It has been eight years since Dota 2 released. Eight long years in which the Dota 2 world was only fleshed out through webcomics, events, heroes and item descriptions. Now that we finally got an animation on Netflix you can be damn sure I am watching it all.
Wait, I did not get the day off just to binge? Guess the first episode during lunch break will have to suffice for a first impression. Fair warning, this review will contain spoilers for the first episode, so if you haven’t seen the series yet, now is the time to turn back.
Diving right in
We open up our journey into the Dota 2 lore with the stage set up by a primer into the cosmic order of the Dota 2 world. But while you are busy enjoying Oracle’s narration you are already knee-deep in the first fight of the series. Even the casual non-Dota audience gets an easy pathway to get hooked. I mean, just look at this visual goodness:
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="1440" width="2560" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
But it is not just the visuals that have me glued to the screen and wanting to binge. The creators really caught the gritty world of Dota and showcased it in just the first 15 minutes of runtime. While it sometimes seems at times too happy to flaunt its mature setting, it never really detracted too much from the story itself.
All aboard the hype train
However before we started getting comfortable in this series the writers already brought out the big guns in the very first episode. Keen fans already knew that Davion would eventually fuse with a dragon to access his in-game draconic abilities, but many including me suspected that to be the grand finale of Dragon’s Blood. Instead it is at the end of the very first episode that his fateful encounter with Slyrak takes place.
While the animation of the Father of Fire in his terrifying glory was great, the very first moment I heard Tony Todd’s familiar voice from years of playing, I was sold on the show. That sentiment only strengthened in the climatic battle between Slyrak and a Terroblade-controlled Uldorak and the very moment in which Davion and Slyrak are bound together. Major props have to go out to the soundtrack there as it hits just the right spot and feels right at home in Dota’s soundtrack.
Dragon’s Blood really is a gift that keeps on giving for fans of Dota.
And that was just the first episode. Man, guess I have a lot of binging ahead of me tonight.
Head this way for part 2 of the Dota Dragon’s Blood Diaries:
Dota Dragon’s Blood Diaries – Strap in, this ride ain’t stopping anytime soon (Episode 2)
More Dota 2:
- Everything you need to know about Dragon’s Blood – Trailer, Release & more
- Huge Dota 2 update aims to help out new players and tackles smurfing
- What to expect from the Singapore Major’s Wild Card stage
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