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The โauto battlerโ genreโa mash-up of chess and turn-based strategy gamesโsaw a boom in 2019 with the release of the Dota Auto Chess mod, Valveโs official Dota Underlords game, and Riot Gamesโ Teamfight Strategies. Everย since, onย theย otherย hand, the genre hasnโt seen numerous major releases that challenge the heavyweights.
Althoughย while Teamfight Strategies dominates the genre, Mojo Melee has stepped forward as a new competitor.
The new auto-battler has entered an open beta phase utilizing Non-Fungibleย Tokenย (NFTs) that act as skins, in-game characters, and more that likewise help fund development of the game. We went hands-on to see how this Webย 3.0 riff on the auto battler is shaping up.
On launch, the game instantly looks great. The characters are high-resolution and are full of life, and the vibrant world made me want to dive deeper into the lore of the game. Seeingย as that it is a free-to-play, in-browser game, the graphics and optimization are very impressive.
Andย once you 1st create an account, youย need choose a Mojoโa little green guy who you start every game with. Each Mojo has a different capacity, so choose wisely as thereโs no going back.
Mojo Melee asย ofย now offers two game modes: Duel and Melee. Duel is a 1v1 battle, and 1st toย gainย 3 rounds takes the game. Inย theย meantime, Melee is an eight-player tournament mode.
The 1v1 environment feels asย well short asย ofย now with a lack of progression, but owingย to the low player base during the beta, itโs a great way to quickly test the game. An eight-player tournament offers more opportunity for team progression, but itโs hard to fill a lobby of real players currently.
Just like any auto battler, this game is all about forming a team of champions to defeat the enemy. Each character has a unique capacity such as a heal, stun, or knockback, and youย willย want to create a team that has a solid blend of damage, defense, and utilityโbut thatโs about where the strategy stops.
Unfortunately, in this early beta state, Mojo Melee lacks the complexity and depth that makes you want to keep revisiting other auto battler games. There are no traits, synergies, or economic strategies that make the game more interesting or nuanced. Itโs relatively skin-deep for now.
Especially in the shorter 1v1 games, it often feels like RNG (or random number generation) will dictate how successful youย willย be. If you can get a two-star Brooka Clawhaven in the 1st round, then it feels like youโve won already.
Itโd be great to see the developer add traits and synergies to build more depth to a game that already has sturdy foundations. In its current state, it feels like thereโs little skill to winning a game, so itโs not terribly rewarding. There are likewise balancing issues in the mix, including overpowered stun moves, but thatโs to be expected from a pre-release beta test.
The Webย 3.0 angle
Non-Fungibleย Tokenย (NFTs) have been leveraged throughout the development of Mojo Melee. That includes a free mint for a Polygon Non-Fungibleย Tokenย (NFT) collectors pass, an โadoptionโ sale that unlocked a Mojo and some characters, and other chests asย ofย now available on Magic Eden.
Youโre not able to open these โbeta chestsโ in-game asย ofย now, but similar chests can be unlocked through natural progression. Chests include in-game currency, characters, and upgradesโbut thankfully nothing that muddles the balance and makes it feel pay-to-win.
Most of the ways that Non-Fungibleย Tokenย (NFTs) have been utilized thus far havenโt majorly influenced the user experience, but have been a useful way for the team to raise funds for the game. And hopefully, Non-Fungibleย Tokenย (NFT) sales willย assist fund the extra polish and nuance toย assist Mojo Melee really shine.
Currently, Mojo Melee is a simplistic, easy-to-pick-up auto battler that lacks depth for more hardcore gamers. That stated, as itโs a free browser-based game, itโs hard to be angry that itโs asย ofย now tailored for a casual audience.
The auto battler genre has arguably struggled to grow at times owingย to it being a difficult concept to quickly grasp. This is not the case for Mojo Melee. If you are looking for a streamlined and simplified introduction to the genre, then this canย potentially be the game for you.
