CHENNAI: Valorant is the only online first-person shooter that I bothered spending a considerable amount of time and effort in learning. An exception because it’s free (therefore famous), relatively new, and my PC supports it. As a rule, I do not recommend an online FPS to anyone who has not spent at least 200 hours of their lifetime on FPS games. Despite Valorant’s bright, animated exterior which may appear newb friendly…… its brightness is complemented by the colourful comments that a newb might receive on the in-game chat. You may be playing the unrated game, where your wins and losses matter little. But to a majority on the Mumbai server on a weeknight, a missed shot is an opportunity to express their creativity. I am truly concerned for the health of the misled youth who spent time spewing insults on the internet. They could learn a lot from the kids on Roblox.
But why did I play Valorant? Valorant has an interesting agent list. Their abilities are quite diverse, which makes the experience of learning a new agent almost as different as learning a new game. I’ll tell you about the ones I particularly favoured. There’s Phoenix, the pyromancer, recklessly throwing fireballs. His ultimate provides him with an additional life to engage with enemies (to distract or attack — you decide). Sova, armed with a bow that can identify enemy locations, and an ultimate that can fly through walls. Raze — an agent of chaos, with her grenades and tiny explosives, catching the enemy off-guard every time. She has a rocket launcher, and I am still waiting for the opportunity to use it on enemies doing a group huddle.
Valorant also has well-thought maps, for the keeps! The main game mode involves an attacker and defender team, trying to plant or defend against an explosion at one of two or three locations. Each map offers unique advantages and challenges. I liked the beachside map “Breeze”, for it’s open spaces. “Haven” is easy to understand too. While it has three sites, making it tougher for the defenders, it also has multiple connections to the opposing side, providing the opportunity to rotate and creep up on enemies.
The game is worth your time if you have a group to play it with, and if you’re looking for a first-person shooter that can be supported by most PCs. It is also an excellent game to backseat game, 5/7.
Anusha Ganapathi
@quaffle_waffle
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)