Valorant, the new Riot Games release, is experiencing one huge success after another. However, is Valorant ultimately too similar in character to CS:GO? Does this make the game feel stayed and stale? In a word, NO! We can say without a doubt that Riot Games has studied its competitors and made a sterling effort to distill the very finest elements into its Valorant offering to the world of esports.
One of Riot Games stated goals was to create a game that was completely different from League of Legends, the other big name in its stable, so naturally the company looked at the massively successful Counter Strike for inspiration.
When compared, Valorant and Counter Strike share a lot of common ground. However, there are also some pronounced differences between the two. In its own words, Riot Games describes Valorant as a tactical team-based competitive shooter, which puts it in the same arena as titles like Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch, and, most importantly, the legendary Counter-Strike.
Valorant vs Counter Strike: Gameplay
Like Counter-Strike, the match is a 5v5 with one side attempting to plant a bomb and the other trying to stop them doing so, in a “first to thirteen wins” esports setting. Between rounds Valorant features the familar “Buy Phase” during which both teams purchase skills and weapons for the next engagement. Valorant’s shooting mechanics are practically identical to CS:GO, with players having to stop in order to aim more acurately, and able to run with knives or lighter weapons allowing them to move faster. Because of all these similarities, we have already seen many players easily switch from CS:GO to Valorant.
Valorant’s Agents
Each player is given only one life for their selected character, which Valorant calls Agents. When comparing Valorant vs Counter Strike, this is one of the main differences. Further, each Valorant Agent has his or her own “Signature Ability.”
There are twelve Agents in total:
Breach, the Bionic Swede
Brimstone, the “Boots on the Ground” Commander
Cypher, the Morroccan Surveillance Specialist
Jett, the Quick and Light Runner, similar to Overwatch’s Tracer
Killjoy, the German Inventor who’s full of gadgets
Omen, the Shadow Hunter
Phoenix, the Fiery One
Raze, the Blunt-Force-Trauma Specialist
Reyna, the Single Combat Specialist
Sage, the Healer, similar to Overwatch’s Mercy
Sova, the Archetypical Male Hero
Viper, a female agent with a deadly attitude
Weapons And Shields
Valorant’s weaponry is far more futuristic than CS:GO’s and therefore reminiscent of other games, such as Apex Legends. There are six different weapon categories:
- Sidearms
- SMGs
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- Snipers
- Heavy
Weapon choice options are still extremely limited, compared to CS:GO, which, over the years, has amassed an impressive array of weaponry and shields. Then again, Valorant is still in the closed beta phase, so it’s still early days. Which are the best weapons?
Valorant’s Impressive Server Tick Rate
Riot announced that Valorant will be playable on 128hz servers. This actually a big deal, since it’s twice the tick rate of CS:GO. That alone should guarantee a smoother game and give greater stability to the various matches. Obviously, being a 2020 release, Valorant has a number of major technical advantages over Counter Strike, a game released way back in 2012.
Counter Strike vs Valorant: The Final Verdict
Although Valorant has a great many things in common with CS: GO, it’s clearly an outstanding game in its own right. And yes, Riot was clearly inspired by what is, after all, one of the most successful eSports in the world. However, in creating Valorant, the developers added some new twists, as well as a few features drawing from Overwatch. The futuristic settings and agents’ individual characteristics alone set Valorant apart from Counter Strike. Additionaly, the 129hz tick rate servers will ensure a smoother and more practical gaming experience for players.
We’ll keep you posted as things develop.
