Vainglory (video game)

Vainglory

Old app icon
Developer(s) Super Evil Megacorp
Publisher(s) Super Evil Megacorp
Platform(s) iOS, Android
Release date(s) iOS
November 16, 2014
Android
July 2, 2015
Genre(s) Multiplayer online battle arena
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Vainglory is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Super Evil Megacorp for iOS and Android devices. The game is a simplified version of the PC-based genre wherein two opposing teams of three players fight to destroy the enemy base by controlling the path between the bases, which is lined by turrets and guarded by AI controlled enemy creatures. Off the path, players battle for control points that supply extra resources. The game was released for iOS in November 2014, after being soft-launched for over half a year, with the Android version being released in July 2015.

The game's development started in 2012 upon the forming of Super Evil Megacorp. The game was unveiled at Apple's September 2014 iPhone 6 announcement event to demonstrate the platform's Metal graphics API. Super Evil Megacorp attempted to make a game that would entertain players for hours and encourage in-person multiplayer experiences similar to that of a LAN party.

Vainglory received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised the game's graphics, characters, and level design, but criticized its lack of team communication features. Reviewers disagreed on the game's degree of accessibility to newcomers, part of the reason why it received mixed reviews.

Gameplay

Screenshot of gameplay on an iPad

Vainglory is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in the style of popular MOBAs League of Legends and Dota 2 but designed for smartphones and tablets.[1] As standard for the genre, two opposing teams fight to reach and destroy the enemy's base while defending their own in a tug of war for control of a path, the "lane", which connects the bases.[2] In addition, there is a "jungle" beneath the lane, which contains creatures and objectives that can be killed or captured.

In Vainglory, teams have three players who each control an avatar, known as a "hero",[3] from their own device.[4] Weaker computer-controlled characters, called "minions", spawn at team bases and follow the lane to the opposite team's base, fighting enemies and turrets en route.[2] Lining the lane are turret towers that repel the flow of minions and enemy heroes. The player's objective is to destroy the enemy turrets and the "Vain Crystal" in the enemy team's base.

There are two PvP modes of Vainglory: Standard, in which the whole map is available, and Battle Royale, in which progression is faster and the battle is limited only to the lane. Players can play ranked Standard games to increase their in-game ranking, or casual Standard games, in which their rank is not affected. In the game client, ranked play duration is listed as 25 minutes, whereas casual play is 20 minutes.

As of November 2016, there are 29 hero options.[5] The developers of the game continually add new heroes, each with different skills but balanced for fair play. For example, a hero may have high damage but poor mobility, or strong melee abilities but no ranged option.[3] Players choose between three abilities that upgrade via a common technology tree.[6] There is a set number of heroes that are free to play, with the free to play roster being refreshed every week. The game uses two in-game currencies for in-app purchases: one that can be earned through play, known as Glory, and one that can be purchased with money, known as Immensely Concentrated Evil (ICE). Players can also choose to permanently unlock any character for a certain amount of Glory.[3] As of update 1.18.0, the player was able to get ICE from chests.[6]

Vainglory offers two main modes of in-game communication: team emoticons and strategic pings.[3][6]

Vainglory's Halcyon Fold map, with team bases on both ends, the lane connecting the two on top, and the jungle underbrush beneath the lane

Development

Segerstrale presents on Vainglory at the 2016 Game Developers Conference

In February 2012, game developer "veterans" from Rockstar, Riot, Blizzard, and Insomniac founded Super Evil Megacorp in San Mateo, California to make a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game for tablet devices, and thus began development on their first game, Vainglory.[4] Apple chose the game to demonstrate the graphics capabilities of their iPhone 6 and Metal graphics API at the iPhone 6's announcement event.[1] The game was soft-launched for six months prior to this September 2014 event,[2] and was released on November 16, 2014.[7]

