Amidst a slew of initial connectivity problems, an inordinate number of pirated copies, and a broken street date, Gas Powered Games has finally released Demigod, their take on the immensely popular DotA (Defense of the Ancients). For those not in the loop DotA is to Warcraft 3 as Counter Strike was to Half Life, which is essentially a highly popular mod made using the built-in map editor. The game itself takes elements of traditional role-playing games and blends them with elements of real time strategy. Each player chooses a different hero, with different skill sets and attributes, in an attempt to destroy the enemy base. Along the way characters can gain money by defeating enemy heroes, creeps, or structures. Money can in turn be used for items and other buffs. It is a deceptively deep system.

Demigod is a game that looks to improve and refine the established formula and in many ways it does. The game boasts some of the finest visuals to date, some that hold up even under intense scrutiny. It also features some epic music and sound effects. Demigod also looks to diversify game play by offering two types of heroes, the generals and the assassins. Those familiar with DotA will immediately resonate with the assassin type, who are essentially extremely strong warriors that can turn the tide of battle. Generals, as the name suggests, command troops and give bonuses to creeps and fellow heroes. It offers two distinct play styles and really provides some much needed diversity to a beloved, yet fairly standard formula.

Another touted feature of Demigod is the expansive tech tree. Each character has many skills that they can be played in a multitude of different ways. Despite there only being eight characters, there is plenty of variety.

The game is of course not perfect. DotA players will no doubt find it slow paced. Towers take a lot to defeat and characters feel like they are plodding even with boots to boost speed. The item system is also nowhere near as complex or rewarding as DotA. There are no recipes or complex item formulas, only tiered items and the standard assortment of potions.

There is more variation than DotA, but there are still only eight maps and most are slightly tweaked versions of an original with some cosmetic differences. Still, the game is just downright fun and the staff has been hard at work fixing the numerous online connection issues. When it works, Demigod is a game with plenty of fun to be had and at times even rivals its source material.