Although it doesn’t have a set release date yet, DotA 2 is fairly far along in its development.  Valve’s full-fledged sequel to the popular WarCraft III mod is well into its Beta phase, and although a number of characters are still absent, it’s safe to say that the majority of the framework is in place.

DotA 2 is by no means an easy game to learn, and Valve is very aware of this fact.  They have promised to include a coaching system for new players, but it hasn’t been implemented yet.  What has been implemented, however, is an incredibly simple way to observe games.  Just go to the “Watch” tab, find a game, and that’s it.  If you see a friend in a game, just right-click on their name to jump in and watch them go at it.  This isn’t the first time that spectating has been included in a competitive title (FPS games have been doing it for ages), but it is suspiciously absent from a number of big-name titles (i.e. StarCraft II).  The ability to jump in and observe just about any game seems like a logical addition to any competitive multiplayer title, but nowhere is it more accessible than in DotA 2.

But what about the actual gameplay?  Rest assured DotA fans, you’ll feel right at home.  Aside from the additions to item management, this is the game that has been known and loved for years.  I can’t say whether or not there have been any balance changes beyond the current version of DotA, however once all of the characters are added and the game moves closer to release, then we can start picking things apart and discussing balance.  Until then, it’s enough to see beloved heroes reborn in a fresh new art style with new unique attack animations.

The addition of voice chat is probably one of the biggest game-changers in DotA 2.  Competitive teams have been using third party software to provide this feature since the beginning, but integrating a reliable push-to-talk feature into the game itself is a boon for neophytes and casual players.  It’s intimidating to potentially have to answer for your mistakes and listen to people criticize you, but the potential for coordinating strategies and discussing tactics far outweighs any possible negatives.  It’s possible that the voice chat could devolve into an easy way for players to insult one another without having to take their hands off their mice, but we won’t have to worry about that for some time.

As someone who isn’t a DotA die hard, it’s hard to say much more besides the fact that DotA 2 plays like the game it always deserved to be.  Coming into its own with years of refinement already under its belt means that it will be ready to entice new players without so much as a hiccup when release day arrives.  The game maintains the same methodical pace, but the added smoothness of the gameplay and controls helps to keep the game from feeling sluggish.  The final test will come when all the heroes have been implemented and the game approaches its completed form, but until then if you are one of the lucky ones then you’re free to mess around and enjoy the game in its unfinished state.