not actually a game about chess! It is a turn-based style of game that is all about tactics and building the right kind of deck for battle.
You need to build up your deck of fighters from the cast of Dota so that right there is going to get fans of the series very excited. You then need to decide where on the board the characters go so that they can not just be effective in battle, but offer support when needed. It is the kind of game where you have to think one or two moves ahead, kind of like…. chess!
The battles even in this early state look pretty spectacular. You do not directly get involved with the battles once you have set your characters out. Instead, you just pray that you made the right lineup and positioning choices. You can get more characters that you can add to your roster or if you get the same character, you can use it to level them up.
I really like how streamlined the whole thing is. Items, for example, are very easy to use and do not require much if any crafting or messing around with. The UI can seem a bit bloated (this is apparently going to be changed) however, it is clear that Dota Underlords is designed with being a game that is quick and easy to get into.
So far, I have only played against bots, but I am really liking what I am seeing. I will eventually jump in and play against other players. I feel that the game is far more assessable than many people will think it is going to be. For me, the addictive nature of getting new characters is going to be what keeps me hooked and I am sure other people too.
There could be more “gameplay” I guess. However, that is not really what a game like this is about. It is about you picking your roster, positioning them right and hoping for the best. A full open beta is expected very soon and the game is going to be free to play, but that does make me wonder about microtransactions of course!
Dota Underlords is a game that is going to be available to everyone! It is of course on PC and Mac, but Android and iPhone users are also going to be able to get in on this too. Full cross platform support is going to be available so that is really cool. Especially as you can “party up” with your friends.
I think that Dota Underlords is showing a lot of promise. I am very interested to see what is added and improved with the game once the open beta kicks in and more people give their opinions on it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a pretty big mobile hit and I can see myself playing this far more on my phone than PC.
