Mobile games have come a long way with the development and advancement of smartphones. But things don’t simply end here. Like most technologies, games are also in a state of continuous evolution and development. And with smartphones now equipped with fast processors, great displays and enhanced audio quality, game manufacturers are constantly working to improve gaming experience by creating unique features. For instance, in 2016, a game based on a popular cartoon show of the 2000s took the gaming community by storm. It used real-time locations of users for an enhanced gaming experience. The game was called Pokemon Go.
Similarly, in 2017, the gaming industry was revolutionised by another game called PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG). It not only offered an interesting battle royale gaming experience but also opened the door to a new age of online socialisation that’s distinct from social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The popularity of PUBG is so great and widespread that companies are globally announcing PUBG game tournaments with staggering prizes.
What is it about?
If you haven’t played the game yet, here is what it’s about. In the game, you along with up to 99 other players parachute on an island. Upon landing, all players hunt for weapons and other equipment such as armour, scopes and other supplies to kill other players while at the same time avoid getting killed themselves.
You can play either solo, duo or in a team of four. But here things become interesting. The white circle called Playzone is where players need to remain to be in the game, for outside Playzone, players take damage to their health. The circle decreases in size over time, offering less and less surface area to the players. This forces players into tighter areas, making encounters with other players inevitable. The last man or the team standing wins the game.
Gameplay
When the game was first launched, it had only one map – Erangel – but the company later added three more maps – Miramar, Sanhok and Vikendi (beta). While Erangel has a lot of bushes and hiding spots to silently kill your enemies, Miramar is spread like a desert and is great for assaults and sniping. Sanhok is slightly smaller and works well for group operations and firefights. The recently added Vikendi (beta) map offers a chilly terrain full of snow and is great for taking your opponent heads-on as there’s simply no place to hide.
The game is free to download but has in-app purchases. You can log in via Facebook or as Guest to play. As you play, you can earn experience and battle points based on your daily login rewards, which can be spent on crates containing accessories to customise your character, like clothing, and masks.
You can also use the in-built mic to chat with other team members if you’re playing in a team. When you are entering a map in a team, the game starts quickly as compared to a solo adventure, wherein matchmaking could take a few seconds.
During the gameplay, the mobile screen acts as a virtual joystick for manoeuvring your character and controlling the camera. There are two bullet buttons on the left and right sides of the screen to help you shoot. For some, the controls can be a little clumsy at first, but you soon get used to it.
As you move through the map, you pick up different accessories and other necessary items, which are automatically sorted, thus reducing menu management time.
In terms of combat experience, the game is more oriented towards mid- and close-range encounters. It’s really very hard to aim and kill people from a distance, until you manage to get a 6x or an 8x scope, at least, and a compatible rifle with it. Apart from one-on-one shooting, vehicles also play an important role in combat. You can use vehicles to run other players over. They also help when the map gets smaller and allow you to run in the circle or the playzone. When in a team, players in the passenger seat can also aim and shoot.
Conclusion
Overall, PUBG Mobile is a great action game that can keep you entertained for hours. Up to 100 players compete in a last-man-standing, kill-or-be-killed battle royale, in which the only way to survive and be the winner is to kill everyone else.
