Overview [*]The last man standing among the Paragon revival projects. Others such as Paragon The Overprime have since died. RIP. [*]A 3rd person MOBA similar to Smite; this is not a Hero Shooter like Overwatch or Paladins. [*]F2P with MTX cosmetics, no P2W, no lootboxes. Art & Graphics ★★★☆☆ [*]UE5 engine upgrade from original Paragon's UE4, reusing Epic Games' AAA assets, it seems very much promising on paper. [*]I would have rated the graphics higher if I hadn't played Paragon The Overprime. Overprime's models were so high in quality while using only UE4, it opened my eyes to what Predecessor could have done better, but did not. [*]Effects are too low quality to be placed in an ex-AAA game, they look like they belong in a decent 2D indie game instead. If you are reusing AAA assets, then you gotta make sure your new additions match the same quality. [*]Cosmetics-wise, the skins are so uninspired and lacking in style. As of the time of writing this review, the latest skins are about giving characters a plain hood and cape. I know these are ported over from the original Paragon, but the devs could have done more than just adding a recolor. It's so lazy for something that is asking for real money. [*]Comparing with the skins in Overprime, my jaw dropped when I browsed through all the amazing skins they had put out. The creativity. The fashion aesthetics. It was just impeccable quality all around. [*]Considering the fact that both Overprime and Predecessor were derived from the same game, I cannot give the latter anything higher than a passing score, and most of it was earned through Epic's merits. Music & Sounds ★★★☆☆ [*]Voice assets weren't released by Epic for valid reason, and Predecessor's own voices don't fit some of the characters. It's so unsettling playing a cool-looking dude with a squawking voice. [*]Sound FX feels lacking. No impact felt when firing weapons. [*]The music is serviceable, fills up the silence but doesn't rouse the mood or immerse into the world. [*]I do like the audio cues when jungle bosses spawn. The audio FX evokes a sense of foreboding that foretells the epic teamfight that is about to unveil… oh who am I kidding? Support Murdock didn't ward at all and enemy Khaimera just solos Fangtooth next door at 3mins without anyone knowing (not even his own teammates). Plot & Characters ☆☆☆☆☆ 0/5 [*]It is understandable that Predecessor cannot adapt any of Paragon's lore as Epic only released the assets but not the IP. [*]It is not understandable why the devs can't write some simple bios for the characters. Their looks and skins already speak for themselves. Just play along and cook up a story? At its current state, the game is lacking a soul. Gameplay ★★★★★ [*]Where Predecessor truly shines is the gameplay, arguably the most important attribute of a game itself. [*]A hearty mix of MOBA strategy and Shooter mechanics, the 3rd person view alleviates the demanding need of spatial awareness in FPS games by a substantial amount. It is accessible to fans of different genres, and at the same time has a higher skill floor made up of multiple types of tiles. [*]Take note that this isn't a Hero Shooter, as there is a hard limit to the range of shots fired, which is actually really short. This might turn away some diehard shooter fans, but most should be able to adapt relatively quickly to this MOBA concept. [*]Verticality is what sets it apart from traditional isometric MOBAs. Being able to juke opponents not just laterally, but also vertically helps explain to those apes in a visual way that you are at a higher level than them. Controls & Interface ★★★☆☆ [*]The interface design is function over form. In some parts it looks fugly af, but stands out from the 3D environment and becomes highly readable as a result. [*]There are many helpful descriptions. There's even this list of hotkeys that permanently sits at the left side of the screen to remind you about the keys that you aren't pressing. It's really useful for new players. [*]Minion's HP bar turns red to indicate it can be executed with an attack, really helps with last-hitting. [*]Smart-casting of skills is so welcome, and can be configured individually for each hero. Per-hero key bindings are said to be coming at a later date. [*]Something that the UI fails hard at is the minimap. Why is the player's portrait not shown in the minimap (while the other 9 players are)? And instead replaced with a yellow circle? Yellow circles are already used for towers. Verdict Predecessor is a fun 3rd-person MOBA shooter with a high skill floor that appeals to players of different backgrounds. It is clearly a WIP and I hope the devs listen to the community and improve on lacking areas such as UI, matchmaking and waifu skins. Tips [*]Omeda.city is a website to check your match history and stats, as well as search up other players. It offers its own unoffical ranks and MMR numbers based on the match data pulled from the game's API server. Take it with a grain of salt (until you reach diamond+ and can brag about it).
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