Kristian Segerstrale, the founder of Playfish and former head of EA Digital, joined Super Evil Megacorp as its COO. Segerstrale expected Vainglory to popularize the MOBA genre like "Halo did for first-person shooters".[4] Segerstrale stated that he hoped Vainglory would become something players "will organize their lives around" rather than something to pass spare time.[4] The game is designed for tablets, which the company felt was the most fitting platform despite its lack of "core games" (games that rewarded "teamwork and strategy" over thousands of hours of play).[4] They told Polygon that tablets were "inherently social", "less alienating to new players", and "possibly the best space for multiplayer play".[4] Super Evil Megacorp CEO Bo Daly said he saw PC MOBA games as solitary experiences and thought tablets could make the experience better for groups as a reinvention of the LAN party, where players share a common gaming experience in the same shared physical space on separate devices.[4] The company also intended for the game to become an eSport.[4] European eSports tournament organizer Electronic Sports League announced the Vainglory Cup, a set of Vainglory competitions, to take place in June 2015.[8]

On March 5, 2015 at the Game Developers Conference 2015, it was announced by Super Evil Megacorp that Vainglory would be getting an Android port. After undergoing a closed beta, the game was fully released on July 2, 2015 on the Google Play Store.[9]

One of the most impressive features of Vainglory is its artwork, which is produced by a team directed by Carlo Arellano. Players are also invited to guide the development of Vainglory by interacting with the Developers through Livestreams on Twitch.[10]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic86/100[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
IGN8.1/10[3]
Pocket Gamer7/10[6]
TouchArcade[2]

The game received "generally favorable" reviews, according to video game review score aggregator Metacritic.[7] Reviewers praised the game's graphics, characters, and level design, but criticized its lack of team communication features.[3][6] While IGN's Mitch Dyer wrote the game was accessible to newcomers,[3] Matt Thrower of Pocket Gamer felt otherwise.[6] The Guardian named Vainglory the "best" iOS game of 2014.[11] The game was one of ten Apple Design Award recipients in 2015.[12]

Matt Thrower of Pocket Gamer noted how the PC-based MOBA genre has had issues adapting its precise controls to the mobile platform, but that Vainglory trimmed features in the right areas.[6] IGN's Mitch Dyer wrote that the game was its own "scaled down, rather than scaled back" version of the MOBA genre, and not an attempt to "approximate" League of Legends and Dota 2 experiences for mobile devices.[3] Dyer praised the game's character and map detail, and wrote that all ten of the heroes had "fun" designs and were enjoyable to play.[3] Thrower felt similarly about its graphics as most reviewers did.[6] Dyer praised the iPad controls, but felt "cramped" on the iPhone 6 Plus.[3] TouchArcade's Ford described the controls as "flawless" and felt that the game's tutorial was among the best he had seen in iOS MOBAs.[2] He added that he considered the game's in-app purchases "very fair" and not "pay-to-win".[2]

IGN's Dyer reported his games to be about 21 minutes in length and noticed that they tended to snowball out of balance by the time the Kraken creature appears at the 15-minute mark. Dyer added that the advantages of in-person team communication made games feel "lopsided".[3] Pocket Gamer's Thrower wrote that the game's "depth" was in learning how to use the individual characters, and that beginners were subject to an "impenetrable learning curve", especially without organized teams.[6] Ford of TouchArcade said his only issue was with players leaving their play session while the game was still in action, but felt this was mitigated by the game's "Karma" matchmaking system.[2] Ford otherwise reported that Vainglory played well as a whole as "probably the best MOBA on iOS".[2]

Notes and references

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (September 9, 2014). "This is the game Apple used to show off iPhone 6". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ford, Eric (November 20, 2014). "'Vainglory' Review - Portable MOBA Magic". TouchArcade. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Dyer, Mitch (December 10, 2014). "Vainglory Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Corriea, Alexa Ray (June 5, 2014). "Vainglory: Former EA Digital head wants to reinvent the LAN party with a new tablet MOBA". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
    5. ↑ http://www.vainglorygame.com/heroes/
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Thrower, Matt (November 18, 2014). "Vainglory review". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
    7. 1 2 3 "Metacritic Critic Reviews for iOS". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
    8. ↑ Mitchell, Ferguson (May 6, 2015). "ESL launches its first mobile-only tournament with Vainglory Cup". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
    9. ↑ Dunsmore, Kevin (March 5, 2015). "Vainglory Brings the MOBA Experience to Android Today". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
    10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJuDZiy6fLg
    11. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (December 23, 2014). "The best iPhone and iPad games of 2014". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
    12. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (June 9, 2015). "Apple Design Awards 2015 honor seven games, including Crossy Road and Vainglory". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
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