Despite its deep mechanics and reputation as an S-tier MOBA, "DOTA 2" has some serious downsides that have heavily impacted my gaming experience. While the game's complexity and strategic depth are impressive, it often brings out the worst in players. The community can be incredibly toxic, leading to frustration and stress that overshadow any enjoyment. For me personally, "DOTA 2" has consumed a massive amount of my time and mental energy, leaving me with little satisfaction and a neglected backlog of other games I actually want to play. The relentless grind and emotional toll have turned what should be a fun escape into a draining chore.

I can’t believe I’ve spent a whole decade binge playing this game. In so many ways it is the best moba there is, has been, and will be for the foreseeable future. No other comes even close.

The sheer complexity of this game is hard to wrap my mind around, and more so how well balanced it is and continues to be after each massive update overhauls the stats and mechanics every few months.

Its learning curve is extremely steep at the beginning, which is one of the reasons the game fails to grow its playerbase. It really pays off however to learn the mechanics and become a better player. Managing to keep your team alive or successfully planning elaborate strats and coming back from an unfavorable match feels extremely rewarding and satisfactory, and so does realizing how one’s grasp of the ever more complex mechanics increases on par with their ranks progression.

There are two more aspects of DotA 2 for which I would like to commend the game, albeit I’m confident these two specific things contribute to less players getting hooked to the game once they try it.

First, anything that affects gameplay, including every hero, is free and completely accessible from the very beginning. Money can only purchase cosmetic items, which in turn translates in less players ever spending a dime, even though it is proven that “investing” any amount of money in a game makes the player more likely to come back to it. I commend the game for that.

The other aspect is the aesthetic design of its characters. While other MOBAs and other GaaS insist on sexualizing its characters to increase the game's appeal, DotA 2 dares to use fantasy designs which range from monstrous beasts and elemental entities to warriors with normal, believable proportions.

In any case, I wouldn’t lightly recommend DotA. However there is a certain amount of people with an itch for intense action and strategy who are in for an amazing ride.

The video game equivalent of heroin. Coincidentally also the best game ever in terms of mechanics.

The people who play this game are either ghouls or on the unfortunate journey to becoming one. That's not true, actually. There's plenty of cool people that play DotA, the game just tends to bring out the worst out of people at times. You might've heard it before, it has very high highs and very low lows. It takes a shit ton of time to start feeling like you actually understand what's going on in the game, and even then there's just always something more you can do to become better. Most matches are stressful, since you have to navigate a world of uncountable variables and try to find the best way to win while also fitting in with the 4 other people on your team who are doing the same thing. That's why DotA is best when played with friends, because then you can all be on the same page. And when it all works out, it feels really good, like you've cracked a code, made a team effort and surpassed your past self. Personally, that's what's kept me playing for 9 years. This game is really good, but unless you've got unlimited free time and mental fortitude, I don't recommend starting now.

Italian review first, English review is right below~
Spoiler free!

ITA
3,5 su 5 - Amo questo gioco ma odio questo gioco.
Giocato su Windows, giocato su Linux tanto nativo come con Proton e non ha alcun problema.

In breve? Git gud.
In dettaglio?
C'è veramente troppo da dire. È un moba in costante evoluzione, con così tante meccaniche che vanno e vengono che è impossibile dare un'opinione. L'unica cosa che mi infastidisce è la mancanza di una funzione per la resa alle pick, che non mi obblighi ad abbandonare la partita e rischiare dunque di finire in low priority (che sarebbe un po' come finire all'inferno).
Rigiocherei? ... Vorrei dire di no, ma ho appena finito di giocare l'ennesima partita.

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Eng
3,5 out of 5 - I love this game, but I hate this game.
Played over Windows, played over Linux both native and with various Proton versions and never had a problem.

tl;dr? Git gud.
More specifically?
There's way too much to say about it. It's a moba in constant evolution, with so many mechanics that come and go that it's impossible to give my opinion.
The only thing that bothers me is the lack of a feature to surrender during the picks, one that won't compel me to abandon the match and make me risk the low priority (which is akin to be end up in hell).
Would I play this again? ... I'd like to say no, but I've just finished playing the umpteenth match.

This game is fine.

Played a large amount of DOTA on WC3 and if its sequel holds close to the original and expands upon it then it deserves every piece of praise it's gettings.

Hard to get into but very rewarding after playing for long enough. While I recognize its strengths as an involved, tactical based MOBA, I will most likely not return due to the level of commitment required for entry. For those willing, they will not regret the investment.