Paragon is a new MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game from developers Epic Games, developers of Unreal Tournament, and first impressions of this new venture? It… Is… Drop… Dead… Gorgeous.
Pick your jaws up from the floor and let’s talk about how amazing Paragon looks. Developed with Unreal Engine 4 the game is set in the battleground of Agora. A three-dimensional bowl shaped arena, with the bases sitting up high on either end. The classic three lanes are tiered where the top lane is high, the mid lane is ground level and the bottom lane is low.
Have a look at some of the early release gameplay.
Taking a new perspective on this fast-growing gaming genre, Paragon is played via a third-person perspective, rather than the traditional bird-eye view. By doing this players are more immersed in the fight and subsequent world.
The Paragon battle system itself involves a lot more crucial decision making that will affect the outcome of battle. Players require a high level of skill as where you aim when you attack and how you move all matters.
But as you can see all the key elements of a classic MOBA are still there, a huge cast of heroes, three lanes to attack and defend, towers to destroy, minions to use as cannon fodder, etc. Think Dota 2, League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm.
The item system is something you may not recognise, in a traditional MOBA you can purchase a set number of items in a shop for varying amounts of currency, however, Epic Games has introduced a new element in the form of a deck-based card system.
In Paragon players get a base amount of cards and can collect more as they play, these cards can be used to build a deck specific to each hero and taken into battle. So you have store items then while you play in-match you can equip the cards to make yourself stronger.
We’re still not quite sure what abilities these cards will bestow or the number of cards that can be taken into battle, all we know from the game website is that “Different combinations dramatically change gameplay and unlock deep strategic choices” so let’s see how that plays out.
Paragon is set to launch paid early-access in Spring of 2016 on the PC and PS4 and open beta in Summer 2016. So keep an eye on this space for more updates!
