Thoughts on Valorant Closed Beta for PC
Posted May 26, 2020 11:22 PM
Valorant has been out since April 7th, which means we've had nearly 2 months to experiment with the game. However, the uncommonly long closed beta is coming to an end on May 28th, until the game comes out on June 2nd. Do I think the game is ready for release? Find out next.The first week
I was fortunate to receive access into the closed beta early, receiving access early comes with its flaws, not having anyone to play with, so I ventured in as a solo player. Though I knew the game would have problems in the beta, the first couple of days the game was in an unplayable state (for me at least). I've encountered crashes almost every other game and occasionally a blue screen of death, though it was fixed a couple of days later it did not leave a sour taste in my mouth, I was still able to play and the game being in such an early state I could understand that it would have issues. The time I was able to play, I had lots of fun, everyone was new, trying to understand the maps, character abilities, and how defusing the bomb is not 'E' but set to 4 on default.
The good, the bad, and well.. Cypher
Cypher overall seen as one of the better characters, Cypher had a rough start as players quickly realized that there was an exploit with the camera where it was able to shoot enemies. Yes, you heard me right, you could shoot through the camera and deal damage to opponents, this was quickly fixed by the developers at Riot Games, it doesn't quite stop there...
Ranked goes live
It's always an exciting experience to find out what rank the system thinks you deserve, although the majority of the decision comes from the MMR (Matchmaking Rating) played in unranked matches. Players were quick to realize that there was another problem with... you guessed it, Cypher. On certain maps there were camera placements that could go well hidden outside the map, some were considered creative, others blatantly exploiting the game. Though that didn't take long for the developers to patch that either.
The more you play, the better it gets
I had a blast playing this game, I can see the similarity between CS:GO (Counter Strike Global Offensive) and Overwatch in Valorant is noticeable, having played both games for countless hours in the past. It's an interesting concept combining the abilities from Overwatch and the playstyle of CS:GO, I do think it's a pretty fun game for both competitive and casual players.
But is the game ready?
Now the big question, is Valorant ready for launch on June 2nd?
Yes and no, in its current state I firmly believe that there is still a lot to be considered before launch, there are certain clipping issues, agents that need tweaking, and FPS performance improvements.
The game is definitely playable and fun, but it's unlikely that Riot Games have the time and resources to address all of the issues, especially in such a short time span and with the current COVID-19 regulations.
We'll have to wait and see for ourselves if the hype lives on after Valorant's official release on June 2nd.
