alt="Heroes of the Storm" />

Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard
Entertainment's newest game to make it to alpha testing, is nothing
like World of Warcraft. Sure, the game boasts some characters from
the Warcraft franchise, as well as some familiar talents, but that is
where the similarities seem to end. That doesn’t mean that Heroes
of the Storm won't appeal to the World of Warcraft crowd.

Quite the contrary, from what I've
seen, it will likely appeal to the majority of WoW players. This
holds especially true for those that label themselves as part of the
“casual” player base. Don't buy it? Here are five reasons I've
picked up from the alpha that prove that Heroes of the Storm will be
perfect for the casual World of Warcraft crowd:

Fast-Paced Gameplay

As a casual player, you don't typically
have a lot of time to dedicate to things. For example, in World of
Warcraft, traditional raiding is usually out of the question. You
just don't have the time. This means that, often, you are missing out
on some of the best parts of the game.

The fast paced gameplay of Heroes of
the Storm totally wipes out this problem. With games moving and
ending quickly, players can easily fit them into their busy
schedules. No more being unable to participate in certain aspects of
the game due to time constraints. Heroes of the Storm will allow
casual players to experience the game in it's entirety.

No Group? No Problem!

One of the major inhibitors of casual
players is finding a group. World of Warcraft has combated this
problem by putting systems like Raid Finder in place. Heroes of the
Storm has a similar feature in place, so you can play with a group,
even if your friends aren't online.

When you log into Heroes of the Storm
(Alpha), you will instantly be presented with a small screen that
shows you groups or single players that are looking for others. With
the click of a button you can choose to join and be on your way to a
game within seconds. If would rather start your own party, you can
check the box next to “I Am Looking for a Party” and wait for
other players to come to you.

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Healing, DPS, and More!

The “casual” crowd encompasses all
types of players. This means that they like to experience all types
of gameplay. World of Warcraft offers this to players and so does
Heroes of the Storm. Different heroes allow the player to experience
the game in a totally different manners.

For example, heroes like Sonya, a melee
warrior, are purely DPS. On the other hand, players can choose a
character like Malfurion, who is designed to heal your team. Even
though these characters can be customized by picking different
abilities, they are still specialized to do a certain thing. By
picking a certain type of hero, you can make your game experience
exactly what you want it to be, no matter what type of role you
prefer.

PvP and PvE

As mentioned above, the “casual”
crowd is a large one. This means that they want different things from
the game, especially when it comes to PvE and PvP. In World of
Warcraft, players can easily choose which of these they participate
in, by choosing a server or toggling their PvP flag on or off.

Heroes of the Storm allows players to
make this same choice by giving us a variety of gameplay styles.
Practice mode allows you to team up with AI Players against AI
players. Cooperative matches you with a team of other players to take
on a team of AI players. While Versus mode is full PvP with two teams
of real players facing off against each other. No matter what type of
game style you prefer, Heroes of the Storm has a little bit of
something for every casual player.

alt="Heroes of the Storm Play Modes" />

The Shop

I am not usually a big fan of in game
shops. In fact, I tend to have rather negative feelings towards them.
However, they do have their uses, especially for casual players. In
Heroes of the Storm, you can unlock new heroes, mounts, and more by
simply playing the game. If you are a causal player, with limited
time, this could take you a lot of time that you don't necessarily
have.

The in-game Shop can resolve this
issue. If there is a hero you really want to play and you are willing
to spend some real life cash, you can do so. This way, you still get
to enjoy the game, playing the hero you want. While some may frown on
this, when you can only play for a brief amount of time, this may be
the only way you get to experience the character of your choice. It
also goes to support the game, which is reportedly going to be
free-to-play.

Heroes of the Storm seems to be shaping
up to be the perfect game for casual gamers to enjoy. Will you be
playing Heroes of the Storm? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with
us in the comments section below!


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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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