Smite is a wonderful MOBA, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. The mechanics, as they stand, are identical to that of the PC counterpart that has been available for quite some time. What we’re here to discuss is how a MOBA is able to work itself in to the console market. Given Smite’s unique third-person over the shoulder camera angle, it is very obvious a good fit for the console, but getting down the controls, fluidity, and complicated gameplay techniques of a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena is no easy feat. When I sat down a few months ago and wanted to start to learn how to play DOTA 2, it took three or four matches with a skilled friend of mine siting next to me walking me through who to play, what to level, and what to buy, among other things, before I could even attempt to play on my own – and even then, I was still trash.
This is where Smite gets its golden shine. Auto-buy and auto-level. This is an extremely simple addition that really takes the challenge out of learning to MOBA. After just one game of Smite and a little paying attention to what skills the game automatically leveled for me and purchased, I was able to turn it off and go on my own. Yet, having the ability to turn it back on at a moments notice if I got unsure is amazing to have.
The mapping of abilities is also a challenge that the team at Hi-Rez had to overcome, which they certainly have.The controls currently employ the triggers and bumpers in combination with the face buttons to purchase and select skills. Your right trigger fires your basic attack, while your A, B, X, and Y use your four abilities. Clicking in the left stick makes your character jump – a trait which is purely aesthetics and will do nothing but cancel an ability you’re trying to use.
Bringing Smite to consoles also brings with it what has to be a much lower barrier of entry, and to help fix this problem the game has a quite comprehensive tutorial that walks you through how to lane, how to jungle, and what various items in the game do. Of course, none of this would matter if the game didn’t translate to fun on the Xbox One, which it does perfectly. The various game modes are all a blast to play, and I’ve gotten the same level of excitement out of them as I have on my PC with DOTA 2.
