What is the game Deadlock, and why is everybody talking about it? Let’s break down the fundamentals of the game and help you understand what gives it that spark that every game strives for, but few achieve.
What is Deadlock
The game Deadlock is an early access title developed by Valve. While the game would be classified as a “MOBA”, it brings a fresh perspective to the genre. This guide will serve as an overview of how the game is played and help to explain what you are watching. This Deadlock Game overview is written to help you understand the game at a high level and improve your experience as a viewer or player.
Historically, MOBA games are played from a bird’s eye view, controlling your character by clicking your mouse. In Deadlock, you view the world from an over-the-shoulder perspective, controlling your hero with a classic WASD movement. It taps into elements of classic shooter titles with your primary weapon and aimpoint but introduces abilities to your heroes that can be used to give you an edge in a fight.
Deadlock Game Overview
In Deadlock, two teams of six players battle in a dystopian 1940’s Manhattan called the Cursed Apple. Each player chooses who to play from the growing roster of heroes. Each hero has unique abilities that appeal to different play styles, leading to limitless ways to enjoy the game. These heroes rely on individual skill and team coordination to influence the outcome of the game. The game has four main lanes, with two players in each of the side lanes, and four players in each of the middle lanes.
Objectives of a Deadlock Game
The game’s primary goal is to destroy the opposing team’s Patron, the final boss located deep inside enemy territory. To achieve this goal, there are several smaller objectives that must be completed first.
1. Earn resources: Each player’s early goal is to collect the game’s primary resource and purchase items to level up their character. The more minions, monsters, and heroes they kill, the more “souls” they collect. These souls can be spent on items in the shop that provide increases to your hero’s stats to make them more powerful. This is an ongoing objective that is critical in the early stages of the game to build a lead on your opponents.
2. Control the map: Once you have a suitable lead on your opponents, you can begin to destroy the guardians defending the path to your opponent’s base. Not only does this advance your team towards the primary objective, but it also gives you more control over the jungle minions. Controlling the jungle helps to improve your team’s soul economy while simultaneously hindering your opponent’s economy. We will go deeper into the Jungle in the next section.
3. Break the base: Once your team has gained a more substantial lead over the opponent, you can attack the enemy’s base and threaten to destroy the Patron to win the game. This requires significant team coordination and a strong lead to accomplish. The risk is significant, and if done improperly, can lead to the opponent regaining a lead against you.
While there are three main goals to the game, there are several supporting objectives that can help you achieve victory more efficiently. The three main secondary objectives are the Jungle as mentioned above, the Urn, and various buffs.
- The Urn is a high risk, high reward objective allowing your team to cash in on a nice chunk of souls to boost your economy. While the game’s main objective is played vertically, the Urn is played horizontally, forcing the carrier to cross the map against the grain and creating dynamic fights.
- The jungle, as discussed previously, is the area in between the four main lanes of the map. It contains numerous camps with monsters that give souls as a reward for killing them. There are three tiers of camps, and the reward increases as the game progresses.
- There are several buffs across the map including the bridge buffs, which give individual bonuses over a set period, and the mid boss buff. The mid boss is a key buff that allows teams to gain a big edge in the later stages of the game but can be stolen by the weaker team if you are not careful.
Deadlock is all about teamwork and strategy. Each player has their role on a team, and they need to work together to create a cohesive unit that can overpower the enemy team working towards the same goals.
Why is Deadlock Unique?
Deadlock combines the best parts of several different genres. The main objective of the game is very similar to a MOBA, and yet individual fights and team fights feel a lot more like a hero shooter. At its core, deadlock is all about outsmarting and outlasting your opponents. The team that works together the most effectively and adapts the best to setbacks will ultimately come out on top.
