Developer: Hi-Rez Studios
Publisher: Hi-Rez Studios
Release Status: Open Beta
Price: Free to Play with Microtransactions
Platform: OS X, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Playstation 4
Genre: Multiplayer FPS

What is it? Paladins is an online multiplayer-based FPS in the vein of games such as Battlefield and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The game introduces an array of unique characters and classes that are pitted against each other in 5v5 online matches that typically involve pushing a payload across a plethora of different environments.

This kind of game probably sounds pretty familiar, and if you have already had any experience with Paladins: Champions of the Realms, then you’d know that it’s actually just an underaged child in a trenchcoat and floppy hat with a fake ID depicting it’s much more popular counterpart, Blizzard’s Overwatch.

Summary: I was always wary of MOBAs, mostly since they’re about as fun as banging your head against a wall repeatedly. Playing 15 games of Heroes of the Storm for that one genji skin was the most painful experience of my life. The main problem with them is that they barely have any gameplay and drag on for way too long. Games with MOBA elements usually have similar problems, especially with balance. In all honesty, Paladins isn’t much different. But it’s still fun.

Paladins manages to be fun despite some pretty clear balance issues– some characters are absolute garbage, and some just feel statistically better in every way. Although it somehow manages to be more balanced than Overwatch, the game is essentially Overwatch but with a different look. The game is actually most famous for being an “Overwatch clone.” In response to these accusations, the Hi-Rez COO Tod Harris claimed that Paladins wasn’t based on Overwatch but Team Fortress 2 instead despite the fact that some characters’ abilities are copied exactly but on a different looking character.

The main reason I tried this game anyway is because Overwatch was driving me insane with how Blizzard had no idea what they were doing, so I tried something else while they realize making Bastion stronger is a terrible idea. Neither of the games are distinctly bad and each do things to feel different from each other– Overwatch is streamlined and fast-paced, while Paladins is slower paced (at least without Master Riding III.)

Graphics: Being someone without the highest quality gaming equipment, I found this game’s graphics ran decently well. When it comes to running Overwatch, my computer can’t handle the intense, pro-gaming standard world rendering. But thankfully Paladins acknowledges the fact that it’s just Overwatch for people who don’t want to spend the money and lowered the graphical prowess bar.

Story: Like Overwatch (considering these games are virtually the same game), the game doesn’t have a story mode to drive any kind of plot forward. The entire story of this element is composed of the characters’ backstories that you have to muck through the game’s wikipedia page to find in the first place. What little story I could find was decent, and when it comes down to it, you couldn’t really care less about the lore of the game while you’re mowing down enemies and pushing the payload.

Gameplay: This is guaranteed repetitive at this point but yes, it’s just Overwatch again. You do have to give Paladins points for trying to branch out from its father game’s lack of game modes by introducing game-modes like PvE and Siege (despite how unfun these can be.)