Valorant | Fracture map preview

Valorant | Fracture map preview

Valorant Episode 3, Act II will be released on 8 September 2021. Originally slated for debut in August, it has been delayed by the developers to allow the team to achieve the desired quality. The big news of the update is the new Fracture map, the seventh one that joins a very diverse pool of maps. If in the past there has been a trend in FPS to impoverishment and simplification of map design, more competitive and tactical games have taken on the task of countering this phenomenon. With Fracture, Riot Games asks players a simple question that overturns customs: what if the attackers and defenders don't start the game at the classic opposite poles of a map?

In Fracture, the attacking team has access to both sides of the map during the preparatory phase, while the defenders have their entry point into the field exactly in the center of the map, with the middle lane allowing for very fast rotation from site to site. This choice makes things more interesting and games less predictable, especially for those in defense who will no longer just have to demonstrate that they can shoot first and with more precision, but will really have to make good use of all the skills in their possession. We have never hidden our appreciation for Viper and in this map, in our opinion, there can be no lack of agents to control the battlefield and prevent enemy vision.

The outer lanes are quite long so the rotation of the attackers between one site and another takes place exactly in the center as for the defenders, but through a zipline system that cuts the map giving it this unusual “H” shape ". The other peculiarity is that the ziplines have a sense of travel; it is therefore not possible to take them indiscriminately to move between the front and rear areas of the map. When you are hooked to the cable you can not use skills but you can shoot to defend yourself from any ambushes. In this way the attackers have double the access points compared to the defenders, being able to divide and attack from several fronts.

The sites do not have a particular structure: they are areas that are not too closed but not too open thanks to the presence of some shelters, even if the walls are not solid so the blows can hurt. However, some of these factors may change before publication or later. The most curious and valid elements to exploit are found in the various corridors that lead to the Spike positioning areas.

To reach site A, there is a door in the corridor that connects the spawn point to the site. which opens up an alternative way. The door also opens by throwing spheres and globes, so it is not necessary to stand still in front of the entrance to open it. If we are also sure that an enemy is placed in that area to surprise us, we could surprise him with our skills. Still in A, it is possible to access the area from an elevated position. If the team has split into 2, the attack can be carried out jointly by pushing on two fronts.

Aside from strategies, agent compositions and other features that need more playing time to assimilate, we can say that from an artistic and design point of view, Fracture is the most mind-blowing map seen in Valorant. Its whole structure tells a story, it highlights this gash that separated two worlds completely in antithesis. On the one hand the sandy and desert expanses, on the other the lush green that recalls a jungle or at least highlights a nature that has regained its space. In the underground tunnels and corridors one can glimpse research and experiments that attract curiosity.

We do not know precisely all the history that is hidden in these areas, but it is clear that it will have a special role in explaining the "mirrorverse" which sees the two "lands" in conflict. There is no shortage of ideas for lore enthusiasts, with interactive objects to find and ten Tac-Bears for lovers of easter eggs. In this particular combination of gameplay and storytelling that Riot Games is focusing heavily on, Fracture is undoubtedly one of the best maps added to the game since launch. The constant support the game is receiving, with new ideas to explore and tactics to use, brings Valorant to an ever-booming community.







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