Recent reviews by ᴀᴛʀᴇɪᴅᴇꜱ 1

One of the most iconic games of its time and the precursor to modern esports. It was a time when the community was tight-knit, with hardly any random onlookers—everyone was part of it. There weren’t as many viewers, prize pools, or the same level of popularity, but there was a vibe that today’s CS2 will never surpass. It was a different level and the best of times.

Great idea, and when the game first came out, it was fun to play, but the lack of a proper ranking system doesn’t provide much motivation to keep playing. Instead of increasing the player base, they’re just increasing the map sizes, and for 20 minutes you might not hear a single shot or see another player. These drawbacks would be easier to accept if there was a leaderboard or some kind of ranking system. Then, it would make sense. After all, isn't this a survival game? But you get more enjoyment when you fight and die early in the game rather than hiding and dying at the end because you don’t get anything for it. Just shooting and dying aimlessly, while interesting at first, quickly gets boring, and you end up quitting. The solo mode really needs a ranking system where it's every player for themselves, without teams. Playing in teams can be fun, of course, but again: first, there’s no ranking system, and second, solo and team modes are completely different experiences, and you'd want to have both. But until the game has a ranking system where the top players are the skilled ones, not just those who play a lot, there’s little reason to come back to this game.

One of the most popular and engaging games of all time. Incredibly spectacular, but it breaks the weak and hardens the strong, revealing the true nature of people in a way. I can't say that the thousands of hours spent in this game were the best time of my life—it wasn't just a waste of time like scrolling through news or memes, but it also took a toll on my mental health. Being a 'Dota player' is synonymous with being toxic and aggressive, a label that suggests mental health issues. Because mentally healthy people can’t play this game for long—it breaks many. It’s a harmful habit, and I’m glad I managed to quit. I wouldn’t recommend playing it. The positive emotions you experience are outweighed by the toxicity and bile of the community you encounter. This happens at every level, from casual to professional. I regret that such a great game lacks support for maintaining decency. Players of all levels feel entitled to behave inappropriately, insult others, and make personal attacks, and this is considered normal. This creates more toxicity, and in the end, you become just like them. It's a fine line, and I wouldn't advise anyone to test their resilience. This community can break anyone. Such games shouldn't be free, and the money earned from players should be used to educate and improve the community. The game itself isn’t the problem; it's the society and the players. People ruin everything. The game is great.

A worthy sequel to the legendary game that helped many people get rich by trading in-game items and elevated esports to a new level, with the game becoming synonymous with competitive gaming.