Paladins

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Paladins is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Evil Mojo Games and was released on May 3, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Paladins is a free-to-play team game with strategy elements and fantasy setting, where characters called Champions have distinct abilities and can be customized using collectible cards for various playstyles. These cards amplify and augment each Champion's core abilities, providing multiple layers of gameplay and strategic depth. With its combination of shooting mechanics and character customization, Paladins offers a unique and engaging experience in the realm of team-based games.

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 127,445 reviews

gameplay2.6k positive mentions

stability1.9k negative mentions

Players feel a deep emotional connection to 'Paladins,' often citing it as a source of comfort and nostalgia, with strong community interactions.
The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, with a diverse roster of characters and customizable loadouts that encourage experimentation and replayability.
The humor and quirky character designs contribute to a light-hearted atmosphere, making the game enjoyable, especially when played with friends.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including bugs, crashes, and unresponsive UI elements, which detract from the overall experience.
Many players criticize the monetization model as aggressive and intrusive, with a constant push for in-game purchases that can feel overwhelming.
The lack of a cohesive narrative and engaging lore leaves players wanting more depth in the story aspect, making the game feel repetitive over time.

gameplay
6,566 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The gameplay of Paladins is characterized by its fast-paced, team-based action that combines elements from both hero shooters and MOBAs, allowing for a high degree of customization through a card system that alters champion abilities. While many players appreciate the diverse roster of characters and the strategic depth offered by loadouts and in-game item purchases, the game is often criticized for balance issues, bugs, and a toxic community, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the core gameplay remains engaging and enjoyable, particularly for those who enjoy cooperative play and tactical gameplay.
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and fun, and the variety of game modes keeps things fresh.”
- “The gameplay felt fast and dynamic - fights were happening all the time, yet it never felt overwhelming or chaotic.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, fast-paced, and really addictive.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it has this mix of familiar elements and small twists that keep things from feeling stale.”
- “However, the constant technical issues and gameplay imbalance make it a hard game to recommend for long-term play.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and chaotic, with everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off.”
graphics
3,435 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The graphics of Paladins are often described as colorful and cartoonish, appealing to players who enjoy a vibrant aesthetic. While many appreciate the game's art style and find it visually engaging, some critiques highlight that the graphics can feel dated compared to modern titles like Overwatch, with occasional bugs and performance issues. Overall, the game is noted for its accessibility on lower-end systems, allowing for smooth gameplay even with modest hardware.
- “The graphics are bright and colorful, with smooth animations and fun character designs.”
- “While it doesn’t aim for photorealism, the visuals are vibrant and clear, allowing players to easily distinguish between champions and game elements.”
- “Paladins has a colorful and stylized art direction, opting for a cartoony, slightly exaggerated aesthetic.”
- “Graphically, Paladins has also fallen far behind.”
- “The graphics are very outdated and could very much use an update; it looks like Wizard101 for reference.”
- “The graphics are cartoonish, but very well done, and the overall gameplay is pretty cool.”
stability
1,946 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The stability of Paladins has been a significant point of contention among players, with many describing the game as "extremely buggy" and "a buggy mess." Users report frequent crashes, glitches, and unresponsive UI elements, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences. While some players find the bugs add a humorous element to the game, the overall sentiment is that the developers need to prioritize fixing these issues to enhance the gaming experience. Despite its fun gameplay and potential, the persistent technical problems detract from its appeal.
- “The game looks great, feels great, and runs great.”
- “Gunplay is refreshing, movement is smooth, and the game runs great, even on low-end machines.”
- “Very well optimized, runs great on max settings.”
- “The game is just too unpolished, unbalanced, and buggy.”
- “It's a buggy mess that is always crashing or doing weird things.”
- “The game is buggy as hell, the 'anti-cheat' doesn't work, sometimes you get bad servers that you can't even connect to.”
story
871 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
78%
10%
The story aspect of Paladins receives mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of a cohesive narrative or engaging lore compared to competitors like Overwatch. While some appreciate the individual backstories of champions and the potential for deeper storytelling, others criticize the game for its minimal plot development and reliance on gameplay mechanics over narrative depth. Overall, players express a desire for a more structured story mode or campaign to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Each champion also has a unique backstory and personality, adding to the game's rich lore and world-building.”
