A new perspective on familiar game design can make everything feel fresh again. For example, the way Smite places the camera down behind your character instead of viewing from up above drastically transforms familiar MOBA mechanics, creating a refreshing take on a genre that rarely strays from its tried-and-true formula. Beyond the new angle, Smite's features help ease new players in, while its entertaining modes present special rewards for those who stick around.

Smite borrows its characters from seven different religions, and developer Hi-Rez does a wonderful job incorporating their familiar mythological backgrounds straight into tactical MOBA roles – the Greek demigod Hercules is a burly melee character, while Zeus flings lightning at his enemies. I was pleased with the huge variety between the 51 available Gods, and their impressively detailed models. Some flashier abilities, like Norse god Thor’s Ultimate, Anvil of Dawn, work especially well with the third-person camera because they launch you up into the sky. They’re thrilling to execute, and it’s neat to see the map from another perspective.

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Smite often ends up feeling more like a third-person action RPG than a MOBA, and that’s an intriguing change. Using W, A, S, and D to move feels natural, and it’s engaging to get up close and personal in an enemy’s face. Combat is complex in a different way than in other MOBAs – your position and the direction you’re looking feels important when playing as a melee character, and every ranged ability in Smite is an aimed skill shot.

Smite’s third-person perspective also drastically alters one of the main tenets of MOBAs: map awareness. Without the overhead view of the map, it's challenging to keep tabs on enemies and easier to sneak up on unsuspecting players. I loved this element because it encouraged me to leave my lane more often to pick up kills, which led to a more dynamic and changing flow of action.

Minions in Smite defend their Gods with hard-hitting attacks, but what I like about them is how when they're killed, everyone in the area earns experience and gold – not just the person who scored the last hit. While last-hitting is a test of skill in other MOBAs, not having to worry about it in Smite encourages more team fights against Gods rather than constant item farming.

In other ways, Smite is more traditional. Each of its five-on-five, three-on-three, and all-random all-middle maps feature MOBA staples, including towers to destroy and a jungle with neutral monsters that provide passive buffs when slain. Yet the twist of having battles against boss-like Phoenixes and Guardians in the place of destroying a defenseless Nexus or Ancient gives it some unique flavor. Or, for a change of pace, Smite’s thrilling Arena map pits two teams against one another in a glorious deathmatch in a gladiatorial ring for a more straightforward test of combat skill.

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The most diverse and interesting games, though, are the silly Matches of the Day (MOTD). One day it might be Norse vs. South, in which one team can only be Norse gods and the other can only be Egyptian and Greek, and the next might be a Battle of the Beards. These matches can be a little more chaotic than your standard fare, but they're humorous and a genuinely good time.

Another clever spin on the usual MOBA mechanic of buying items at stores every match is that Smite's character builder lets you pre-select items and abilities to auto-buy and auto-level as you play. During a fast-paced match, putting everything on autopilot is awesome. Of course, you can turn that off at any time if you want to change your build after you start playing.

One spot that could stand some improvement is late-game balance, because there are definitely times when a small advantage can snowball out of control. Some stronger offensive characters like the wolf God Fenrir can effectively three-shot kill support gods, making comebacks seem impossible. This is when the surrender option comes in handy.

Another of Smite’s unique features is its Voice Guided System, or VGS, which I found tough to get the hang of. Instead of voice chat, it sends messages to your team after you input quick keyboard commands. It's simpler for me to type things like "Middle missing" than to fumble through the VGS for the same command (VF2), but it was definitely helpful when other players used it to communicate with me.

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Outside of the matches, the UI in Smite’s client still has room for improvement. There’s a lot of great information within, but it’s not organized well and none of the tabs in the main section are labeled, so I often found myself fumbling through menus. However, aside from the lack of replays for low-level players, I admire Smite’s spectator features including useful video tutorials, featured community videos, and best of all, the built-in Twitch stream viewer.

A free rotation of 10 gods each week gives those who want a completely free experience some variety. It’s not too hard to unlock new ones, either. Playing a few matches a day I unlocked characters at a satisfying rate, and was pleased to find that I could spend the currency I earned on cosmetic skins. Some of the skins are simply new textures, but others, like Hun Batz’s space monkey skin, are more creative. It’s a pity you can’t preview any skins when waiting in game lobbies, though. After choosing a God, the available skins are listed front and center with a grayed-out thumbnail, and it’s disappointing you only have the option to buy the skin sight unseen.

Playing the same God repeatedly in Smite is rewarding thanks to the clever God Rank system. In addition to experience, which unlocks modes and competitive league matches, winning a match in any mode nets Worshipers. When you gather enough, they unlock access to special Gold and Legendary skins. Not only do they look sweet, but they're a great way to show your teammates that you're proficient with a certain character and intimidate enemies.