Valorant is a first-person shooter game that was first known under the codename Project A, which was released in October 2019. The game was in closed beta until the official release on June 2, 2020. It has been around for some time, so it is time to make an honest review of this game.
First of all, this game is manufactured by Riot Games, and like all their games are, it is free to play. There are some in-game transactions, but it is not one of those pay-to-win games. The only thing you can buy are in-game skins that won’t affect gameplay at any level.
Valorant as Esports
Mechanics
Since the latest version of Counter-Strike is almost 10 years old and Valorant is the only alternative, a lot of players decided to switch games and try something new. That’s why Valorantgained huge popularity and quickly became an Esports game. There are a lot of Valorant tournaments, and the biggest one is the annual tournament organized by Riot Games called ValorantChampions, with a prize pool of $1,000,000 USD. With that in mind, there is no wonder Valorant betting is also a huge deal.
Truth to be told, there is nothing new under the Sun here. This game is just like CS:GO. It is a 5vs5 competitive FPS game with an in-game economy, different weapons, and spray patterns. If you played any version of Counter-Strike, you shouldn’t have any problems with Valorant. It is a game where only skill matters; there are no levels or anything that can help you. If someone is better, he will win no matter how many hours or money his opponent spent before. The only difference between this game and Counter-Strike is in Agents and their abilities.
Agents
The game features 19 different Agents. Every Agent has aunique set of abilities that you can use after purchasing them with in-game credits during the match. Those abilities can be different kinds of flashes, smokes, teleports, and damage inflicting molotovs, toxins, and so on. Every team consists of 5 Agents, so players have to choose wisely in order to win. Agents have different roles, which can be Duelist, Controller, Support, Initiator, and Sentinel.
– Duelists are the deadliest Agents who are equipped with the abilities to win duels. Those Agents are usually played by highly skilled individuals.
– Controller Agents are in charge of map control; they can throw smokes, walls, and everything tactical-related. All their abilities revolve around map control.
– Support Agents are there to support; they can heal, give tactical support and slow down the enemies.
– Initiators are there to initiate combats and gather information. They provide information to their teams that can be vital to winning the round.
– The role of a Sentinel Agent is pretty straightforward; they are there to support the rest of their team while also providing intel and preventing enemies from flanking behind.
Maps
Unlike Riot Games most popular game League of Legends, Valorant features multiple maps. There are 7 maps in the active map pool. Every map is different and unique in its own way. Some maps have closable gates, some have zip lines, and one map even has teleporters. It is crucial to learn all 7 maps in order to play this game. You need to know the callouts of every place on the map. It is impossible to play Valorant without knowing it.
Game Modes
There are currently 3 main game modes in Valorant; Plant/Defuse, Deathmatch, and Practice Game Modes. Plant/Defuse scenario is the most popular one. Attackers have to plant the spike, while defenders have to make sure that does not happen. In case it does, they have 45 seconds to defuse it. There are also 4 different modes within a Plant/Defuse scenario; Unrated, Competitive, Spike Rush, and Replication.
Both Unrated and Competitive are first to 13 rounds. The only difference is that in competitive, there are points you can get if you win to increase your rank. The Spike Rush is a Bo7 5v5 mode where players get random weapons at the start of each round. It is a shorter version of an unrated game; only all the players on the map have the same weapon. The Replication is something similar to Spike Rush, only all the players on the map play with the same Agent.
Deathmatch is a classic deathmatch that can be either free-for-all or team-based. As soon as you get killed, you will get respawned. This mode is mostly used to train your aim.
Practice Game Modes are shooting tests and shooting ranges where you can try out different weapons and train your aim.
Conclusion
All things considered, Valorant is a great game with a lot to offer. Every player who enjoys FPS titles will surely find this game amazing. It is a mix of Counter-Strike and Overwatch, and it includes the best from both games. Due to their competitive ranked system, every match is well balanced, and you will never encounter enemies that are worse or better than you. You will always play against people within your skill group which makes every match interesting and unpredictable.
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