Will this be another classic? Keep your gaming nights fun and entertaining with this new MOBA shooter game.
When you hear Valve, you’ll definitely think of the home to game classics like Half-Life and Portal. Yet, this game developer has been quietly moving to take the players and community by surprise. Done with an unconventional launch, they released a 6v6 third-person game where it features intriguing MOBA-shooter hybrid gameplay.
Will this game be good enough to line behind the icons of Valve? See into it with this Valve Deadlock review.
A Stealthy Launch
It has a bit of a unique way to stand out in the gaming scene. When Valve released Deadlock, they intended to use an unconventional way, to say the least. Rather than building hype by making it accessible to all players, they’ve started the game exclusively.
Deadlock appeared on Steam in April 2024 without much fanfare. They build their player base through an invite system. This “exclusivity” of the game has created buzz around it to have players eager to get access codes. By August then, it rose into popularity as Deadlock peaked at 45,000 concurrent players.
Gameplay: Where MOBA Meets Shooter
Deadlock creates the middle ground for fans of MOBA and Shooters. Mixing the elements of traditional MOBAs like Dota 2 with third-person shooters allows the players to engage in a fast-paced gaming action.
In a four-lane map, a 6v6 match will take place between players. As of launch, they have 21 unique heroes to choose from. However, what’s even unique in this game is that it allows you to pick three preferred characters rather than one. Besides that, the map has assigned areas for minion armies and jungling, which is a staple of MOBAs. Overall, it has a fast-paced action and even vertical movement to use with mantling abilities.
Team coordination will be crucial to creating an effective strategy from the get-go. Alongside minions, the players will have to look for constant opportunities to engage enemy heroes in a clash.
Unique Features and Innovations
Deadlock sets a promising future for MOBAs and shooters hybrid. It incorporated interesting mechanics to make the game stand out in the lengthy list of new game releases on Steam.
Giving a grand feel to the match entrance, Deadlock has their players ziplining in the start of the matches. It definitely sets the game at a fast pace. Moreover, Deadlock strays away from confining heroes into specific archetypes. It seeks to have a more flexible team composition process than a limiting one.
Beside this, Deadlock provides a feature where the hero abilities can be combined to create devastating effects on opponents. This will require teamwork from the players to execute it correctly. It has a queue system where it streamlines the hero selection to have the players get into matches as quickly as possible.
Graphics and aesthetics
Although Deadlock’s gameplay has been fantastic and a center of praise during these last months, the game still lacks in other aspects. Its visual identity is not yet established, which somehow makes an incoherent aesthetic in the game. The character designs and environments appear to be on their own as they feel pulled from varying sources.
Fortunately, Valve took note of the visual and graphics concern to go on and say that there will be improvements as the game develops.
Is Deadlock Good?
Apart from the visual, balance has been a persistent concern for any new multiplayer game, specifically Deadlock. Players note that certain hero combinations, such as Haze and Ivy, overpower other duos in the early game. The matches can also be frustrating, as the absence of archetypes leads teams to fill their roster of heroes with stun abilities.
Moving into the item shop, it also uses a complex system that can be daunting for new players. However, it is undeniable that it has fresh and engaging gameplay and blends the elements of MOBA with third-person shooter mechanics. With these feedbacks, you can expect changes in the game to make the experience better.
Conclusion
For fans of MOBAs, shooters, or both, it is worth trying to play Deadlock. The innovative features of the game offer a break from your usual gameplay to offer a fresh gaming experience. From the zipline entry to preferred three hero selection, it definitely changes the dynamics of a shooter game.
However, whether it is a good game or not is something that cannot be answered for now as it is still in the early stages of its launch. For now, gamers can keep their eyes on the upcoming developments of Deadlock to see how Valve will address these concerns. From there, they can decide whether the intriguing gameplay makes up for the lack of the game.
