In the space between the light and darkness of "VALORANT" that FPS beginners are absorbed in, Japan and the world [Summer recommended game review]

Famitsu.com editors and writers talk about recommended games for the summer of 2021. This time, we will introduce the free-to-play FPS "VALORANT" by Riot Games.

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"VALORANT"

"'VALORANT' is fun, I feel the high level of thinking of the development team, and it's very well done," this is a frank impression of this game. On the other hand, it's also true that it's a game that gives you the feelings you don't want to taste in a "breaking heart" game that almost everyone who plays it will feel.

In short, it is a work that has such extreme feelings, but it is also a fact that it has a big presence in the history of the game, especially in the e-sports / competition scene, and how to make, develop and operate this game. You can also get a glimpse of the current situation and future of the game industry and Japan from the way users are accepted. Therefore, I will analyze and dissect "VALORANT" from various directions and look at this and that. Yes, I wish for a bright future for Japan.

A game that pursues stoicism and is like "climbing because there is a mountain there"

First of all, to briefly explain the author, the game has been touched for a while before the release of the NES, and while it has a deep history, FPS is a special person who is almost the first to "VALORANT". Even though it was my first time, I knew "DOOM" and I had played single-player FPS a little, but I felt that I avoided FPS with a large number of players. The reason why I avoided it is that I was probably not good at the game of "defeating people with a gun", although I can not remember the clear reason now, and the energy and patience to cultivate the aim necessary for FPS. I think it's because I didn't want to have it.

Then, regarding why we started "VALORANT", "because it was the first FPS title that Riot Games of development challenged", "because we assembled our own PC for the first time including the graphic board", and "e-sports / competition". I think it's a place where I wanted to know the scene. Of course, I wanted to enjoy FPS purely, so I emphasized tactical shooting, which requires strategicity. Although FPS is a beginner, TPS's "Splatoon" has been working hard since "1", and it may be that he was looking for an FPS title that he could do for many years.

What I felt after spending some time playing was that "VALORANT" is a game that thoroughly reflects individual abilities. Even with one aim, for example, the concept of stopping that deviates from the aim when shooting while walking or running, the point that precise shots centered on head shots are required, the sound that is indispensable for grasping the position and situation, etc. Each element is meaningful and important, and we try to reflect the player's skill as much as possible while mixing a little luck element. In that case, the sense of accomplishment and "feeling of doing" when you can make a series of headshots or play an active part will be considerable. If you turn it over, you can fully experience the feeling of hitting the wall and the feeling of despair when you can't do that (although this is usually the case) (I don't want to taste it too much).

This feeling of pure skill manifestation, the feeling of elevating oneself and climbing a mountain is magnificent. Since this game is a competitive game, there is no such thing as clearing, it is a game where you simply aim for victory and get something to win it. Therefore, there is no ultimate goal in the game, but the goal is to play to win or get better. Of course, you can enjoy it at the same time, or just play it for fun, but this is a little thinner than the previous one.

Another important thing is the strategic nature called tactical shooting, and even if the individual abilities mentioned above are high, it is difficult to achieve a balance with team power rich in strategy, tactics, and cooperation. It has become. Japanese >>> It feels like an individual. The game is basically 5 to 5, but I strongly hope that you will not be with a single player who makes only individual movements or disturbs the team, rather than a single high-skilled player.

This is simply because "VALORANT" is made targeting the e-sports / competition scene, which is not only a global activity such as holding a large-scale tournament after the release, but also many professionals. It can be seen from the fact that we are giving birth to people who can eat with "VALORANT". I will explain this in detail later, but I can get a glimpse of the specifications and making that are particular about the title as much as possible to be handled in this line, so I can think about winning and losing and my skills with near equality, and I can be convinced. Is a feature.

Of course, even if I want to become a professional level in my dreams, I am keenly aware that it is impossible to fall down in reality, so I am not playing to eat on this road, but to the extent that I can enjoy or can do it. It is possible to have fun even if you are not good at it or you are enjoying it, playing for the purpose of improving yourself in the room. However, it is also a fact that it is difficult to continue because the impact of the bad points that I will explain later is strong.

It may be a game close to "Why climb a mountain? Because there is a mountain there".

Making and thorough balance adjustment that both non-payers and payers can fully enjoy

This work is completely free and you can enjoy it all. The billing system and its direction for billing are excellent, and we do not create billing elements that create differences in performance and capabilities, but we make it so that we can earn sufficient profits and want to bill. Specifically, although there are restrictions on the characters and agents that can be operated, the lock can be unlocked by earning points for playing the game, and there are fewer points than other similar games.

Also, the symbolic thing is the regular addition of weapons with changing skins and effects, and the charge for it, giving a special feeling due to the charge, but never making a difference in performance due to the difference in skin. The point is that the graphics and balance are adjusted. In other words, no matter which skin you use, the same weapon will make no difference. Not only is it amazing to adjust the effect and how it looks from the other party, but on top of that, it not only makes a cool effect, but also gives a psychological effect such as "this skin makes it easy to defeat the enemy". It's at the point.

