Four years already that the Battle Royale PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is one of the most played games on Steam (by the way, the latter has just been renamed PUBG Battlegrounds)... And as curious as it may seem, I had never played it, despite the fact that I am rather fond of the genre. The reason ? I heard a lot about cheaters at the time, and the game felt way slower than the competition. After a few hours spent on the title, my impression is now more weighted. Yes, the game can be quite slow, but there are plenty of hotspots on the maps, which bring all the action together, and which kept me from getting too bored!
The latest PUBG map.
It was during the last season to date that I was able to try my hand at BR de KRAFTON. A Battle Royale, as a reminder, is a title that puts a certain number of players against others (solo or in a team) and in which it is a question of being the last survivor(s) . On PUBG, it's 100 players who land on a map, and who will have to run in search of equipment (weapons / armor / care / etc ...) while killing the opponents they meet on the way. To add a little pressure to the whole and prevent everyone from remaining in their starting position, a safety radius appears on the map, and it is imperative to get there in the allotted time, otherwise you will suffer damage continuous causing a slow but almost certain death.
Unlike many competitors, PUBG is intended to be realistic, at least to a certain extent. Not possible to build a wooden fort in seconds like on Fortnite, or swing a portal that instantly teleports as offered Apex Legends. Here, you embody a male or female avatar (customizable via a whole bunch of cosmetic equipment that you get as you play and complete missions) who will just have to survive and dominate the battlefield in the hope of winning the famous "Top 1"... and that turns out to be much more difficult than you might think.
The game is not always taken seriously... my superb combination testifies to this.
Firstly because the game is a bit more complex to pick up than the aforementioned games. You will need to memorize quite a few shortcuts and avoid wasting too much time on the equipment wheel. I was also pleasantly surprised by my squadmates who quickly saw that I was new to the title and helped me via voice chat, instead of insulting me as often happens as soon as we has the misfortune to land on a game that shows a few months / years of existence. The shooting sensations are convincing and also rely on realism. Forget about the all-gunned ballistics of Fortnite, here, if your sight is not on the enemy, you will not hit, it is a fact. The games are also much more brutal. If I compare to the existing and to the other BR practiced, I always had the feeling of being able to reverse a fight. There, the error does not forgive, and it is not uncommon to wander in the pampas and to die the next second by receiving a bullet in the head from a sniper hidden a few tens of meters from you.
The second, more unfortunate point is related to the proportion of cheaters. Initially, I leaned towards the fact that I was simply lacking in skills (and this is still the case despite the hours spent), but I observed curious behavior, confirmed by my fellow fortune-tellers who all got turned on by a Terminator scripted to the core. These dishonest players are not invincible for all that, but it will be necessary to get together to exterminate them, since their aim is relentless.
You can't really say that I shine on PUBG.
On the content side, we feel that the game has several years on the clock. Several cards are in rotation and offer a lot of diversity to avoid the weariness that can be felt when playing other BRs with only one active card. We will also appreciate the possibility of choosing between FPS and TPS. You will also be able to progress in the ranking via the ranked mode. I admit that in view of my level, I did not risk it! Other more fun or standard modes are available in the Arcade section, such as an 8v8 team deathmatch.
On the technical side, the game is rather beautiful. The display distance commands respect, and the title is fluid most of the time. However, without really knowing why, the game draws a lot of CPU resources (an observation shared by many players) with consumption peaks that we cannot explain given the rendering on the screen. Not bothersome on my side given my bike, but for slower machines, some jerks may be felt.
Some cards are less inspired than others
After spending a few hours on PUBG, I must say that I had a new experience in terms of BR. That of a slower, more realistic game, and a vision which, personally, did not fully convince me. I prefer the overall nervousness of a Warzone or Apex Legends. However, as a team, I would gladly relaunch the title to evolve in this way and fully savor this game. PUBG : Battlegrounds might interest them. To see if the current rumors turn out to be true... If so, I can strongly advise you to wait for the transition to Free-to-play.
