Initial Impressions: Deadlock

 Valve’s new project, Deadlock, has landed in a surprise invite-only alpha test, and I found it to be a mixed bag. It’s a shooter-MOBA hybrid that, while ambitious, feels like it’s struggling to figure out what it really wants to be. There’s potential here but there’s a long way to go before this one can be called a hit.

 Deadlock has you running around as a hero, shooting at enemies while juggling MOBA-style lane control and minion management. Movement’s a big focus—you can dash, double jump, and wall run, which sounds great until you realize that these mechanics are not for your average gamer. It’s fun when it works, but for anyone who hasn’t mastered both the art of twitch shooting and MOBA strategy, good luck. The learning curve is steep, and for players like me, it feels frustrating.

  Visually, Deadlock isn’t anything groundbreaking. If you’ve played Fortnite, Overwatch, or any number of other recent Valve games or hero shooters, you’ll know what to expect. What’s more interesting is the setting: prohibition-era New York with occult undertones (forget where I saw this description but I'm stealing it). It’s an unexpected backdrop and what sold me on the game, but it feels like a wasted theme on a MOBA.

  The community’s early reactions, which are, unsurprisingly, all over the place. Some players are digging the mashup of genres and are already organizing tournaments which seems a bit crazy considering the game is in early testing and things change every couple of days.  The biggest issue though has been the invite system where other testers can invite friends to play.  It was (and may still be) plagued with issues.  It took me weeks to get access where others got an invite within hours.  The invite approach has also clogged most community channels with requests or offers of invites instead of discussion about the game.

  In the end, Deadlock is promising, but it didn't grab me. Valve has time to make major changes—it’s still in alpha, after all—but as it stands its just a MOBA skinned in a unique theme. Keep an eye on it if you’re curious, but don’t be surprised if it falls short of expectations if you thought it was something new.