I’ve not written much about PUBG recently, mostly down to not having much time to play it properly as of late. But I keep an eye on those patch notes, I watch the updates and trailers, and always have a keen eye on my next drop.
What’s the state of play with PUBG right now? We’re on version 14.2 and things have never looked so good if you ask me. The last few updates (13.1 & 13.2 and 14.1 & 14.2) have added a good chunk of features, fixes and content.
New weapons
Always a potential game-changer is the inclusion of new weapons to mix up that meta. 14.2 brings with it two pretty substantial introductions. The Mortar and the M79, a smoke grenade launcher.
The mortar takes up a primary weapon slot but delivers an explosive payload. Having only played solo recently, I can’t wait to set up a raid on a couple of dudes hunkered down in a building. My friends push forwards as one of us rains some carnage down on the opposition. Or if we have some people on our tail, pop a couple of shells over a ridge to try to keep a bit of space between us.
You can’t use it indoors (don’t ask how I know…..), so make sure you have another gun or melee weapon ready to go for those close quarters encounters.
The M79 is a cool little launcher. I don’t generally get tactical enough to care for smoke grenades, but I do love to leg it when things get hairy. So, yeah, I can definitely see some scenarios where this will work out for me. I haven’t found one yet, but it’s only a matter of time as I get back into the swing of things.
The Blue Zone Grenade came out in 13.2, also. A little piece of that ever-terrifying PUBG blue zone. Target and focus wherever you throw it. Forcing your enemies to move out of position. It’s an odd choice in a game more focused on weapon realism, but PUBG can do what the hell it wants, and it works!
Down but not out
Getting “downed” in PUBG or any battle royale is a staple. You’re with a squad, you get downed, you have a chance to crawl away to safety so your buddies can revive you. It creates tension that other games cannot match. Slowly crawling down a hill to get out of the line of sight of an enemy sniping, or moving away to distract the enemy whilst your friends go for a flank.
It’s a great element, that usually ends up with my protracted death.
PUBG has added this function whilst you’re in water now, so you can survive even if swimming instead of just dying.
Now you can slowly swim to shore (still steadily bleeding out), to try to get a revive on the shore. It’s a much-needed addition, but if you’re out in the bigger bodies of water, it’s still a bit redundant. Regardless, it’s a positive addition that gives us a bit more room to survive. Hats off to PUBG!
Casual mode
Introduced in PUBG 13.2, casual mode is something I had no idea I needed so badly. With a cap of 3 games a day, you get to drop in a mostly bot-populated Erangel. 12 human players, the rest are bots.
What a great way to start a play session. Some quick drops to take off the edge. You can play aggressively, take out some of that tension you maybe get from dropping in a hot spot (Pochinki for life!) and just find your flow before you start playing properly.
It’s a dream for unlocking achievements, too! I had a quick drop and unlocked some achievements really quickly. Things I needed to finish but the opportunities had been more sparse during “proper” matches, where circumstances need to align in a much more unlikely way.
Fixtures and fittings
PUBG is and has always been a game that is continually improving. I check in from time to time to see how it looks, how it feels and to see what’s been added.
Whilst I’m not massive on all the themed aesthetics to purchase etc, it’s no skin off my nose for it to be there. I love PUBG, it’s the definitive battle royale still. With all the tweaks to maps, all the little features, the new weapons and the game modes, it’s always a joy.
I’ve seen some weird issues graphically since updating to Windows 11, but it seems unique to my rig so far, so I’ll see what I can do to smooth that out.
In November 2021, though. I can say that yet again, PUBG has evolved. Not through massive updates, but through small changes, incremental additions and what seems to be a tireless production team.
If you haven’t played it still, now is the best time to start. With an easier way to get a feel for the game and more maps than ever before. You’re golden.
Where you droppin’?
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