One of the worst aspects of any MOBA--League of Legends, Dota 2, or what have you--are long, drawn-out stalemates. The average game usually takes 25-40 minutes, but when a game goes back and forth, with neither team able to gain any discernible advantage, the stress and frustration is almost unbearable (to me, anyway).
Even worse are the times when you're stuck with argumentative, absent, or just plain bad teammates, knowing that you are now doomed to spend the entirety of the match wishing you could just skip ahead to the next one. You know what solves these problems entirely? Making the rounds way, way shorter. Like, 15 minutes on average. Enter TOME: Immortal Arena, my latest MOBA addiction that gives me exactly what I want from the genre after one too hours wasted in agonizing standoffs.
Laugh at me if you must, but I'm hooked on this browser-based, free-to-play MOBA, two descriptors which usually make gamers run for the hills. But to my surprise, the Unity-engine graphics in TOME are well on par with most standalone clients. In fact, the production values are impressive all around, with unique champion (excuse me, Guardian) designs and Bruce freaking Campbell (of Evil Dead fame) calling out kills as the announcer.
With TOME, it's non-stop 3v3 action immediately out of the gate. It accomplishes this breakneck pace by breaking tons of conventional MOBA rules: you can heal and buy items in lane, you start with three of your four abilities and none of them have mana costs, there is no last hitting of any kind, and minions spawn five seconds after the game starts. All of these tweaks completely cut out the fat from typical MOBA gameplay--and to me, this is the leaner, more fun take on the genre that I've been craving after years of the same-old. Give it a try right here in your browser, and add me in-game (Ljrepresent) if you want to get some matches in!
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