Games of Glory is a free-to-play MOBA by Lightbulb Crew that is probably best described as a cross between Battlerite and League of Legends’ now-retired Dominion game mode. The game is available on both PC and PlayStation 4 and it features cross play between the platforms. I realize I’ve probably lost most of you in the opening here as this is yet another MOBA title, but if you’re a diehard MOBA player in search of your next fix, you may want to keep reading.
The main attraction of Games of Glory appears to be the game’s Dominion-like game mode. It’s a pretty straightforward victory point setup. There are three points spread horizontally across the map and players must vie for control of the points to slowly work down the shields of the enemy base. Once the shields are down, the enemy’s towers and core can be attacked, and successfully destroying the core wins you the game. In addition to the three victory points, there are two points near the center that will boost your team’s credit income over the course of the game, so it’s a good idea not to neglect these.
Heroes, or clones, as they are referred to in Games of Glory, feature simple three ability kits consisting of two main abilities and an ultimate ability. There aren’t any creeps in Games of Glory, so you won’t be farming for experience or gold, but you do level up and you do spend credits earned in the shop. This is where Lightbulb Crew has introduced its own wrinkle on the MOBA formula. Instead of buying items, players purchase both a ranged and melee weapon and can switch between these weapons on the fly. There is a selection of different ranged and melee weapons available and they can be upgraded in power as well as function. You can do things like upgrade your melee weapon to increase your movement speed or your ranged weapon to convert % damage into health.
Like Battlerite, everything in Games of Glory appears to be a skillshot and the controls are similar to what you’d find in a twin stick shooter like Helldivers. This keeps both PC and console players on even footing, but I’d say things sort of lean towards the console folks unless you’re using a controller on PC. The controls aren’t bad with a mouse and keyboard, but they feel a bit clunky.
There are some social hooks in Games of Glory, as well. Players can create and join clubs, or clans, and these clans can rep their logos and colors on the field if they have a league skin unlocked.
The game’s presentation is a mixed bag. The menu theme is kind of catchy, but the rest of the game’s audio package is nothing to write home about. Visually, it’s about the same. Games of Glory features a sci-fi futuristic theme and some of the clones have interesting designs to be sure, but the maps and UI are a bit lacking.
Aside from the ability to select a melee and ranged weapon for any character in the game, there isn’t a whole lot else going for Games of Glory. It’s a pretty paint-by-numbers MOBA affair. The only thing that really surprised me about the game, ironically, is its buried Superstar mode. You don’t seem to run into this mode very often when searching for a match of quick game, but it’s arguably more fun than the Dominion-like mode you'll be playing most of the time.
In Superstar mode, the game will assign a random player as the superstar of each team and the goal is for your superstar to be closest to the star at the center of the arena when the time runs out or to eliminate the enemy superstar, whichever comes first. There are also a couple of rounds to each match, so there are definitely opportunities to switch up tactics. Really, it’s like playing a match of Battlerite with some sort of Protect the VIP mode mixed into it. If you do end up installing Games of Glory, this mode is, in my opinion, the stickiest game mode it has on offer, so I’m not really too sure why it’s not more accessible to players.
SCORE: 7 / 10
Pros
- Combat is fun, provided you're using a controller
- Superstar mode is surprisingly engaging
Cons
- Doesn't do a whole lot to shake things up
- Presentation and polish could be better
