Valorant is the first game that I'd think about when I hear the word "corporate-designed".
Yes, it's an amalgamation of your popular first-person shooters, particularly Counter Strike's mechanics with a side of modern hero-shooter sprinkled in. Yet, there's nothing really that stands out from Valorant's design; map-wise and mechanics-wise, Valorant is muddy and lacks any confidence. Even worse? It seems that the game lacks any trust for its playerbase, continuously streamlining and pigeonholing player experience into very specific playstyles instead of encouraging creativity.
The game's poor design choices are thankfully hidden by its aesthetic. A thin-veil that holds the game together, yet polluting the game in every sense. Skills are flashy, yet uninteresting, regurgitated and overloaded. Maps are overly-designed, each and every one of them is almost unreadable with the clutter decorating every corner. Every single map is also required to bring a gimmick in the table too, promoting style over substance, something that Riot seems to love invocating in their games. How can I forget the obnoxious cosmetics too? After all, they are all that matters anyway.
If it's unclear, I don't like Valorant. Unlike my past reviews, I'd rather not give it any score or rating. I believe that giving scores, may it be 1 or 5, means that I value something, even if it's the slightest, from that particular game.
Bad games are memorable because they're either funny or completely disfigured that every bone in your body clinks every time you engage with them. Good games are memorable because, well, they're good and standout amongst the crowd. Boring games are forgettable, bring nothing to the table, and lacks any remarkable impression to be discussed. Valorant? Definitely unmemorable.
Yes, it's an amalgamation of your popular first-person shooters, particularly Counter Strike's mechanics with a side of modern hero-shooter sprinkled in. Yet, there's nothing really that stands out from Valorant's design; map-wise and mechanics-wise, Valorant is muddy and lacks any confidence. Even worse? It seems that the game lacks any trust for its playerbase, continuously streamlining and pigeonholing player experience into very specific playstyles instead of encouraging creativity.
The game's poor design choices are thankfully hidden by its aesthetic. A thin-veil that holds the game together, yet polluting the game in every sense. Skills are flashy, yet uninteresting, regurgitated and overloaded. Maps are overly-designed, each and every one of them is almost unreadable with the clutter decorating every corner. Every single map is also required to bring a gimmick in the table too, promoting style over substance, something that Riot seems to love invocating in their games. How can I forget the obnoxious cosmetics too? After all, they are all that matters anyway.
If it's unclear, I don't like Valorant. Unlike my past reviews, I'd rather not give it any score or rating. I believe that giving scores, may it be 1 or 5, means that I value something, even if it's the slightest, from that particular game.
Bad games are memorable because they're either funny or completely disfigured that every bone in your body clinks every time you engage with them. Good games are memorable because, well, they're good and standout amongst the crowd. Boring games are forgettable, bring nothing to the table, and lacks any remarkable impression to be discussed. Valorant? Definitely unmemorable.