Paragon brings MOBA action to PlayStation 4
On June 7th, 2016, enter the battlefields of Agora with the Paragon Essentials Edition, a special retail version of Paragon available exclusively for PS4. This action-packed new MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) is from Epic Games, renowned game developer of such mega-hits as Unreal Tournament, Fortnite, and the original Gears of War trilogy.
If you’re not familiar with MOBAs, they began life as a subgenre of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, and focus on epic team vs team battles with players controlling powerful hero characters. The objective is to take out your enemy’s main base with the help of AI units that periodically spawn and march forward along three pre-set lanes. Paragon is aiming to reinvent the genre with mind-blowing graphics powered by the Unreal Engine 4, a diverse roster of heroes, and a deeply strategic card system.
Paragon, a brief history
Epic Games began teasing Paragon with character vignettes starting in early November last year, and officially unveiled their new MOBA at Sony’s PlayStation Experience 2015 in San Francisco. After an initial alpha testing phase for early adopters, Paragon officially rolled out their “Early Access” program for PS4 on March 18, 2016, opening up the game for all players. While the game is not expected to be completed until this summer, those who want to get a head start and play the game before release can do so by purchasing the Paragon Essentials Edition (available June 7th), or a Founder’s Pack from the PlayStation Store. Let’s take a look at both options.
Paragon Essentials Edition
If you’re like me and love owning physical copies of your games, the Paragon Essentials Edition is for you. Inside the box you’ll find everything you need to get the most out of your Paragon experience. Here is what’s included:
- Access to Closed Beta (upon receiving the game)
- $60 worth of in-game currency to purchase other Hero Master Challenges, skins, and boosts.
- (5) Hero Master Challenges – Instantly unlocks 5 skins, plus unlocks more rewards for each Hero level
- (5) Three-Win Boosts – Level faster using these 3-win XP boosts.
- Bonus: Includes special Wasteland Twinblast skin (retail launch exclusive skin)
Master Challenges in Paragon work like this: each hero begins at Level 1 and you are free to level them up to 5. Purchasing “Master Challenges” will increase your hero level cap to 10, earning you additional rewards at each level, such as cosmetic skins, unique taunts, and the ultimate goal of unlocking your hero’s Master Skin, giving you the title of Master. By picking up the Paragon Essentials Edition, you’ll immediately unlock five Hero Master Challenges, plus bank $60 worth of in-game currency to purchase more challenges, or other items such as new character skins and XP boosts.
You’ll also get an exclusive character skin for Twinblast, the dual blaster-wielding ranger seen in the photo above. This unique skin is only available in the retail boxed version, the Paragon Essentials Edition.
Founder’s Packs
If you’re eager to get into the action now, another option is picking up a Founder’s Pack from the PlayStation Store. There are three packs available—Founder’s Pack, Challenger Founder’s Pack, and Master Founder’s Pack—with each successive pack offering more perks and rewards. Best Buy offers PlayStation Network Prepaid cards in $50 and $20 denominations for those who enjoy the security and convenience of making purchases online without using a credit card.
Paragon differentiators
So what makes Paragon stand out from the increasingly crowded MOBA genre? Here are few keys things to know about the game:
Large roster of heroes – take control of a diverse set of characters including powerful spellcasters, brute force fighters, deadly assassins, monstrous tanks, and ranged shooters. Fourteen characters have already been introduced, and Epic Games will be releasing new heroes every three weeks.
Skill-based gameplay – In order to succeed in Paragon, skill and strategy are paramount. Take direct control of your hero with a third-person over-the-shoulder camera that opens up the battlefield more than traditional top-down MOBAs. Climb to heights and strike from above, enter the thick of the jungle for sneak attacks, or storm the battle lanes with direct assaults—the choice is yours.
Deeply Strategic Card system – Cards are key to your success in Paragon, so build your custom decks carefully. Equipping cards will augment your hero in different ways, and you can upgrade your cards to make them, and you, stronger.
Excited for Paragon? Don’t wait, pre-order the Paragon Essentials Edition now and secure your copy of PS4’s thrilling new MOBA experience.
