One game I particularly enjoy is Valorant. Despite having played since the initial release, I still find myself regularly hopping on and queuing a few games every so often. I believe the reason why I keep coming back is because Valorant’s MDA appeals to me personally. Aside from aesthetics like sense-pleasure from the voice lines and kill-streak audio and the fellowship that comes with Valorant’s team-based game, Valorant has a variety of unique mechanics that separate it from other FPS games. Some key mechanics I want to highlight is the economy, map design, agent design, and round-based structure. Firstly, the economy system of Valorant pairs well with the round-based structure to make the game tactile and have elements of strategy. Teams must coordinate their economy to buy things like abilities, weapons, and armor and how much money a person gets the next round is based on round loss/win streak, kills from the previous round, whether the players defused the bomb/planted the bomb or not, etc. While each round follows a similar loop of either attacking or defending a site, the economy can dictate how the team decides to play the next round. For example, if players are on a “half buy”, they could play close corners to catch the opposing enemy off guard. The economy and round-based system lends its hand in making a cooperative and strategical dynamic, where team members are incentivized to work together collaboratively. Additionally, the agent design and map design also works to define the dynamic of strategical play. The utilization of an agent’s abilities in specific map environments influences distinct playstyles, ranging from dynamic, movement-oriented approaches exemplified by actions such as wielding Jett’s knives or Neon’s lightning ultimate, to methodical, position-based tactics like maintaining angles with Chamber’s sniper rifle. Overall, these coded mechanics of how an agent works or how credits is distributed round-after-round leads to a unique dynamic that focuses on strategy, tactics, and skill, making the game one that I will always revisit!