- “With its compelling story, impressive graphics, and in-depth character customization, the game offers an experience that will keep players enthralled for hours on end.”
- “The game has a really deep lore and has been expanding since the release.”
- “The story is quite boring.”
- “This game brings me so much nostalgia, but nowadays it's pretty boring since there's no lore or story behind it.”
- “Overall, after a bit more time, the lack of a solid story or campaign makes this game plain boring after some time.”
humor
795 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in this game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting its quirky characters, funny voice lines, and the absurdity of gameplay moments, often leading to laughter during matches. Many reviews note that the game's bugs and glitches, while sometimes frustrating, often contribute to its charm and comedic value, making it a fun experience, especially when played with friends. Overall, the game is described as a light-hearted alternative to more serious shooters, with a unique blend of humor and chaotic gameplay that keeps players entertained.
- “The action is fast, the characters are funny, and the ability to pick your champion based on your playstyle is one of its strongest points.”
- “It's funny because the reason I gave this game a chance in the first place is because it was a free alternative to Overwatch, and after playing it I ended up loving it much more than I ever thought I would.”
- “If you're looking for a game that will have you laughing and shouting (sometimes in a different language), then Paladins is the game for you.”
- “The entire ranked system has a huge flaw that makes ranked grinding tedious and really unfunny, since you can be a platinum player trying to have fun and getting queued against a duo of grandmasters and get demolished.”
- “It is not special, not interesting and not funny, even though it tries to be all of that.”
- “It's absolutely not funny losing to coordinated pro teams all the time and dying all the time when trying to learn the game.”
monetization
762 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
59%
32%
The monetization model in Paladins has drawn mixed reactions from players, with many criticizing it for being overly aggressive and reminiscent of cash grabs. While the game operates on a free-to-play basis with cosmetic microtransactions that do not impact gameplay, players express frustration over the constant push for in-game purchases, including battle passes and skins, which can feel intrusive. Despite some acknowledging the fairness of the system, the overwhelming presence of ads and the high cost of certain items have led to concerns about the game's focus shifting away from player experience to profit generation.
- “✅ Fair free-to-play model – all champions can be unlocked through gameplay, and monetization is mostly cosmetic.”
- “While some of the cosmetic monetization does feel aggressive, I can’t deny that dressing up my gameplay was fun.”
- “The monetization approach is fair, allowing players to support the game while still enjoying the full experience without feeling pressured to spend.”
- “The constant barrage of advertisements for in-game purchases is also overwhelming and intrusive.”
- “The game has a few monetization forms, which don't feel too invasive or predatory (unless you count in lootboxes).”
- “The monetization is relentless.”
optimization
743 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
43%
20%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it runs smoothly on lower-end systems, often performing well even on older hardware. However, numerous reports highlight persistent issues such as lag, frame rate drops, and crashes, particularly during peak times or with specific graphics settings. Overall, while some users praise its accessibility and performance, others express frustration over ongoing optimization problems and bugs that detract from the gameplay experience.
- “The optimization for this game is insane; it can be run on a potato, maybe even a calculator. I ran this off of a GTX 660ti for a bit and it ran insane.”
- “Love it, actually optimized and runs well.”
- “This game is so much better optimized than Overwatch that it has me throwing more shade at Blizzard than the Diablo Immortal reveal.”
- “Poor optimization (the Steam page specs are just lies at this point)”
- “The game is unoptimized and plagued by bugs.”
- “Performance issues aren't much of a problem, but crashing and issues with alt-tabbing are.”
grinding
699 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
11%
88%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it can be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of hours to unlock characters and cosmetics. While some find the grind rewarding and enjoyable, especially when playing with friends, others criticize it as a frustrating barrier that detracts from the overall experience, particularly for new players. The consensus suggests that while grinding is a common feature in free-to-play games, the current system may feel overly demanding, leading to a perception of the game as "pay-to-win" for those unwilling to invest the time.
- “The battle system is great and not grindy at all if you actually make an effort to play the game.”
- “Very fair free-to-play system, no grinding needed to unlock what you want.”
- “Not grindy to unlock everyone.”
- “Everything earnable requires insane grinding or vague dailies that are also grindy if not outright impossible.”
- “Grinding for cosmetics is null.”
- “The grind to unlock all the champions is very long and tedious.”
character development
