Nail-biting bomb plants hipfire
headshots and hyper natural flicks of
the wrist are the tenets of valor in
this 5v5 tactical hero shooter from
league of legends developer Riot Games
has only just arrived
but the brilliant implementation of its
super powered cast stellar gunplay and
competitively tailored visuals proved
it's already a force to be reckoned with
the learning curve is steep but once the
cogs of Master you begin to click
together it's damn near impossible to
put valor --nt down
[Music]
if you've indulged in a little
counter-strike at some point in the past
two decades valence high-stakes round
based shootouts will be immediately
familiar teams take turns as either the
attackers or defenders in a best of 25
rounds attackers carry the spike a bomb
to one of several designated bomb sites
on any of valor ins three finely tuned
maps plant that sucker and hopefully
blow everyone sky-high meanwhile the
defenders must divert the attackers
explody ambitions by preventing them
from planting the spike at all or
defusing it once they do of course you
could also just mow down the entire
enemy team to secure victory whatever
works the back and forth race to that
coveted 13th victory is as
pulse-pounding as it is gratifying while
thunderous overwatch style ultimate
abilities and a reserved tactical
shooter might raise an eyebrow the time
to kill and valor it remains
extraordinarily low a single well-placed
bullet can spell your end it creates a
spectacular sense of tension encouraging
scenarios were the rattle of distant
gunfire sends chills down your spine
even as bombastic abilities are
unleashed complementing that valor
announces alts by making them cost
points instead of attaching them to a
cooldown timer the combat Mattox age for
example can raise a fallen Ally if she
collects 7 points you gain these by
dying collecting static resource nodes
and most importantly killing opponents
there great rewards for skillful play
and since burning an old means drying up
a precious resource it must still be
spent tactfully but all the dazzling
magic the world won't carry the team if
you can't aim well each of the 17 guns
at your disposal in valor --nt has an
elaborate and unique recoil pattern the
Vandal rifle for example will spray all
over the place if you don't practice
first fire a single shot between the
eyes is enough to kill an opponent too
so it's really a complete waste of ammo
if you try to hose them down with
bullets that's to say nothing of the
racket from a booming assault rifle
giving away your position though if
you're in the mood for a simpler gun the
close-range judge shotgun is more than
happy to shred enemies like a cheese
grater
all of our ins weapons have this kind of
distinctive personality and it's always
immensely satisfying to peg someone in
the head and watch a stylized lava lamp
geyser of blood erupted while a
thrilling musical sting punctuates the
fruits of your labor
taking another page at a counterstrikes
book you'll have to buy those weapons
between rounds with money earned during
them but Valery cleverly ejects some
hero shooter DNA here as well in
addition to the signature alts of its 11
playable agents each one has unique
abilities to purchase during the buy
phase the spectral assassin omen is
excellent at providing shrouded cover
for allies while sage can create ice
barriers to wall off choke points but in
either case you'll need to budget skills
along with guns to maximize an agent's
combat potential it takes time to get
into the risk/reward rhythm of deciding
the right moment to spend big
particularly if you're not used to
micromanaging an in-game economy and a
shooter but that decision-making adds a
layer of tactical depth that goes way
beyond just picking your favorite weapon
each round valorous minimalist art style
is tailor made for combat readability
and matches to every visual cue from a
simple muzzle flash to an elaborate
agent alt is instantly recognizable
thanks to clearly defined art for
example when Hellfire rains from the sky
you know brimstone is only a hop and a
skip away his smoke bombs don't hit with
the same fury as other abilities but you
never know what deadly secrets might be
hidden within the wisps the result may
not be as visually stunning as some
other modern games but the smart
emphasis on a less-is-more color palette
means even the most chaotic firefights
don't get muddled
valor n't is a ridiculously fun
multiplayer FPS that practically begs
you to express yourself the flexibility
of its magically infused cast paired
with a deep arsenal and great gunplay
fundamentals makes for a magnificent
competitive canvas valor and offers so
many interesting avenues to master that
it's hard not to ponder new strategies
when you're away from it and that joyous
daydreaming isn't likely to stop after
the first successful bomb plan once it
sinks its teeth in valor n't want let go
for more on valor enchant our full
written review on ign.com and for more
PvP shooters in general check out our
review of crucible or a 20/20 review of
overwatch and for everything else keep.
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