Some consider this to be the kiddie version of Dota2, dumbed down and simplified. While that's true, I think it works to its advantage.
Concept: HotS use the basic 3-lane warfare the genre is known for, but with multiple twists; different maps have different main objective that really works in your favor, so the whole game will never devolve into the pure attrition known as 'Rat Doto'. The power of such objective makes them the lynchpin of the game; you will engage the enemy team in capturing these, or you will lose, and yes it's possible to keep losing teamfights and still win because you keep capturing the objective.
Heroes: Hero selection is much less than Dota2, but Blizzard is constantly working to add more. The fact that you will have to purchase heroes is a turn-off to some, but the basic heroes cost only 2000 gold, very newbie friendly, and can utterly dominate the game in the hand of veterans, so there's no excuse of having no 'good hero' in the game. Also, Blizzard went the whole hog in making heroes with unusual mechanics such as Abathur or Cho'Gall, and they're definitely worth a try.
Talents: The 'items' of the game, Talents make it simple for you to choose how to play your hero. On the other hand, it limits your hero to their role, and Complacent Gaming Syndrome is in full force as well, so you may find yourself using the same talent over and over again. That said, talents also work as counterpick, so there's also tactical consideration before you just pick them. Jack-of-All-Stats heroes get the most mileage of this system, as they're flexible enough to do multiple roles, depending on talent. One downside of this is that there's no refund/undo talent if you made a mistake, so beware of that.
Gameplay: A typical round ends in 20 minutes, 30 minutes is already a long game, in contrast to the average hour-long round in other games. Teamfights tend to be a quick, wet, down and dirty brawl, but that actually adds to the fun factor, personally.
Conclusion: Overall, the game is simplified, but the number of heroes (especially the mechanically unusual ones) will keep you entertained, especially if their talents allow them to have a completely different playstyle. And seeing how Blizzard keeps adding new heroes, it may be a matter of time until their selection rivals other games of the genre.
VideoGame Hero Brawler, not MOBA.
Summary: Quick and Simple, but no less Fun.
Some consider this to be the kiddie version of Dota2, dumbed down and simplified. While that's true, I think it works to its advantage.
Concept: HotS use the basic 3-lane warfare the genre is known for, but with multiple twists; different maps have different main objective that really works in your favor, so the whole game will never devolve into the pure attrition known as 'Rat Doto'. The power of such objective makes them the lynchpin of the game; you will engage the enemy team in capturing these, or you will lose, and yes it's possible to keep losing teamfights and still win because you keep capturing the objective.
Heroes: Hero selection is much less than Dota2, but Blizzard is constantly working to add more. The fact that you will have to purchase heroes is a turn-off to some, but the basic heroes cost only 2000 gold, very newbie friendly, and can utterly dominate the game in the hand of veterans, so there's no excuse of having no 'good hero' in the game. Also, Blizzard went the whole hog in making heroes with unusual mechanics such as Abathur or Cho'Gall, and they're definitely worth a try.
Talents: The 'items' of the game, Talents make it simple for you to choose how to play your hero. On the other hand, it limits your hero to their role, and Complacent Gaming Syndrome is in full force as well, so you may find yourself using the same talent over and over again. That said, talents also work as counterpick, so there's also tactical consideration before you just pick them. Jack-of-All-Stats heroes get the most mileage of this system, as they're flexible enough to do multiple roles, depending on talent. One downside of this is that there's no refund/undo talent if you made a mistake, so beware of that.
Gameplay: A typical round ends in 20 minutes, 30 minutes is already a long game, in contrast to the average hour-long round in other games. Teamfights tend to be a quick, wet, down and dirty brawl, but that actually adds to the fun factor, personally.
Conclusion: Overall, the game is simplified, but the number of heroes (especially the mechanically unusual ones) will keep you entertained, especially if their talents allow them to have a completely different playstyle. And seeing how Blizzard keeps adding new heroes, it may be a matter of time until their selection rivals other games of the genre.