346 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising the unique and imaginative character designs that offer a variety of playstyles and customization options. However, some critiques highlight a lack of cohesive lore and depth, suggesting that while the characters are visually appealing, their personalities and backstories often feel underdeveloped. Overall, the game is recognized for its vibrant art style and engaging character mechanics, though it faces comparisons to other titles like Overwatch regarding originality and character depth.
- “The character designs are unique and expressive, with a solid cosmetic system that lets you personalize your experience through skins, voice packs, titles, icons, and more.”
- “The character designs and diverse move sets are what I think set it apart the most.”
- “I love the character design and the game plays super fast and fun.”
- “The character designs are lackluster, and the animations are choppy, making it difficult to connect with any of the heroes.”
- “The character designs look like an inconsistent mess; it's like a randomly selected deviantart OC collection.”
- “The only thing keeping me from liking this game is the disgustingly cringy and uncreative character design and the toxic community.”
music
305 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic and immersive qualities, while others find it repetitive and lacking in variety. Many users enjoy the thematic soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience, but there are frequent complaints about bugs affecting sound playback and a desire for a more diverse music selection. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it often falls short of expectations for a more dynamic and engaging soundtrack.
- “The music and sound effects are solid and add to the intensity of matches.”
- “They've created a beautiful soundtrack that I always find myself listening to, often longer than makes sense to sit in a lobby.”
- “The sound design in the game has been lovingly crafted, and the various music themes convey emotions masterfully.”
- “Now that Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals are both free-to-play, staying here feels like staying at a party three hours after the lights came on and the music stopped.”
- “The music is not really all that important in this game, unless you're sitting in the main menu for the next hour or so.”
- “The music can grow a bit stale after several matches, but it fits well with the alleged setting and is nothing that will make you mute the game.”
replayability
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
Overall, "Paladins" is praised for its high replayability, attributed to its diverse character roster, customizable loadouts, and engaging gameplay mechanics that encourage experimentation. While some players note issues with matchmaking and character balance, many agree that the game's depth and frequent updates provide a fresh experience, making it more replayable than competitors like "Overwatch." However, concerns about monetization and the need for more playable characters and maps are also mentioned, indicating room for improvement in sustaining long-term engagement.
- “If you’re willing to embrace its quirks, you’ll find a game with a ton of depth and replayability.”
- “The diverse character roster and engaging gameplay mechanics provide endless variety and replayability.”
- “With a wide selection of champions, each with unique abilities and playstyles, the game offers a lot of strategic depth and replayability.”
- “The more I played by myself, the more the cracks that Paladins showed; on the surface, it has a lot of variety and replayability to offer with its loadout system, talents, and the sheer amount of characters.”
- “Only con I can think of is it currently could use more replayability; playing the same characters on the same maps on the same modes is hard to keep interesting after 30+ hours.”
- “By the time you hit level 50, the replayability is gone.”
emotional
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to "Paladins," often citing it as a source of comfort during difficult times, with many feeling a sense of nostalgia and attachment to its characters and community. The game's cancellation of support has left many feeling heartbroken, as it represents lost potential and cherished memories. Despite its flaws, the emotional investment and wholesome interactions within the community resonate strongly with players, making it a significant part of their gaming experiences.
- “I was having the worst days of my life, and somehow this game became the only thing that made me feel a little less alone and a little more alive.”
- “I don't know how to rate this game; it has a lot of emotional and private meaning to me.”
- “Evie and Pip: this relationship made me cry when I read the lore of it; it was so emotional that I thought I was watching a movie.”
atmosphere
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is described as colorful and immersive, with a mix of cheerful and competitive elements that appeal to various players. While some reviews highlight a decline in the game's atmosphere over time, others appreciate its unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi aesthetics, along with engaging music and visuals. However, the overall experience can be marred by toxic gameplay and technical issues, leading to a somewhat inconsistent atmosphere.
- “The new maps are all very colorful and the artists have nailed the atmosphere and details.”
- “The atmosphere is immersive.”
- “The music works very well with adding to the amazing atmosphere of the game.”
- “The whole atmosphere seems bland, especially the forgettable heroes.”
- “This game's atmosphere was unmatched and now it's nothing more than a shell of its former self.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is very depressing.”