Late last year, Riot Games announced they had a collection of new games in the works. All the games are set in the League of Legends universe and one of them is a first-person shooter codenamed Project A. Since the initial announcement there have been no new details about the mysterious Project A, until Counter-Strike: Global Offensive commentator and former pro-player HenryG shared his initial impression of the game on Twitter this week.
Riot Games has said that Project A should be arriving in 2020. But it also said it would “go dark” on the title until it’s ready. Not surprising then that there has been a lack of information. But after spending a day playing the FPS game at Riot, HenryG was allowed to share some most welcome details.
An interesting piece of info that gives HenryG’s thoughts even more weight and credibility, he was one of the first people to ever play-test CS:GO back in 2011.
What to expect from Project A gameplay
The image people have formed in their minds about Project A is that it is a cross between CS:GO and Overwatch. According to HenryG, its core gameplay is closer to CS:GO with the game being a round-based, 5v5, tactical shooter. It then adds elements of hero-based FPS games like you get in Overwatch and Apex Legends.
HenryG believes that the game falls closer to CS:GO than hero-based shooters.
In my opinion, these aforementioned classes and their own unique 'abilities' should be seen as tactical utility instead of potentially overpowered spell/ultimate combinations that other class-based games suffer from.
— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020
He goes on to explain that the abilities in the game need to be purchased at the start of a round. Much like weapons, armor, and utility items in CS:GO. This further supports his point that they are utility and not one button round winners. He said you could happily play the game without relying too heavily on the abilities. With that said, it sounds like the abilities make for some very interesting gameplay.
Saying that, there's nothing more satisfying dropping a successful combo of movement mechanics abilities that isolates your opponent to buy space before pulling the trigger on the killing blow.
— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020
He also mentioned that the in-game economy is similar to that of CS:GO’s. Sometimes you need to save or only partially invest in a round, purchasing less firepower. But you could try gamble and surprise your opponents by using abilities. All the heroes (or classes) have access to the same set of weapons and CS:GO players will find it easy to adjust to this aspect of the game.
The gameplay and gun mechanics are super slick and satisfying. On the build I played we experienced pretty well balanced and varied hitscan weapons that had their own unique spray patterns and best method(s) of approach for your situation or position.
— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020
The last aspect of Project A HenryG revealed some details about was the map design. He is particularly excited about this element and described it as a similar style to the maps of CS:GO with lanes and chokepoints. He stressed the maps are designed with gameplay in mind, not aesthetics. This is perfect for a first-person shooter that’s looking to become competitive.
HenryG ended his Twitter thread with a bang. And he revealed the most interesting piece of information about Project A.
I will leave you with this bombshell: #ProjectA is the best game I have played since CS:GO.
— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020
Project A in action
If you missed the original announcement about Project A, you can check out the video below to see what it’s all about. It doesn’t give you nearly as much detail as HenryG has revealed. But it does give you a look at the gunplay and a few abilities, and they look good.
