Heroes of Order and Chaos

Heroes of Order & Chaos Review

By, Herman Y.

Heroes of Order & Chaos is a free-to-play, 3D Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Gameloft, a well-known mobile game developer behind the popular games, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Modern Combat 5: Blackout, Gangstar Vegas, and of course, the MMORPG, Order & Chaos Online. Heroes of Order & Chaos features prominent characters from Order & Chaos Online and was the first MOBA game on mobile devices. It was released on December 5, 2012 and currently has over 10 million downloads as of 2015. Having gone through numerous updates over the years, Heroes of Order & Chaos currently has more content than any other mobile MOBA and has a huge playerbase and high variety in in-game heroes. The game still features relatively good graphics despite its old age, but with the release of new, more polished MOBA games, such as The Witcher Battle Arena and Vainglory, how does the first mobile MOBA game fare with its new competition?

Two Modes, Three Maps
Heroes of Order & Chaos currently has two PVP modes and three maps. The first mode is a 3 vs 3, one-lane mode (which has its own map) and the other mode is a 5 vs 5, three-lane mode, which has two different maps. There are also Co-op vs AI, a single-player practice mode, custom game rooms, and a casual Fun mode, in which players play as random Heroes in unranked 3 vs 3. Upon reaching level 5, players can square off against other players and the game has a standard queue match-making system like most other MOBA games. Once connected, players can choose their Hero and begin the match. The goal in both the 3 vs 3 and 5 vs 5 modes is to destroy the other team’s Core (Royal Castle for Order and Fel Crystal for Chaos), which is guarded by towers and minions (that constantly respawn). Players must work together with their team to take down the towers, as well as enemy heroes, and ultimately destroy the opposite Core to win the game. The gameplay is strategic and requires a lot of teamwork. Heroes of Order & Chaos is currently the only mobile MOBA game that features a 5 vs 5, 3 lane system. Their biggest competitor, Vainglory, only has 3 vs 3 on one lane, and The Witcher Battle Arena has 3 vs 3, capture the base style gameplay. Upon reaching level 10 (and owning at least 9 Heroes), players can participate in ranked matches, much like in League of Legends.

The Battle Begins
At the beginning of each match, players start off in their team’s base which contains the Core, a health regenerating area, and a shop. The shop has a variety of items to buy including different types of boots, weapons, armor, and items that increase various stats such as physical attack, magical attack, attack speed, mana regen, and more. In the 3 vs 3, 1 lane mode, players work together in one lane to take down their opponent’s towers, and team fights break out often. After going through all the towers, with a 2 tower split path at the end, players can win the game by destroying the other team’s Core. In the 5 vs 5, 3 lane mode, players will generally split up in the 3 lanes and destroy towers one at a time, or they could focus on one lane the most. The objective remains the same, working together with your team to push lanes and to destroy the Core. The 3 vs 3 mode usually lasts 10-20 minutes and the 5 vs 5 mode generally lasts 20-40 minutes, and teams can vote to surrender at around 9 minutes. The gameplay is very similar to PC MOBA games like League of Legends and there are bushes to hide in and a jungle area with some AI monsters to kill for gold. There is also the “last hit” mechanism in which gold is given for getting the killing blow on a minion or enemy Hero.

The Unfortunately Clunky Controls
Heroes of Order & Chaos features both joystick and tap controls but these controls are quite clunky to use and shows the game’s age. After playing mobile MOBAs such as The Witcher Battle Arena and Vainglory, both of which utilize precision tap controls similar to PC MOBAs, the controls in Heroes of Order & Chaos are much less beginner friendly and take time to get used to. Unlike other MOBAs, in which tapping on enemies automatically attacks them, Heroes of Order & Chaos has an odd targeting system and players must target enemies and then press the attack button to start attacking. This adds an extra step in which players have to first target and then attack enemies. There is also a “switch target” button to switch targets, which again, is less effective than MOBA games where one can simply tap to attack a new target. It seems like Heroes of Order & Chaos was going for more of an action feel with the joystick and attack button but due to the MOBA nature of the game, the controls just end be being cumbersome. MOBA games require quick reactions, and when switching targets are a hassle like in Heroes of Order & Chaos, the gameplay greatly suffers. The controls definitely take some getting used to and can be used effectively with some skill and practice, but is ultimately very beginner unfriendly.

