Battlerite Royale is an extension and standalone game successor to the original Battlerite Arena game, which was a PVP. The game was developed by Stunlock Studios.

Royale is not a mode for the original game but does retain the look and feel of the original, however many things are different between the games. Royal with its free-for-all philosophy allows up to thirty players to take to the map. The maps themselves are much larger than the arenas to reflect the new fast paced game and matches can be played solo or as part of a duo.

There are advantages to the new maps, including adding choke points and areas which certain characters can jump over. There are also platforms which will jump you from one point of the map to another, good for ambushes and getting out of sticky situations. They also afford you a quick overview of the surrounding map, offering up the opportunity of attacking unsuspecting opponents from above. If that were not enough there are also voids dotted about to accidentally fall into.

Like other Royale type matches the object of the game is to be the last person standing, or last two if you're playing as a duo. Time is limited as the world slowly shrinks via a barrier which will damage or kill you if you make contact. The characters have been rebalanced to reflect the changing nature of a Royal battle. Each character has six standard abilities, with an extra ultimate, though you only start with a couple to play with. Abilities have a cool down period, so you need to use a combination of evasion and attack to have a chance of success.

As well as fighting to the last man standing the game has an RNG loot system for collecting items which you can use in battle, of course this means that often the beginning of a game is a mad hunt for the best stuff. The game also has an in-game currency, in the form of gold which can be collected to buy in-game consumables, abilities and equipment. Item rarity is graded from green through to orange, but like most games like this, the rarer the loot the less likely you are to run across it.

Most of the games I played, I died quickly, like most Royale games you’re going to spend a lot of time learning the maps and refining your battle skill. There is a tutorial you must play before you can progress to the actual game, which is a good way of practicing moving and shooting. I did find the controls difficult and I think that it is because I am predominantly a console player.

Regular PC players are unlikely to have this problem and the game does allow you to remap the buttons, though I could not get the Steam version to recognise my XBox controller. When I tried to do this the penny dropped that, given the games interface, it was not going to be a practical solution anyway.

Once people have quit messing around picking up all the best loot, the fights can become quick and bloody. While the maps are large you do have a mount, which can be used to travel quickly. This also means that if you’re not careful you will also run into traps just as quickly.

The game offers up a top-down perspective allowing less chances of an ambush. There are environmental elements which will give some stealth and some abilities allow you to disappear. The world is bright and colourful, with the near neon colours making for a visually pleasing experience. If you do die as a newbie, the game allows you to follow other players, you can cycle through any that remain to gain some information and experience.

Overall, my personal issues with the control interface aside, there is a lot to like about the game. Maybe something should be done about the need to scavenge so much in the early parts of a match, but I’m sure there will be updating to balance out the game once enough people are able to give feedback. Games were easy enough to get and I didn’t have to wait more than a couple of minutes, so, for now, there is enough of a community to sustain it.

7

Charles Packer