. Sounds.. like something a bunch of neckbeards get together and play in a basement. Dress up in your finest chainmail fashioned from paperclips, and break out the Cheetos and Mountain Dew . The truth is thatis one of the most rewarding and fun experiences in gaming, and the level of teamwork and skill required will draw you to the game.One of the problems withis that it is difficult to describe. Its nearly impossible to explain the gameplay without making it sound dreadfully boring. So Ill start by telling you that this is team-based PvP at its finest. You wont understand why without playing it, but this game has the teamplay experience you are looking for. In, two teams battle it out on what is essentially a tower defense style map. Each team is composed of five heroes, and the controls are similar to an RTS. You'll fight for control of the map with the ultimate goal of destroying your opponent's Ancient in their base. The team that plays best wins. Usually.Another issue is the sheer amount to learn in order to play the game. There is not so much a learning curve as there is a giant fucking cliff. Getting intorequires patience and dedication. There are nearly 100 heroes, all with at least four different abilities each. Past that you have to learn things like laning, ganking, pushing, pulling, stacking, warding, and now Im tired of even listing them. I am not going to bother covering any of these. If youre interested in learning about the game I recommend the aptly named guide: Welcome to Dota, You Suck . Thankfully with the matchmaking system you will be pitted against opponents that also suck. During your first few games you are going to be a useless piece of shit, and someone is probably going to tell you exactly that. Eventually you will start to suck less. Once you start to feel like you dont suck, youll find out youre wrong. But you'll feel good about your progress and you will relish the time you spend playing the game and continuing to learn and improve.I played the originala bit back during thedays and remember it fondly. It was exciting news for me that Valve had picked up the lead developer and was working on. I sat on this one for months because I knew it might draw me in. While the game is still in beta, it already has a lot of the classic Valve shine and is more playable than some final products. If you've been avoiding it due to the beta status, just go ahead and give it a try. Its phenomenally easy to get into a game, alone or with friends. There is a great in-game system to learn about the heroes and items. Valve has made recent progress in introducing the game to newbies with the addition of a tutorial and will no doubt continue to do so. There is already a well-established competitive scene, and there is a fantastic in-game spectating system to watch the pros play, or your noob friends. Its only going to get better from here.I absolutely love. I hate that I feel I havent properly told you why. It really is one that you just have to experience. If you are at all interested in the game, download the beta client for spectating or tune in to a video stream and watch a game. Its also fairly easy to get a copy of these days as well. Bug your friends on Steam that are playing. They're bound to have extras. Items can be purchased through the store, though they are cosmetic and do not grant an advantage in gameplay. There is no pay to win here.