Valorant - 5v5 skill-based combat!

Summer release?

Valorant is the latest title produced by Riot Games, with plans to drop sometime mid-2020. The game is currently in closed beta, and it's possible to gain access by watching select Twitch streams.

For now, the game will only be available on PC. But don't despair - if you don't have a gaming rig, you might still be able to play. Check your PC specs against the requirements on the official Valorant site.

5v5 character driven FPS

Think of the character lineup of Overwatch, in the team setting of CS:GO. That's Valorant.

It's not the most original concept, but it promises to be a lot of fun, with a high skill cap. Valorant offers a lineup of 10 heroes for you to choose from, each with unique powers. Mostly, there are DPS-heavy.

One, called Breach, simulates earthquakes to negate cover and rattle enemies. Another Jett throws knives. A third, Sage, can heal. One of the more dangerous picks is a rogue-like character, Omen, who can blind enemies.

This is just a sampling of the characters you can choose.

Standard but a good Standard

The graphics and audio are standard, but the standard is still pretty good.

The game is colorful without being eye-stabbing; the characters and surroundings aren't totally realistic, airing more on the cartoon-y side. The animations are excellent.

As you play, there isn't background music. Mostly, you'll hear verbal prompts when actions are taken, like "enemy spotted!" or "my ultimate is ready."

Each character has their personalized comments sprinkled through, and unique voices. These are useful for the player, but it can be annoying when there's unnecessary chatter.

Not grounded in reality

Earlier, Valorant was compared to CS:GO. That's the consensus across the Internet. But where CS:GO is grounded in reality, Valorant is not. Firefights are punctuated with spells and superhuman abilities.

To win matches, your team must be strategic.

Once you've chosen a fighter that fits your play-style, you're thrown into a map with four teammates. You must eliminate all of the enemy fighters to win.

There is a range of guns (no pun intended) that will let you accomplish this. They can be purchased and swapped between games, so you're not forced to use the same one all the time. This lets you customize your play-style further.

Valorant requires a level of skill that may alienate casual players.

Love first person shooters-check it out

If you enjoy first-person shooters and 5v5 battle royale, then you should most definitely check out Valorant. Riot Games is expending a lot of effort on developing this game, as well as new anti-cheat methods, and ways to decrease lag. All in all, things look promising.

Play over and over with new characters

Valorant has a lot of replay value! With ten characters to pick from, you have a lot of chances to experiment. And since you're playing against people, things can go unpredictably and stay interesting.

Also, since Valorant is skill-based, you'll have to sink in the hours to get good. Your first match and your hundredth match will be very different experiences.

TL/DR

Valorant is a character-based FPS that relies on teamwork and skill.