The Video Game Critic

As many of you are no doubt aware, this is a staggeringly successful multiplayer shooter that somehow managed to outsell all of its rivals by a considerable margin even though it's an early access title that only became available earlier this year whose developers who were previously relatively unknown (pardon the pun). Recently, the game came out for Xbox One, and since my computer is probably in no way equipped to run the Steam version, I decided to try out the Xbox One version.

It turned out to be one of the worst games I've bought this year.

The most obvious change from the PC version that everyone has taken note of is the framerate, which is theoretically 30 fps (itself widely considered a no-no for modern multiplayer shooters) but tends to get considerably choppier than that. These framerate issues are present on both the original Xbox One and the Xbox One X, the latter of which is particularly embarrassing considering it claims to currently be the most powerful game console in the world.

If you aren't aware, the gameplay (inspired by the cult classic book/movie Battle Royale) consists of a hundred players parachuting from a plane onto a large island, where they then collect various weapons and items to kill each other until only one is left standing. This is a concept practically overflowing with potential, and virtually all of it is squandered in this game. Very rarely does the game feel dependent on anything other than sheer luck, a majority of the game is tediously running to a designated spot on the map (and good luck finding your incredibly tiny, inconspicuous character symbol when you open up the map), and half the time you have absolutely no clue who killed you.

The controls are some of the worst I've seen this year. You are given no sort of tutorial for them despite them being unusual, the controller input diagram has text that is downright unreadably tiny on my TV (a very common issue in modern games that never ceases to irritate the living hell out of me), and various buttons don't respond unless you either press them multiple times in a row or hold them down.

It baffles me to the core that PUBG, let alone the Xbox One version, is being praised at all. This is a broken, glitchy, choppy, unbalanced, poorly designed, incoherent, barely playable trainwreck of a game, and the fact that it's being sold as a "Game Preview" doesn't in any way excuse its myriad glaring issues. This is the new big Xbox One title? Seriously, Microsoft?

I’ve watched others play it on Twitch, and it looks like a ton of fun, but very challenging, and I imagine it takes quite a bit of time to be able to stay alive long enough to enjoy it. And even then, there is definitely a level of luck involved. I imagine the mouse and keyboard combo works better than Xbox controller.

IF anyone's looking for a better version to play, Fortnite recently released a Battle Royale mode that's essentially the same thing, but a lot faster paced and with the same construction element as the main game. It a ton of fun, and it's free!

The game has been released for 25 credits. As such for a premium title that tells you all you need to know. It is not a triple A title.
It sounds like a typical beta release that will get better over time. I disagree with the Xbox 1 X comment. It is not a first party title as such it sounds like they have not got to grips with the console. Happens all the time

As someone else suggested you can play the same game on Fortnight for free. Though one of my pals did not know it was f2p and bought it for 40 credits. He was gutted when he found out he had got the loot box edition of the free game.

I am not keen on these multiplayer only shooters so will not be picking it up.

It's an "Xbox Game Preview" game, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the framerate isn't consistent.

fod wrote:It's an "Xbox Game Preview" game, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the framerate isn't consistent.

It’s crazy to me that this is a defense of the game. Yeah it’s a beta but they’re making you pay for it! I almost preferred it when companies were selling the beta of a game but not saying it, then had to apologize as they updated the game to a playable state. Now that they just come right out and say they’re selling us the beta they have this defense of, “Well, it’s just a beta. What did you expect?” I know that it’s more transparent and people don’t have to buy it and all that but the practice is just gross to me.

ESauce wrote:

fod wrote:It's an "Xbox Game Preview" game, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the framerate isn't consistent.

It’s crazy to me that this is a defense of the game. Yeah it’s a beta but they’re making you pay for it! I almost preferred it when companies were selling the beta of a game but not saying it, then had to apologize as they updated the game to a playable state. Now that they just come right out and say they’re selling us the beta they have this defense of, “Well, it’s just a beta. What did you expect?” I know that it’s more transparent and people don’t have to buy it and all that but the practice is just gross to me.

To be fair, you're supposed to go into this knowing what to expect. The game ISN'T finished, but they're up front with you about it. They expect you to give them feedback on what does and doesn't work and how they can improve it. They're not sitting their counting their money, they're taking everyone's feedback into consideration and working to make the game better. I think the general idea is that when it's officially finished, it'll go up significantly in price, but since you already own it you just got a big discount.

Hopefully they have patched it by now. I agree it should not be for sale until the framerate is fixed. I think Microsoft is in a hurry to get the game into people's hands before the PS4 version comes out. It looks like a 99 player Rainbow Six, which fascinates me.