Vainglory

We never thought that the day would come when we'd be playing a gorgeous, entertaining, and fully functioning MOBA on our not-quite-up-to-date iPhone. But here we are, as Super Evil Megacorp has managed to turn out a brilliant online strategy game on iOS devices. This is a game that surprises us, and in every way imaginable.

At first glance Vainglory may come across as a rather complicated mobile game. It quickly begs for comparisons with the likes of Dota 2 and League of Legends; giants of the MOBA genre that generate tons of money year in and year out. We have to admit that we thought Vainglory would be lazy, by the numbers, an uninspired and inferior clone of the MOBA heavyweights. But after just a few minutes with the game it becomes increasingly apparent that Super Evil Megacorp haven't taken the easy route by copying either of the aforementioned titles. Instead they have sought to create something that, while it borrows the concept, really tries to achieve the best possible experience on mobile. And they have clearly pulled it off.

The premise is simple. Pick one of ten characters available for selection, call on two bloodthirsty companions, and head out onto the battlefield ready to prove your worth. Quick and easy. The games are played three on three instead of five on five - as is more common in the genre - and the main reason for this is that there is less screen real estate to go around. At first it feels a bit strange, but as soon as you've got a few games under your belt it starts to feel like a natural fit. However, it should be said that things can still get a bit crammed, particularly when playing on your iPhone. And this does pull down the overall impression somewhat as you don't always have access to an iPad.

A positive note are the stunning visuals. In fact these are very strong and leave a very positive impression. The frame-rate stays steady without issue and everything is dressed up with simple, yet very stylish environments. The roster is populated with ten extremely well crafted characters. It does feel like there aren't enough of them after an hour or two, although there are additional characters available via microtransactions. Might we still could have had more? Perhaps we're being greedy, but one or two more to choose from would've been nice.

That said, the lack of characters is quickly forgotten as soon as the matches kick off and battle commences. Each round lasts about twenty minutes and they are varied, challenging, and the whole thing feels wonderfully balanced. Game balance doesn't only make this accessible to beginners, those new to the genre, but it should also satisfy veterans with hundreds of hours of MOBA gaming.

We have to reiterate that Vainglory is a game that impresses across the board. Not just how the rather simple premise is put together and offered up, but mainly due to the way everything that might have been considered overly complicated has been stripped away, leaving us with a product that comes across as being lean, distilled to its essentials. This is an easily accessible MOBA, an excellent starting point to the genre, and a worthy alternative on mobile. Best of all it's at its most entertaining when you've got two friends to help you out, so make sure you bring backup for the optimal experience.