I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say that I was just a little bit obsessed with League of Legends. It’s one of the most fun and competitive games I’ve ever played over the Internet, and it’s not the only game of its kind. League of Legends acts as a successor to the late DotA (though now, there is Dota 2). LoL and Dota 2 really stand alone in the realm of Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (or MOBA). They’re the head of the class right now, though they may have some stiff competition threatening them in the near future.

I’ve tried LoL and Dota 2 and I’ve got to say that SMITE, a brand new MOBA currently in closed beta from Hi-Rez Studios (the geniuses behind Tribes and Global Agenda), is really the most exciting. Are the amount of players there yet? Nope. Is it as competitive as LoL yet? It isn’t. But right out of closed beta, SMITE is able to provide countless hours of replay value that will have you addicted to a brand new and unique MOBA experience.

SMITE was shown and announced at PAX 2012 and immediately drew a huge interest.  The world of competitive gaming, or “eSports”, really revolves around League of Legends. In every tourney that I can remember as of recently, the LoL matches pulled higher crowds than Starcraft II and other popular games. The numbers are huge and the potential is there.

Since League of Legends is the premiere title in this field, and many transitioning over will be familiar, let’s look at some of the comparable differences between LoL and SMITE.

No Autolock, All Skillshots

This is actually my favorite difference between the two games. Skillshots are cool because, well, they require more skill. In LoL, I respect a player who can land Dr. Mundo’s cleaver more than one that can land Shen’s blade. Lock-on ranged abilities have their purpose, but a game of pure skillshots has such a higher competitive skill cap that I think it has to appreciated.

Keyboard Movement

By default, players control themselves using the WASD keys. The mouse is only used for attack functions. Again, this is a change that really intrigues me and by now I actually think I prefer it.

Third-Person View

This is such a huge, refreshing, and significant change from the norm. You’re used to seeing this genre of game shipped with the top-down isometric view. In SMITE, you’re looking out into the battlefield in third person. It complements the keyboard movement very well.

Characters You May Be Familiar With

In LoL they’re called champions. In Dota 2 they are heroes. SMITE brings you gods. If you’re into Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Chinese, or Hindu culture then a few of these playable characters may be very familiar and interesting to you. I think it’s a unique and fresh concept that contributes to the genre, rather than copying from it.

Right now, SMITE is still in closed beta, so to get access and to start playing the game now you’ll need an invite from a friend or you’ll have to purchase gems (which is the equivalent to RP on LoL), which comes with admission to the beta.

Alternatively, you could request for a beta invite from us — SMITE has provided us with 100 invitations to give away! It’s simple — just fill in the form below to request for an invitation. The form will only accept 100 requests so as long as you see it, you should still stand a chance of getting one.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of this new face to the MOBA scene. Please though, don’t beg for a beta key in the comments section! Let’s keep it open to discussion only.