Valorant was one of the most popular titles in the last few years. If you’re a long-time FPS gamer, getting a hold of the basics shouldn’t be a problem, so there is a certain level of familiarity. Seasoned veterans get treated to new, updated graphics and special abilities that make things a bit more complex for those looking for a challenge.
Today, when we talk about FPS MOBAs, the first game we think of is Valorant. In fact, there is a good chance that this title has already eclipsed Blizzard’s Overwatch in terms of popularity.
Unfortunately, despite its incredible initial success, the game is plagued by the same things as other multiplayer online battle arenas. First and foremost, it has quickly become notorious for its toxicity. You can also argue that it’s very similar to some other games hitting the market as of late.
Battle pass system and free rewards
Valorant is a free MOBA. Like Riot’s crown achievement, League of Legends, the company makes money from the game through its numerous cosmetics. It sells battle passes with numerous visual items such as weapon skins, spray paints, character cards, etc. This is really cool as you don’t have to purchase the title, yet you still get the full content.
You also get skins by leveling up. For example, when you get to Act 10, or level 50, you will get stuff such as gun cosmetics and character cards. In most cases, these free items come with basic buddies and Radianite points.
Spending money in Valorant
Even though you get some minor rewards by simply playing the game, the only way to receive numerous cosmetics is by purchasing a battle pass. It costs 1,000 Valorant points or USD10. Once you purchase it, you will get all the previous items you’ve obtained while playing the game. In other words, the game will retroactively award you skins based on progression.
Weapon skin samples
Although you will get the same rewards whether you buy a battle pass sooner or later, if you purchase it early on, you will get an extra 3% XP gain for leveling up. This would allow you to progress through acts faster.
Battle system
When it comes to progression, a player can reach level 50. With each level, you will unlock a new reward, which you can only attain by purchasing a battle pass. Like similar RPG systems, you will need more and more experience to reach the next level. So, you will need 750 XP for level 2, 1,500 XP for level 3, 2,250 XP for level 4, and so on. According to experts, it takes about two months to fully level up an account.
Valorant has daily and weekly missions that provide extra experience to players. Each daily mission gives you 2,000 points, and given that you can play three of them, that makes a total of 6,000.
As for the weekly missions, you can also finish three of them in a week. However, they provide much more points (14,400 experience per mission for a total of 43,200). It takes most players between 3-10 games to finish a weekly mission. So, although they provide a lot of points, you will need some time to get them done.
The cool thing about missions is that they are different enough to make them fun. For example, to accomplish one of them, you have to score a certain number of headshots. Others require purchasing weapons, shields, reaching a certain amount of damage, etc.
Popular Valorant modes
You can access different rooms when playing the game. This is one of the game’s features that isn’t quite discussed enough. The game has unranked and ranked matches, however, both of them are very competitive to the point of flaming. The beginners start from Iron 1 and can progress all the way to the Radiant tier.
Spike Rush is one of the modes that you can enjoy. It is very fast, and the first team to win four rounds wins the match. Both pre-round and game time are reduced, so you will almost instantly start playing the match. Although this is not classified as a ranked game, you can still acquire mission experience.
We also have to mention the popular Deathmatch mode. Here, you play a game with 11 other players as you’re trying to kill each other. Each player gets a random agent, and in order to win, you either need to get 40 kills or to have the most kills after 9 minutes. It is worth noting there are no abilities in this mode, so the fact that agents are randomized doesn’t provide any advantage or disadvantage.
Lastly, you have the option of creating Custom games. As you can presume, everything goes in this mode. You can make rounds much quicker, have unlimited ammo, pause the match at any time, have unlimited abilities, etc.
PC Requirements
Similar to League of Legends, Valorant is made to cater to everybody. This includes the PC requirements, which calls for a low to mid-level gaming rig. While the minimum GPU is a GT 730, a GTX 1050ti can deliver 144fps for competitive play.
The developer is also set to launch a mobile version of the game, although there is no confirmed release date yet.
Conclusion
So, should you play Valorant in 2022, or should you opt for something different? Well, it all depends on your taste. Although MOBAs have been on the decline as of late, they are still massively popular. Simply put, there is nothing better than grouping up with four best friends and battling an organized 5-man team.
As for Valorant, this is a very complex game with a unique system. The only other game we can compare it to is Overwatch, but, at this moment, I would give Valorant an advantage in terms of its playability. All in all, if you’re a fan of FPS MOBAs, the title is more than worth your time.
