The battle royale genre is no doubt one of the biggest recent evolutions in PC gaming. In an attempt to cash in on the craze, it might be enticing for developers to simply slap a “battle royale” tag on any game mode that features some iteration of either large-scale, free-for-all competition or a rapidly shrinking playable area without offering much by way of new mechanics or compelling design concepts. Whether or not the genre has reached its apex remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say we’ll likely see the “battle royale” label pasted onto all manner of copycats and knockoffs.
Make no mistake: Battlerite Royale is not one of those games. Stunlock Studios didn’t simply introduce their fast-paced, free-to-play MOBA Battlerite to a copy-and-paste battle royale context; they succeeded in creating something entirely new, synthesizing elements from both genres to produce fresh, exciting competitive moments. Though seasoned Battlerite players will recognize similarities between the two games, Battlerite Royale sits in a genre all on its own.
The biggest difference between Battlerite Royale and other battle royale games is its asymmetry. Players not only start games off by choosing a champion, but also spend an allotted amount of currency on starting abilities and items. The rest of their abilities are locked from the match’s outset.
“Players then pick up their remaining abilities throughout the game, mimicking accrual of more powerful weapons in royale shooter titles,” explained Stunlock Game Designer Kevin Chang. Players can do this by breaking open loot orbs that are scattered throughout the map.
Improvising with a fraction of your champion’s loadout forces you to remain flexible, planning skillshots in advance or keeping tabs on your options for escape. “Much like you have to make do with whatever gun you pick up in a royale shooter, players in Battlerite Royale have to make do with the abilities they acquire,” Chang said.
This is a perfect example of how Stunlock mashes up the mechanics of both MOBAs and battle royales to make something new. In battle royale shooters, you’re forced to improvise with the gear and weapons that you come across.
In Battlerite Royale, however, you have a fixed idea of what’s absent from your loadout and can adapt your strategy accordingly. In the early game, you’re at least operating with a workable plan of attack or defense, regardless of the loot in your immediate surrounding once you drop.
Stunlock also devised a clever way of incentivizing players to gather at different points on the map. “Players are drawn to several hotspots over the map that will remind people of contesting objectives in a MOBA, whether that’s airdrop locations or vendors,” Chang said.
The amount of currency you can hold is capped, so it’s in your best interest to visit vendors in order to upgrade your stats with new pieces of armor or purchase consumable items like health potions once you have enough gold. You’ll feel less inclined to camp if that means showing up to late-game 1v1s with worse loadouts than your opponent.
Regardless, you’ll likely spend much of the game nervously checking your whereabouts for enemies disguised as barrels or nearby red Xs on your map, which denote sites of a kill. Unlike the core Battlerite MOBA, Battlerite Royale matches take their time, and the use of MOBA conventions like grassy covers and darkened peripheral views make the game all the more tense.
When you do encounter an enemy, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone will emerge victorious or with a higher kill count. Fight-or-flight situations play out very differently in Battlerite Royale than in typical battle royale shooters.
“Since mobility is high in Battlerite Royale relative to other battle royale games and MOBAs, there has to be a careful balance for time-to-kill,” Chang said. “It has to be quick enough that players can’t consistently just run away, but also long enough where player mastery over the combat system can shine.”
In addition to your champion’s own mobility abilities, you can utilize elements of the environment to either take cover or propel yourself to a different part of the map entirely. Escape is always heart-racing, and narrowly avoiding an opponent’s ultimate can feel extremely rewarding.
Battlerite Royale retains all the familiar elements that make both MOBAs and battle royales so compelling. Far from a sloppy mashup of two popular genres, Battlerite Royale manages to take the best of both worlds and make something that stands apart from the rest. Better yet, it’s free-to-play, so there’s no excuse for you to skip out on this one.
Battlerite Royale is available for PC now.