Graphics Still Good in 2015
Heroes of Order & Chaos has aged well for a game that came out in 2012. Keeping its Order & Chaos Online feel, which was a colorful and fantasy-themed MMORPG, Heroes of Order & Chaos is both vibrant and highly detailed. The environments look very sharp and are filled with details in every corner, which includes campfires, rocks, trees, bushes, ground textures, water effects, and more. The skills are flashy and the interface and UI look very sleek and modern. Every Hero looks unique and is well-designed. They have voice-acted lines and multiple Skins that offer some appearance customization. The game also has interesting lighting effects that changes in various parts of the map, which gives off a very dynamic and immersive feeling. There are also three different maps that are all varied in appearance.

Lots of Heroes to Choose From
Heroes of Order & Chaos has many unique Heroes to choose from. After three years of updates, Heroes of Order & Chaos currently has over 52 Heroes. These Heroes are divided into 4 types: Fighter, Mage, Guardian, and Support. Fighters are a broad class that includes warriors, archers, and assassins all in one category, therefore their roles and attack styles can greatly differ. They all depend on physical attack and are generally focused on damage, although players can build their Heroes how they like via items. Generally, warriors are melee fighters with a balance in defense and damage, archers are rangers with high DPS and sustained damage, and assassins have powerful burst damage but fight in melee range and have low defense. Mages are powerful ranged spell casters with powerful spells and burst damage but also have weak defense. Guardians are melee tanks with high defense and a variety of abilities that can include damage, debuffing enemies, and buffing allies. Finally, Support is a class of healers and supporters that have better healing and buffing abilities than Guardians but have lower defense. Despite the 4 class types, each Hero has different stats, abilities, and roles in battle. With so many Heroes to choose from, the game offers great variety and replay value, as well as a lot of strategy in knowing what each Hero can do. There is a free Hero rotation every week with 6 random Heroes for players to try out.

Cash Shop/In-App Purchases (IAP)
The Cash Shop/IAPs are fairly standard in most MOBA games and while Heroes of Order & Chaos generally follows this formula, it also has a unique lottery system that adds a gambling aspect to the game. Players can purchase Heroes with either Emblems (in-game currency) or Gems (premium currency), but there are some Heroes that can only be won in the game’s lottery system or purchased with Essence obtained from the lottery system. The Normal Lottery gives out random items such as revive tokens, tablets, and Hero fragments (which can be used to unlock Heroes) and the Premium Lottery can give out exclusive Heroes and Skins. It is completely randomized and the Normal Lottery costs Emblems to spin while the Premium Lottery requires Gems, making it impossible for non-paying players to obtain Skins and special Heroes (unless they can acquire enough Essence, which could potentially take months to years). It is a bit odd why Gameloft made some Heroes only obtainable from a Lottery. Players get one free spin a day on the Normal Lottery, but not the Premium Lottery. The in-app purchases seem a bit unfair at first, but most Heroes can be unlocked with Emblems (from playing games) and Skins are purely cosmetic (which can only be purchased with Gems), so other than the exclusive Heroes, the in-app purchases aren’t too bad and the game isn’t pay-to-win since all the Heroes are supposedly balanced.

Final Verdict – Good
Heroes of Order & Chaos was the first MOBA game on mobile devices and manages to remain very successful and popular even today. While the game is still fun and generally well-made, with the release of newer MOBAs, such as Vainglory, which offer superior controls and more beginner-friendly gameplay, Heroes of Order & Chaos may not the best choice for new players in 2015.

Heroes of Order & Chaos Screenshots

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Heroes of Order & Chaos Videos

Heroes of Order & Chaos Online Links

Heroes of Order & Chaos Official Site
Heroes of Order & Chaos Google Play
Heroes of Order & Chaos iOS
Heroes of Order & Chaos Wikia (Database / Guides)

Heroes of Order & Chaos System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Android 2.3 and up / iOS 6.1.6 or later

Heroes of Order & Chaos Music & Soundtrack

Coming Soon...

Heroes of Order & Chaos Additional Information

Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Platforms: Android, iOS
Release Date: December 5, 2012

Shut Down: December 2022

Heroes of Order & Chaos was developed and published by Gameloft, a France-based mobile gaming company with subsidiaries in 28 different countries. Heroes of Order & Chaos is based on Gameloft’s popular MMORPG, Order & Chaos Online, which came out on April 27, 2011 and has over 5 million downloads on Android and iOS. Heroes of Order & Chaos was released on December 5, 2012 and surprisingly surpassed the downloads of Order & Chaos Online in 2015. Three years after its release, Heroes of Order & Chaos continues to grow and receive regular updates by Gameloft. Gameloft is also the publishers of popular mobile games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne, Modern Combat 5: Blackout, and Gangstar Vegas.

The game was delisted from the Apple and Google App Stores in late December 2022 with servers shutting down in early 2023.