Before experiencing Project 1v1 it was explained as simply being based off gladiator battles. The idea that two people enter and one walks away is hardly revolutionary, yet the opposite holds true for shooters. Most people seem to want more people or things to shoot at, where as Project 1v1 brings that total down to one.
This means it will never catch on with teams, nor will it give friends something to play, making the experience entirely skill based. For some this might be exhilarating, for others terrifying, yet it oddly works. Since every map is fairly small, filled with many different ways to catch your opponent off-guard, it ensures constant combat and plenty of opportunities to snatch victory.
To help players, every player is given a variety of cards that can be used to build a deck. Every deck determines what you can and can’t do, allowing players to find builds that work and/or counter others. These range from simple boosts, such as double jump, to more complicated things like a super powered sword that you can use, provided you’re able to defend it.
Outside of battle others will be watching, waiting and figuring out the right tactic to bring you down. Maintaining your streak is the main motivator. Everyone wants to defeat the person who just can’t be beat and with the right deck, the correct map (the challenger decides on the arena) and enough skill, it’s possible to do it and become the new champion.
If someone dethrones you, they become the champion and go on to continue fighting until someone defeats them and the cycle continues. It makes for a fascinating dynamic, one that should draw in hardcore players, with enough customization to keep everyone happy.
While it didn’t take long to be defeated, largely due to my inexperience with a keyboard and mouse, it was interesting enough to see the appeal. Even though it’s quite a bit away from completion and plenty of things can change, I could see this finding a unique demographic and being somewhat popular among hardcore players.