Some of the billing factors are for reducing the time for unlocking or for dressing up costumes.For example, even if you do not charge, you can participate in the competition scene without any difference, and those who have charged can play comfortably. , The development and operation side is building a mechanism that everyone can earn without loss, that is, they are earning as much as they can.

Although it is said that you can play basic games, which is common in free games, there are limits on the number of times and time, and there are lots of gacha elements, so you can make money properly without using such hands. I think that this point will be of great help to other companies as well.

Climb to the top of e-sports titles at once, and always keep the top in terms of the number of distributions

After the official release, it quickly became a title that can be seen in the competition scene, and the official large-scale tournament was held last year and this year, and "VALORANT" is still exciting. The final of the "VALORANT Champions Tour 2021 Masters Reykjavík" was held in May with a total prize of $ 600,000 and a winning team of $ 200,000, which is unthinkable in Japan. The next event has already been held, and the final tournament will be held on September 9th (local time) in Berlin, where teams from qualifying and winning teams from all over the world will gather.

A professional gamer in Japan who has finally begun to see an increase in the range of activities and the number of people in the last few years. Although it is several years behind the United States due to various laws and regulations, and the scale is small, the perception and environment of the world are changing little by little, and nowadays, "VALORANT" is still active as a representative title in the world. There is. In other words, it is a title that is currently paving the way for living as a game professional.

Unfortunately, the activity and scale in the country is still not comparable to the United States, but dreamily, one of the top players in this tournament, TenZ, moved to another team with a transfer fee of over $ 1 million, and There is also a story that led the team to victory in Stage 2 held in May. In the still rare profession of professional gamer, there is already a world where you can earn American dream money.

In the calculation of the tier (tier / classification) of e-sports titles performed by the American e-sports information site The Esports Observer, "VALORANT" was ranked in Tier 1 early, and it was also 5 in the latest second quarter of 2021. The result is ranked (calculated by indexing monthly active users of PC, distributed prize pool, Twitch e-sports viewing time, total Twitch viewing time, number of tournaments, simultaneous single contraction stream as KPI).

"VALORANT" is more than valuable as a title to work on in aiming to become a professional.

As an aside, TenZ often broadcasts on Twitch. Looking at the aim practice in the distribution, you can see the high level of technical ability and why you can be on the front line, and at the same time, you will be caught in various emotions such as envy and despair by witnessing the professional level.

Stoic suffocation and abusive miscellaneous words

Finally, I must talk about the disadvantages of "VALORANT". First of all, it is necessary to build a play environment. Although the game itself is free, in order to actually play it, you have to prepare a computer with reasonable specifications. It will cost 200,000 to 300,000 including the cost and monitor. Of course, it may not be possible with about 100,000, but considering that you need a monitor and graphic board that can output 120 FPS (frames / second) to play without lag, it is still a considerable amount of money. It can be said that this environment is usually difficult for even ordinary members of society to prepare.

The following are rants from teammates that occur because of their stoic gameplay. Abuse to the same teammates is harmful and has no advantage, and it is almost impossible to get the best performance from the thought of shit. This, which anyone can calmly judge normally, is unfortunately not applied during the game, and it is a computer game where you can easily text and voice chat, so it is a level that everyone will be exposed to. Everyone has a wave of ups and downs, only that person knows the details, there are different ways of thinking and strategies, and above all, it should be in the same level because it matches the same game, but at that time Only the match is cut out, and heartless words fly around. Even if I knew it and tried to go through it, the bad words would still catch my heart, and it seems that there are many people who quit the game because of this. Of course, there are defensive measures and countermeasures, but even though everyone is enjoying the game, they don't want to be slandered.

On the other hand, because of the game that reflects your skills, that can happen with your own movements, such as stagnant movements or making the wrong choices. For that reason, I admit that I am reluctant to affirm my bad words, I fall into self-loathing, and my heart breaks. Creating a game that makes you feel uncomfortable that you can't play well is the downside of the goodness of this game, which is directly linked to your skills.

And last but not least, it is heavy because it is stoic. One game of this game, which is the main game, will be 13 games in advance. Roughly 30 minutes to an hour takes time. Also, because of FPS, daily practice and continuation will have a real impact on play. It can be said that it is a difficult game to play a little distraction once in a while.

Conclusion.For stoic people

As I've talked about for a long time, "VALORANT" is a world-class work that is unprecedented in terms of game development, development and operation, and is stoic because it is the title of the front line of the e-sports / competition scene. Because each person's movements and skills are important, it is a game where you can get a lot of compliments and a lot of taunts. It's perfect for anyone who wants to hone their skills purely, show off, or become a professional.

If you are in an age group or situation where you are not in the good category and you cannot expect growth like yourself, you need to have a strong heart to some extent. However, I feel like I did it when I was able to play an active role, and even if I play on the Tokyo server, I can often play with non-Japanese speaking people and enjoy a little cultural exchange. If you can afford to divide it, you should be able to spend a fulfilling time.