I hate multiplayer shooters. There, I said it. I have always hated them ever since I started playing games and will likely continue to do so till the very end. Or so I thought before I played Deadlock.
Don’t get me wrong, I have tried out a fair share of multiplayer shooters over the years, and the ones I did like somewhat were games that had some kind of a viable melee weapon, like the Sledgehammer in The Finals. So, when my friends at Beebom got their hands on Deadlock at the beginning of the invite-only Early Access, I was invited to give it a try with them. Although I never liked multiplayer shooters, I decided to give Deadlock a chance as it seemed different.
And yes, it was different. Even though I got absolutely destroyed on my first couple of games, I was still having loads of fun. Now with 2024 coming to an end, I have spent more than 300 hours in Deadlock, which made up 34% of my playtime this year on Steam, completely overshadowing two of my favorite games this year — Black Myth Wukong and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
So, why have I spent almost a third of my playtime this year on a multiplayer shooter that is still in the invite-only Early Access phase if I hate the genre so much? Let’s find out!
1. It’s Not Just About the Aim
A big part of my dislike towards multiplayer shooters is how aim-dependent they are. Now, the games are about shooting, so it makes sense that there is more focus on aiming. However, for some gamers like me who suck at aiming, games like Valorant, PUBG, or Apex Legends are simply unfun.
Now, aiming is also important in Deadlock, especially with heroes such as Grey Talon and Vindicta, however, it is not an absolute necessity to win games. I love playing characters such as Mo & Krill, Kelvin, Abrams, or Shiv as they are more ability-centric.
Even the characters that have a higher focus on aiming, like Wraith, Haze, or Grey Talon, still allow me to enjoy playing them as failing to connect all my shots doesn’t make me win or lose all fights. This ties up with my second point as the characters don’t die quickly in Deadlock, compared to most shooter games.
The different heroes provide multiple playstyles and the item building aspect gives further freedom to build the character as it suits me or the game’s situation.
2. Deadlock Allows Space for Mistakes
In most multiplayer shooters, one wrong move, one wrong peek, or missed aim and you are dead. There is no room for mistakes, as you either kill your enemy or die in an instant. Although you can also die instantly in Deadlock in some scenarios, the game mostly gives you enough time to process your mistakes and counterplay.
For example, if I jump into an outnumbered fight by mistake, or miss my main combos, there are still a ton of ways I can disengage from fights or even fight back. Whether that is through abilities, movement, or certain items I prepared beforehand, the game gives me enough breathing space to process my mistakes and try to counterplay them.
And if you do die, you will simply respawn after a small time while you can process your death and build items to counterplay the opponents for the next fight.
3. Death is Not the End
Being a souls-like enjoyer, we appreciate the ability to retry more than anyone else. Death is only a means to get better for players like me. This theory doesn’t work in most multiplayer shooters as once you die, it’s over for that game.
In Deadlock, even if you die or are completely outplayed at the start of the game, there is still an opportunity to close the gap and win the mid-to-end game. This is because deaths have little respawn time in the early game, and even though it penalizes players for dying, or technically rewards the opponent for the kill, the penalty is not big enough unless you keep dying all the time.
Now, some multiplayer shooters also have respawns, like Call of Duty, or common game modes like The Deathmatch. The difference with these is that there is very little counterplay you can strategize in these games. Your death essentially comes down to bad aim in most multiplayer shooters. There is no space for counterplay because the cause of your death is more due to fundamental reasons like aiming, which can’t be fixed in the same game.
4. Deadlock is Chaotic But It’s Easier to Track Enemies
Another major complaint I have about multiplayer shooters is how chaotic they are most of the time. In objective-based shooters like Call of Duty, you are constantly getting shot from multiple directions and have to rely solely on your audio and visual prowess to spot the enemies. The map in Deadlock, which is basically a MOBA mechanic, allows you to spot players and their positions for most of the game.
Yes, ganking is still a thing in Deadlock, but you are much better prepared against it here than in any other multiplayer shooter. Also, Deadlock is not about constant fights. The game is mostly focused on poke damage, while you build your items and take objectives. It doesn’t force you to take fights but rather lets you pick them at your own pace.
5. No Camping and Toxic Playstyle
The most toxic part about multiplayer shooters is campers that spend their entire time cooped up in a corner, waiting to take their opponents by surprise. I cannot even be mad at them, because it’s such an effective way to get kills, especially if you are a weaker player. Nonetheless, playing against campers can become unbearable, and I also feel it’s the same for the player who is camping.
Deadlock actively disincentivizes camping as you are losing out on meaningful souls, which is the in-game currency, while staying inactive on the map. This means that you are unlikely to enter a room to find five players hiding in the corner with their guns aimed at you in Deadlock.
I said unlikely because it can still happen. Although you won’t find players camping for a long time, it is still common to gank an approaching opponent who is badly positioned. But, if you keep a good eye on the mini-map, you should mostly know where each enemy is and prepare for ganks when out-positioned.
6. No Recoil is a Boon for Me
A big reason for my bad aim in multiplayer shooters is recoil. I become clueless when it comes to handling recoil in guns. Although I get how recoil is a standard mechanic in most multiplayer shooters, it’s a mechanic I despise with all my heart.
My aim is much better in Deadlock because there is almost no recoil in the game. Aiming in Deadlock comes down to mouse tracking instead of doing your best to keep the aim steady due to terrible recoil mechanics. For me, this makes shooting a much more enjoyable experience.
7. MOBAs Are Actually Fun
Deadlock is my first real MOBA experience, the only other MOBA experience came from playing a mobile game named Pokémon Unite, which I also quite enjoyed. With the amount of fun I have in Deadlock, I am looking forward to giving more MOBAs a try in the future.
However, I am pretty sure it won’t be as enjoyable as Deadlock because most MOBAs lack this level of fluid movement mechanics, ability usage, and item build potential. Deadlock makes the MOBA experience much more streamlined, while also fixing the various aspects of multiplayer shooters that I despise.
So, tell me how you feel about multiplayer shooters and whether you have given Deadlock a try yet. If you don’t have access to Deadlock, check out our Deadlock invite guide and leave your comment so that we can invite you to the Early Access. Tell us whether you agree or disagree with the above statements I have made for multiplayer shooters in the comments below.
