PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

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“ There’s bound to be something worth picking up no matter where you drop.

In the Zone

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“ Action isn’t hard to find if you’re looking for it, and impossible to avoid for long.

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As players outsmart each other in deadly games of cat and mouse, those still standing are forced into ever-closer proximity within the confines of a deadly, shrinking force-field until just one player or team is left alive. Victory (accompanied by the coveted “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” screen) is an exhilarating reward, matched only by the suspense that emerges from the battle to achieve it. But even if you die early, jumping into a new game is always quick and easy.The deadly, moving force-field that contains the arena and occasional airstrikes marked with red on the minimap add a consistent sense of purpose that drives you toward conflict, and with it, an exciting set of options. You might want to prioritize reaching the center of the circle to make the next incremental reduction in size of the survivable area easier to deal with; move slowly along the borders to pick off stragglers as they rush into the open to avoid the oncoming doom; or even hide in a building until you absolutely have to move, letting everyone else kill each other so you don’t have to. Hopping into a vehicle, like the speedy but vulnerable motorbike and buggy, the sturdy closed-top UAZ, or the slow-but-durable van — among others — is a quick, fun, and conspicuous way to cover a lot of ground, and can result in some hilarious and explosive encounters. Either way, you’re encouraged to stay on the move, but still have a set of options that lets you pick your pace. An aggressive approach is just as viable as a cautious defense, and the practicality of both playstyles is refreshingly liberating, bringing new sets of challenges that are just as fun to plan around and tackle as the next.The incentives to stay on the move no matter your chosen pace forces ever more dangerous encounters with increasingly skilled (or lucky) survivors, condensing the action and ending a match after around 20 minutes, before it can get bogged down by campers or other distractions. Action isn’t hard to find if you’re looking for it, and impossible to avoid for long when you’re not, but PUBG manages to put enough space between encounters to keep those quiet, tense moments of cautious exploration intact.But both maps have their own unique merits, too. The abundance of trees on Erangel provides plenty of cover, even for groups of four, while the sparser, rockier Miramar makes moving across open areas on foot and in vehicles much more dangerous. While some areas in Miramar feel more isolated than even the most secluded spots on Erangel, the diversity of elevations, more interesting city layouts, and some great map-exclusive weapons — like a sawed-off shotgun that fits conveniently in the sidearm slot — more than make up for it. Adapting to new challenges and making last-minute decisions based on each of these factors is part of the fun. But no matter what you’re facing, an abundance of loot in even the smallest buildings in both maps ensures hunting for a weapon is never a frustrating task, which not only keeps the playing field balanced and fun for everyone, but ripe for all sorts of thrilling confrontations.

You might find yourself involved in a frantic shootout in the woods, or on either end of a deadly hunt across a dense city or town. You might even find yourself holed up in an attic, listening for the slightest creak or scape to indicate a nearby presence, shotgun in hand. The use of sound to build tension and alert you to nearby enemies is one of the ways PUBG forces you to stay attentive and tactical rather than treating every round like a fast-paced shooter à la Call of Duty or Battlefield. Play long enough, and you can learn the subtleties that tip off when another player has been in a place before you — an open door or an unusually dense or sparse pile of mismatched loot are telltale signs you should watch your back. All these layers merge to build a shooter that’s invested in creating smart, nuanced survival and understands how even the smallest moments of your story build up to create the larger adventure.

Last One(s) Standing

“ The gunplay itself is also great.

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The entire dynamic of both exploration and combat changes drastically by grouping up in the pre-game lobby. Playing solo brings certain elements to the formula that going in with a partner doesn’t, and the same goes for trios and four-player squads. There might be more freedom and greater opportunity for stealth in going alone, but a well-coordinated team has more potential for pulling off exciting ambushes and vehicular assaults – and they’re much more survivable because you can revive a teammate who’s been knocked down but not finished off. Playing in first-person-only servers also brings a new, challenging dimension to matches by eliminating the corner-peaking advantages granted by the default third-person camera.

Other than that, a couple handy hotkeys to cycle weapons, switch between third- or first-person perspective, toggle auto or burst fire for your gun, and adjust zeroing distance are most of what you need to know beyond the obvious. The simple and intuitive UI is also particularly refined, which makes looting bodies and swapping items with teammates as easy as a quick click and drag.

A number of quality-of-life features round out even PUBG’s roughest edges: being able to access your inventory and map while on the move, adjust the camera mid-stride without changing direction, and a generous leniency with fall damage stand out as some of the most valuable. Since the 1.0 launch, I haven’t experienced significant performance or rubberbanding issues, but it’s important to note that version 1.0 still hasn’t managed to eliminate the hacking problem that’s most prevalent in high-skill matchmaking games, or a handful of persistent bugs.