Battle royale games have taken the competitive multiplayer gaming world by storm. Video games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) have become household names in the gaming community.
But out there exist many other amazing, competitive multiplayer titles. So, what exactly are battle royale games, and should you join in with all the hype?
What Are Battle Royale Games?
The main goal of a battle royale game is to be the last man standing. They are multiplayer titles that bring players onto a map and fight until all other players, or the opposing teams, are defeated.
It would be incredibly repetitive if every battle royale game did things the exact same, so each consists of unique characters, weapons, power-ups, and defensive and offensive techniques to help differentiate itself from its competition.
How Does Battle Royale Gameplay Work?
Many battle royale games treat the genre very similarly: spawn players onto an aesthetically pleasing map, provide buildings and other features for cover, and hide items, loot, weapons, and power-ups amongst the map. However, many video games in the genre do a great job of creating an intriguing, unique world filled with weapons, fun characters, and various in-game options to provide a fantastic multiplayer experience.
The main goal is to be the last player or team standing; along with this comes communicating various strategies with your teammates over voice chat and in-game features.
EA's Apex Legends, for example, does a great job at incorporating communication features in-game without even needing to plug in a microphone. Apex Legends calls these "Smart Comms," which lets players pinpoint items, enemies, and areas of the map for their teammates, who can then see them on their screens.
Another common feature of battle royale games is having the map shrink around you at various intervals throughout the match, closing off previously available buildings with powerful weapons and bringing you in closer contact with enemies and other hazards. This allows for additional strategy and in-game anxiety when you're forced to miss out on grabbing a certain weapon and need to find cover from your foes quickly.
Another gameplay mechanic becoming more commonly featured is the ability to revive your teammates for a certain amount of time. If a teammate dies, you can attempt to go to their body to revive them; however, enemies will know you're coming and will defend the body and do everything in their power to not let you do so. Some games allow players to respawn after each death, while others only give players one life per match.
How Much Do Battle Royale Games Cost?
One of the best parts of battle royale games is that many of them are free. This includes big names in the gaming world such as Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, and Apex Legends. Of course, in this era of gaming, we understand that things are only free for a reason, so what's the catch?
Many of these games have in-game microtransactions, which allow the game to make money from a massive player base. These microtransactions usually do not give players an unfair advantage in terms of performance, such as more powerful weapons and highly defensive armor. Instead, in-game purchases give players cosmetic items, skins, and hats.
Not every game is this way, however, so don't be surprised if a free-to-play, or even a paid battle royale game, has some in-game purchases available for exclusive weapons and other perks. The ethics on this is pretty mixed, as some gamers think it's a fair trade-off to play the game absolutely free, whereas others believe that it's an evil way for the developers to suck as much money out of their pockets as possible.
Nevertheless, the free-to-play model has a very low barrier to entry for new players and has been a successful business strategy for years now.
Should You Play Battle Royale Games?
If you're reading this article, chances are your friend is trying to convince you to play Fortnite or another one of their favorite battle royale games. Even if it's not your favorite type of game, there's no reason not to try it out.
The free-to-play model may be evil, but on the other hand, you have nothing to lose except some time and processing power. You'll either be disappointed by all the hype or be sucked deeply into the battle royale genre.