Overview
Over the past summer, Riot Games released a new game called Valorant. Valorant is an attacker vs defender game similar to the popular game Counter Strike Global Offensive. In the game, you choose a character with different abilities that you use to battle and control bombsites in order to win. Valorant is a game that is free but allows for cosmetic skins for each of the guns available. Like CSGO, the goal is to win a certain number of rounds and after 12 rounds, the attackers and defenders switch sides to get to the final total of 13 to win. In the time that I have played it, I find that I really enjoy the game. While I say this it must also be said that it takes a lot of time to get better at aiming and movement which creates a high skill ceiling for the game. In terms of narrative, there is not a clear one. Narrative The only narrative is the underlying one that is each character wants to win and they are competing in order to survive and protect their home. In terms of dialogue, the only dialogue is the character voice lines which I find very entertaining and they make the game more interesting. Gameplay The gameplay is kind of linear but because it is a player versus player game with different maps the different tactics that are created allow for expansions of gameplay and the game does not become disinteresting. In terms of the skills, it takes some time to get used to like CSGO but after awhile it is easy and the only thing that can improve is your aim. Overall the game makes sense for the gameplay and it is a huge part of the game because of all the different abilities and guns. Visually, I find this game very similar to League of Legends as they were created by the same studio and I think that it helps the game a lot. Visuals The visuals are very simple but also have very bright colors that pop. This makes the game very different from games like CSGO which use very dull and dark colors to simulate real-world experiences and battles. Almost all of the animations for the characters and abilities make as much sense as they can while keeping the fantasy theme. Because of these abilities, it feels more like a fantasy game. The actual violence is toned down along with the minimal amount of blood in the game. This style helps the game by introducing a younger player base and it makes parents feel better as there is minimal blood. Overall the visual style is simple but designed well and it helps tie together the game while separating it from others in the genre. Audio There is main menu audio which is a very chill soundtrack that doesn't overpower anyone talking. There is also audio for every time a button is clicked which makes sense and adds a needed element to the game. When you are in the game, it is very easy to tell when someone is running versus walking and the sounds of different abilities and guns. This helps the player as they can locate the enemy depending on how fast they are moving and gives intel to what abilities and guns have been used. Finally, when you plant the bomb, a beeping sound starts that speeds up as the bomb is about to explode. This helps notify the defenders that they need to defuse the bomb and how urgent it is. Interface If there is one thing that is perfect about the game it is definitely the interface. Whether you are in-game or in the menu every interface is sleek and the design is well thought out. It is very easy to find the settings and what abilities and guns you want to buy all while having an amazing visual design for each button. Along with this, going from menu to menu feels natural and logical and it makes for easy access to every option available in the game. Accessibility and Technical In terms of accessibility, it is inclusive for everyone. Riot implemented color blind modes of different varieties that allow anyone with colorblindness to play easily. They also make the controls very easy even though the only option available is with keyboard and mouse. While this is the only option, almost every key bind can be changed to the preference of the player. All of the text was easily readable and there were no errors. In terms of technical errors, there were almost none. The only errors that arose were connection issues which most likely stem from my spotty WIFI. Overall, the game never crashed and I have not had many errors with the game itself. Conclusion Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone with a good enough computer to play it. This game makes the concept very engaging and has long-term playability with its ranked system. I find the visuals and interfaces to be sleek and simplistic while also tying into the fantasy concept they were aiming for. The gameplay is crisp and the mechanics allow for a high skill ceiling and many different tactics. The maps that are available and the fact they are making more allows for replayability that needs to be present in any game. Overall, I give this game a 5/5 and would recommend it to anyone who likes first-person shooter games. Summary
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AuthorHi, my name is Nick Bayer and I will be posting blogs about every 1-2 weeks in the 2020-21 school year. I am doing this for my Advanced Game Design class at Durham School of the Arts(DSA). The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools. Categories
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