With over 20 million copies sold worldwide, and a console launch coming soon, PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds-better known as “PUBG” respectively secures a spot as one of the best games out today. The popular battle royale game was created by a Korean based company; Bluehole studio. The game was released uncompleted early this year, and since has had a peak of 2.5 million players online. This is an incredible accomplishment because, for such a new game, it has surpassed the online presence of players from older popular games like Dota 2 and CSGO. Even more interestingly enough, in the first 5 weeks in Steam’s Early Access section, the developing game sold nearly 2 million copies!

At the start-up menu, you have the option to choose which mode you would prefer to play. You can choose between a duo, squad, or solo! To make sure the playing field is fair, the creators made it where players queueing, can only play with others in the same game mode. Players who violate this rule can have their account temporarily suspended or permanently banned.

The game starts off with a maximum of 100 players who spawn on a cargo plane awaiting their destination. Players get to choose where to jump off as the plane passes a large island. Soon they will slowly descend through the use of parachutes and begin their adventures with hopes of being the “last man standing.”  Once their feet come in contact with the ground, players will scavenge for gear located in abandoned buildings. After a certain amount of time, the playing field is randomly restricted in a shape of a circle. Any players outside of the white circle will have to outrun a second blue circle. This blue circle moves slowly and does little damage, however, the damage can rapidly add up and lead to an unfortunate death. The white circle will continue to diminish in size until a player is crowned. The game also adds an element of surprise by randomly adding “red zones.” The area within the red circle is repeatedly bombed however, players within the vicinity can avoid damage by sheltering in buildings. Another fun element of the game is the airdrops, which leave a visible trail of smoke. The package can drop valuable items such as weapons, ammunition, and other equipment. The supply drop also often instigates a battle between players for the possession of the loot, which can get hectic at times but also very thrilling.

The open world game is visually and mechanically breathtaking! The game can run on 4K resolution, which only makes the landscapes more detail and overall stunning. You can clearly see the amount of time and effort that went into the design of the buildings. The weapons themselves look authentic and the sound amazing to shoot with different firing modes. PUBG offers a variety of weapons from short to long-range guns, melee options, as well as bombs. Not only that, you can also add accessories to your guns such as scopes, suppressors, and extended magazines. The insane amount of work put into the development is insane, however, the game is not without flaw.

Many players have experienced server connection related issues such server lag and random disconnects. Another slight issue is related to the RNG (random number generator) of the playing field. Though rare, it is possible for the playing field to be restricted in the open waters. Now the problem with this is that players cannot utilize their weapons in the deep waters. In the end, it came down to who could stay in the middle of the circle. Since then, the developers of PUBG have released numerous patches solving many of the game's issues.

Overall PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds is a beautiful combination of a survival game mode, an open world setting, and a shooter game. It is relatively easy to pick up, however, will take time to progress. I love that the developers are making an effort to provide players from other platforms a chance to play the game, and I believe it will be a huge success on the console platform. Currently, there is one map available to the public, and another desert themed map, “Erangel,” coming soon. This is a huge step forward and I can’t wait for what the future of PUBG has to offer.