Valorant a natural evolution for a stale genre
VALORANT, though recognisable as being heavily inspired by one or two of its contemporaries, may in fact be the first instalment into the ‘explosive restraint’ genre.
So masterfully balanced is Valorant, with such exquisitely intricate and satisfying tactical shooting, that you’d certainly be forgiven for mistaking it as anything other than Riot’s first ever first-person-shooter.
Without wanting to indulge in too many comparisons, one cannot simply review Valorant without comparing it to Counter-Strike. In fact, one could almost say that Valorant is somewhat of a spiritual successor to the now-ageing but nonetheless perenially revered shooter. The maps in both games are comparable in their lane-like design, with heavy emphasis placed on a thorough knowledge of their labyrinthine twists and turns. In fact, even the game mode is the exact same as Counter-Strike.
So where do they differ? Well, Valorant - very much so in keeping with the industry’s current status quo - features a line-up of well-tuned and impeccably balanced heroes, who can unleash their thunderous abilities with the press of a button.
The time to kill in Valorant is pleasantly low, so it never feels like the ultimate abilities are unfairly overpowered, when a single well-placed bullet from virtually any gun can one-shot an enemy combatant.
Another layer of tactical depth in Valorant comes from how you actually manage the in-game microeconomy between rounds.
Valorant cleverly imparts some of its very obvious hero-shooter provenance into the game through making your hero’s abilities purchasable, rather than only available on cooldowns. It is another very tightly integrated and very clever addition to the Counter Strike blueprint.
One hugely welcome facet of Valorant’s design is the visuals. While Valorant may not be the prettiest or most relevant game in terms of graphics, there can be no doubt that this is a calculated and deliberate call on part of Riot.
Valorant is an insanely readable game, with very little screen tearing or zig-zags, so to speak. Anybody who has played PUBG will understand the importance of clearly defined lines and battle readability in a game where the slightest misclick or misinterpretation of the on-screen happenings will get you instantly killed.
Valorant is a terrific game, and possibly the natural evoluion for a genre that has long since become stale.