Valorant is rumored to enter beta in just a few weeks and some gameplay footage is already out. Let’s take a look and see what does it have in common with Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, its main competitors.
Project A, now known by its real title Valorant, is an ambitious tactical hero shooter by Riot Games of League of Legends fame. The new game promises to make a big splash in the esports scene and is heavily marketed for its competitiveness, importance of tactics and the solving of genre-wide problems such as lag and cheating.
We’ll see if Riot Games will deliver on all of that, but while we wait, we can take a look at what we know and compare and contrast it to the big boy multiplayer FPS games. Since the devs are very secretive, we’ll use our eyes, game knowledge and throw a couple of educated guesses. Let’s go!
Similarities with CS:GO
For starters, Valorant is aesthetic very similar to CS. Gone is the cartoony art style of League of Legends and over-the-top high fantasy elements. Enter shotguns and AWP-style rifles in duller, darker tones, very similar to real-life firearms.
Moreover, the two share many gameplay similarities. Five-on-five team fights will make the experiences very similar, but this is just the beginning. The default game mode in Valorant will be bomb defusal, just like it is in Counter-Strike. When it comes to gunplay, Valorant will have utilities very similar to the smokes and flashes of CS, but they will be disguised as hero powers, instead of consumables that need to be bought. Weapons, on the other hand, will be bought from a menu, which will be familiar to any CS:GO player. The same goes for map structure.
Last, but not least, Valarant will be free to play, just like CS:GO.
Similarities with Overwatch
The biggest similarity will be the presence of playable Heroes named Agents. The game will launch with a set number of them and more will be added with updates as time passes. Every Agent will have a unique set of skills and a role to play on the battlefield. In a fashion similar to Blizzard's flagship shooter, the characters will have strong personalities and will be represented in-game by displaying their name and portrait, as well as tons of unique animations, emotes and voice lines.
Just like Overwatch, Valorant will have a story that’s told and expanded both in and outside the game. Riot promise to give us regular glimpses of the world via comics, animated shorts and other pieces of media - something they’ve proven to be extremely good at after 10 years of making League of Legends content. And speaking of the world, Project A will be set in a post-crisis near-future world ravaged by conflict. Hey, that’s just like the world of Overwatch!
What’s unique?
The Riot FPS sure has lots of similarities and will be compared a lot to Overwatch and especially CS:GO. But even though we know little of it, we can already see some unique aspects.
Unlike Overwatch, you won’t be able to switch your character mid-game. When you pick an Agent, you’ll have to carry on until the score sheet reaches 13 points for one of the two teams and the match is over.
Unlike the other two, Riot promises no loot boxes. This seems to be something of a trend for newer games and news very much welcomed by gamers. Instead, Valorant will offer a Battle pass with unique content for every season, much like the business model of Fortnite and Apex Legends.
Finally, the game is said to not include any character skins, only guns will be customizable. This is surely to focus on the competitive aspect of the game and make it easier for spectators to understand and enjoy.
Well, that’s what we know so far. If the rumors turn out true, we’ll get hands-on experience in just a few weeks and we’ll see what Valorant is all about. We are ready and have already put our opinion in this interesting piece of art.
