FPS fans who want a change of pace from Blizzard's Overwatch might want to try Riot Games' newest hero shooter. In Valorant, gamers take on the role of Agents who need to either plant or defuse a Spike in various game maps. And thanks to unique weapons and special abilities, Valorant offers a massively new experience to FPS fans who want a change of pace. After all, Valorant gives tactical hero shooters a sci-fi twist with their futuristic motif and power sets.
In fact, some might argue Valorant's success started to shape the new shooter into a decent Overwatch contender. However, just what does Valorant have that might remove Overwatch from the hero shooter throne? And why would Overwatch still wear the crown?
10 Valorant Wins: Straightforward Premise
Just because Valorant has straightforward gameplay doesn't mean it's devoid of any story. In fact, Valorant tells its backstory within the game. In essence, Valorant places players in a near-future Earth where the "First Light" event has provided people with different superpowers. Unfortunately, this event led to a massive global upheaval, resulting in new governments and the establishment of Valorant, an organization with mysterious origins.
Interestingly, not much has been fully-fleshed out within Valorant's lore given it's still in its infancy. And while Riot teased Valorant will get new story material soon, devs will likely remain to focus on fleshing out overall gameplay first. As such, new players interested in playing Valorant without having to digest so much material could find it much easier to get into the game.
9 Overwatch Is Better: Immersive Stories
Fans of other Blizzard games know the publisher for its rather immersive stories — and Overwatch is no different. The Hero shooter sets itself on Earth after the Omnic Crisis. In this event, sentient robotic Omnics would've ruled the world if it weren't for the UN-backed Overwatch. Unfortunately, controversy pushed Overwatch to disband, opening Earth to various organizations interested in wreaking havoc.
Thanks to this signature Blizzard touch, Overwatch remains as one of the most immersive tactical shooters out there. Instead of separate hero stories like in most other MOBAs, Overwatch has both individual storylines and an overarching main plot. As such, new heroes come not just with new backstories but also something new to spice up Overwatch lore. For instance, outside Overwatch and Blackwatch exists other organizations such as the Shambali and the Talon — all of which have their own stake in Overwatch's version of Earth.
8 Valorant Wins: Simple, Flexible Agents
Thanks to Valorant's infancy, the game doesn't offer a lot of Agents. As of writing, players can choose between 12 Agents. Each of these Agents can use whatever weapon players can purchase in the Buy Menu. However, players need to make sure their weapons of choice can supplement each Agent's set of special abilities. Players need to consider how Agents work better with support roles, defensive roles, or even offensive roles when in a match.
Moreover, thanks to the small number of Agents (so far), players will be constantly forced to maximize their team's efficiency with their current lineup. Additionally, players will be forced to master more than one Agent, given how there's a high chance their teammates will choose their main. These elements encourage players to experiment with different Agents and adjust their playstyles accordingly.
7 Overwatch Is Better: Diverse Hero Roster
There's power in numbers. In terms of existing MOBA shooters, Overwatch prevails even in terms of Hero count. Moreover, each of Overwatch's 32 Heroes offers something new to every lineup. Their abilities, when combined with both map setup and gameplay gimmicks, can offer hours' worth of fun for players.
Fans of Overwatch will have to stick with this 32-Hero lineup. After all, Echo serves as the last Hero to be released prior to the wait for Overwatch 2. Thankfully, this means players no longer have to worry about constant changes in the meta. Moreover, 32 Heroes give players more than enough time to fiddle around with lineup combinations and ability experimentation.
6 Valorant Wins: Familiar Mechanics
Given Valorant's premise, a lot of players might compare it to Counter-Strike. However, instead of being a disadvantage, Riot Games may have turned this familiarity into a strength. Moreover, FPS players who want an alternative Counter-Strike experience can head to Valorant. After all, the game adds superpowers to the already-fun premise of planting/defusing a bomb.
What's more interesting is that each of Valorant's maps actively constrains players. As such, these maps offer just enough to encourage exploration. Secondly, these maps also encourage using their powers in creative ways. In addition, Valorant's physics deliberately allows players to use projectiles and abilities to pass through walls. This factor allows abilities to even affect enemies past barriers. As such, Agent powers can be used not just inside firefights, but to also scout and prepare for enemy assaults.
5 Overwatch Is Better: Evolving Gameplay
Since its 2015 release, Overwatch provided new gameplay options to players outside of new Heroes and skins. For instance, outside HP and Armor, a lot of Overwatch Heroes also have Shield mechanics. Interestingly, these Shields interact differently with Hero abilities. Moreover, the existence of multiple game modes and game maps constantly force players to adjust their playstyles according to what the mode and the team required.
Additionally, it's this constantly-evolving gameplay that made Overwatch perfect for esports. Thanks to Overwatch League, players now gather in teams in order to compete and prove their superiority in terms of Hero usage and battle tactics.
4 Valorant Wins: Tactical Potential
Thanks to Valorant's straightforward premise, a lot of matches leave players to come up with different approaches to secure the victory. In fact, some players may realize that every Agent has different approaches from both an offensive and defensive manner. Moreover, thanks to flexible and "limited" Agent abilities, players need to decide which assets they need for any particular time in the match.
All of these multi-layered plans work well in very straightforward yet dynamic maps. As such, there's a ton of room for experimentation and enjoyment on the part of players. Players are free to be just as reckless or just as tactical and still encounter enemies in places they least expect.
3 Overwatch Is Better: Trendsetter, Trailblazer
Granted, a lot FPS games nowadays provide their own unique gimmicks to set them apart from others. However, one might argue that despite the existence of Hero-based shooters, it's Overwatch that set the trend in the first place. As such, Blizzard deserves credit for coming up with such a concept that ended up appealing to a huge player base.
Moreover, their consideration of including unique stories that weaved into their updates and releases changed the perception of players towards MOBA-like games. For instance, players nowadays seem more receptive of how MOBA-like games tackle story and lore.
2 Valorant Wins: Room For Updates
Interestingly, Valorant players have a lot of things to look forward to given the game's still in its early stages. For instance, aside from the upcoming Killjoy (the 12th Agent), Valorant seems to tease a lot more buffs, nerfs, and changes to its overall meta. Thanks to its straightforward gameplay, players won't have that much of a hard time training and testing these adjustments.
Moreover, Valorant seems to be taking it slow and easy when it comes to its updates. As such, players won't be easily overwhelmed when it comes to adjusting to these changes.
1 Overwatch Is Better: Up For A Sequel
One might argue that a great way of identifying a great game is if it's getting a sequel. And interestingly, Blizzard teased Overwatch 2 with a 2020 release. Set in the near future after Overwatch, the sequel boasts not just updated visuals but also new co-op missions and teased better team-versus-team games.
Moreover, the sequel teases a new mode, Push, which forces teams to fight for control over a robot and push it to their base as far as possible. Additionally, Overwatch 2 gets replayable Hero missions and new Story missions to flesh out the franchise's story.