Smite 2 Alpha is a new start to a classic game.
As of writing this review, the game Smite 2 is still in alpha and will probably change or be edited in the future. At the same time, it still maintains its core selling point: a ruthless battle of the gods from mythologies all over and a test of strategy and patience. Both the first and second Smite games were developed by Titan Forge Games and published by Hi-Rez Studios.
As mentioned before, the core selling point of the game is the fact that you can choose and battle with almost any god you can think of in the Myth. This concept doesn’t just fall under gods, strictly speaking; in the first version of Smite 2, you can play with up to 100+ gods or characters from myths and stories.
The gods stretch from everywhere; some come from Greek mythology, others from Egyptian; maybe you feel like playing as the Russian myth Baba Yaga. The choices are endless, and so are the skills and play styles.
Almost no myths or legends are left out when doing some research. Their Lores are similar in detail, sparing one or two changes to the Real Myths or stories, but other than that, playing as the legendary Medusa is still fun when wielding her powers on the battlefield.
The latest Alpha version of Smite 2 maintains battle opportunities ranging from Arena to Conquest. The other modes for the first game, such as slash, joust, and assault, have yet to be seen or added; however, with the new goddess Hecate leading the face of Smite 2 and the classic gods from Smite One, the game definitely sports some slicker-looking UI and overall vibes.
Smite 2 feels familiar yet new, sporting a more serious setting. As mentioned, the game is still in alpha. With most MOBA games, you are given the option to battle two or more ways. The first way would have to be the Arena, a full-on tournament watched by mortals as the gods battle it out for mortal favor and worship. Following the rules of the first game, the Arena is an open map with three jungle monsters on each side of the field.
These three monsters grant three different kinds of buffs ranging from attack speed increase to faster mana regeneration or slightly stronger hitting power, with the main goal of this mode battle being to kill as many gods as possible using any advantage that represents itself, be it through skill or kill steal.
While also helping to escort your own minions and siege monsters into the portal of your enemies, ensuring that the player is taking away tickets and stepping closer to bringing you and your team that much closer to victory.
The second way of combat is known as Conquest, a three-lane map in which the player takes on different roles depending on strategy and skill. Five different roles a player can choose from give them different jobs to do in order to gain a victory. Conquest not only requires the player to take down other gods and minions but also to destroy towers and take on other monsters within the jungle, granting extra gold and buffs to the team.
The different roles in Smite 2 are as follows: Carry is a damage dealer who mainly focuses on gaining gold by slaying enemy minions and monsters. This role’s strength in battle is quickly eliminating and destroying bosses and towers on the map. They typically run on the left path of the map, clearing whatever they can on their side.
The middle role has players playing higher damage dealers and focusing on minions and monsters that may come down the middle path of the map; they are also good at quickly securing objectives and keeping the enemies mostly distracted.
The solo role typically takes place on the right path in Smite 2; Solo Laners are the bruisers and off-tanks, whose focus is on winning by destroying enemy towers and relying on their strengths to damage and disrupt the flow of battle for weaker enemies.
The second-to-last role in this game is Support. In this role, the player plays as a tank or a utility user whose main focus is to shield or heal their teammate. This role also tends to stay in the left lane, helping to mitigate damage or to collect gold and complete quests.
The fifth and final role of Smite 2 is Jungler. Junglers are roaming and ganking characters whose focus is on making gold between the three main paths while slaying jungle monsters and occasionally sneaking upon and ending enemy gods. This role’s greatest strength is the ability to flank and ambush enemies.
The level of graphics has improved quite a lot since the first Smite; alongside better and prettier graphics, some of the gods’ items and skills got a bit of a rework, and a few new items were added to the game, which I must say makes them feel more thought out and redefined.
As I’ve mentioned, some items and gods have been rebuilt and reworked. Some skills and items in the store have changed their effects or triggers and are now somewhat different or function differently.
When entering a match with your chosen god, you will be given the opportunity to choose between three, sometimes four, choices depending on who you are playing. These are the build options; some will allow you to do great damage or, for example, tank.
Manual building is a bit of a self-explanation; however, it’s when a player chooses to go their way with builds, trusting in their gathered knowledge of the items and calling for the character they choose to play. With most things, whether you do it yourself or you go pre-build, the game basically requires more strategies rather than Burt Force.
The items you use and the strategies against the opposition are the most important things to remember when it comes to combat. However, the player is one person against five other people on the opposite team. This game is not a solo game; you can’t do it alone. Everyone contributes, and everyone has a role to play. It’s not always easy, but it’s fun.
As for the game’s current potential, looking around the interwebs, a lot of people have voiced being upset with the game in its current state, as they believe Hi-Rez might be taking a page out of Blizzard’s books by recycling the game. This could be possible given it’s a quick and easy way to get around putting in effort. However, the game, as broadcasted all over the player’s screen, is still in “alpha- not final” and could change over time.
I hope to see more gods from the first Smite, maybe add to the family, such as the great Eldridge horror Cthulhu. There are other Eldridge horrors related to him, or other myths, for that matter.
The possibilities with the new engine are higher, and who knows, maybe even a story mode could make its way into Smite 2. However, there are many different avenues Hi-Res Studios and Titan Forge Games could take to take advantage of this opportunity and even bigger esports opportunities.
So far it’s still a good game, it’s fun, it’s pretty, and with the powers of the gods, the frustrations of death, alongside the joys of victory are still enjoyable. Smite 2 is still a brilliant game. The price for some might be a bit high, but that’s not an issue waiting and maybe watching some streams on the game itself is more likely that you could collect a key for free through an event by simply watching a Twitch live stream, so whether you buy or get it free through an event it’s still a great time eater and an awesome experience.
