If you want to get started, this winter break! PUBG for PS4 has finally arrived!　This hands-on review looks at the appeal of the new genre that has been created!

Have you heard of the recently popular "Battle Royale" genre of games?

The number of players varies from game to game, but the game has become popular because it allows several dozen to a hundred players to start a game at the same time and continue fighting until the last player (or group) is eliminated.

The game that ignited this battle royale genre is "PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS" (or "PUBG" for short), which has become popular on Twitch, YouTube Live, and other video distribution services. It is also highly popular in gameplay videos on video distribution services such as Twitch and YouTube Live. The "I won!" message displayed on the screen for the winning player is a reminder that he or she has won! I won! Don't win dinner! The message ......, commonly known as "Don Katsu," has such a strong impact that some people may have only heard of the term.

PUBG itself is a title that has been around for over a year since it was first released on Steam, but on December 7, 2018, the long-awaited PS4 version will be available!　So, for those who are looking for an opportunity to get started, or for those who have never heard of "PUBG" but have been looking for an interesting title, we will explain the features and attractions of this title!

A total of 100 people participated!　The winner is the one who attacked, hid, and stood until the end of the game!

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is a battle royale type title. The rules are very simple, and the player who survives to the end wins. However, since this is basically a shooting game, you may be asking yourself, "Doesn't the person with the best skill win? You may ask yourself, "Doesn't the person with the best skill win? This is not necessarily true, but the interesting thing about this game is that skill alone is not enough to win. I will now introduce the actual flow of the game and explain some of its well-designed features.

When the game begins, all players are placed on a transport plane. This transport flies across the battlefield, and each player must jump off at a point of their choice in order to survive.

The first point to consider is the choice of drop-off point!　There are many different environments in the field, and places with some kind of facility are marked with a name. In order to survive, you may want to land in a place where people are unlikely to find you as much as possible. The route that the transport will take is different each time, so you will need to look at the predicted route and take it into account after the game starts. To get used to the game and the controls at first, we recommend that you get off the ground outside of the larger towns and learn the overall flow of the game as you play.

However, if you go down to the edge of the field too much, that can be a troubling development. In the world of "PUBG," the safe areas to operate in shrink over time. Safe areas are determined randomly in each game, so if you go down too far to the edge of the field, you may not be able to move in time if the next area is designated in the exact opposite position. Staying outside the safe area will not kill you instantly, but it will gradually deplete your strength, so you cannot stay there for too long.

Since there are vehicles in this work, if you are lucky enough to find one, you may be able to shrink the area in time, even if it is far away. However, vehicles make a loud noise, which has the disadvantage of easily revealing your location to other players, so you must be careful.

In addition, even if you are in a safe area, you may be bombed periodically. A red circle will appear on the map with an announcement, and if you are inside the circle, a series of explosions will occur that will cause instantaneous damage!　When the announcement is made, leave immediately or hide inside your house. If you are lucky, you will survive, but it is best to avoid them as much as possible.

Since you will start out with no weapons, the first thing you should do after landing is to look for weapons. It is advantageous to take your weapon first, especially if other players are descending nearby!

However, guns require ammunition. However, guns require ammunition, which must be the right type of ammunition for the gun you are using, so be sure to check your weapon and ammunition type by opening the menu. Also, don't forget to reload your weapon because it is not loaded with ammunition when you pick it up!

The location of the ammunition varies each time, so even beginners can beat veterans if they are lucky. Weapons and ammunition are generally found indoors, so it is a good rule of thumb to start out by going down near a building.

There is a limit to the number of items you can carry, including recovery items and ammunition. The maximum amount of items you can carry expands as you pick up backpacks, and the higher the level of backpack, the more items you can carry. Similarly, items that protect you, such as helmets and body armor, also have levels. The higher the level, the more effective the item is, so if you are lucky enough to find one with a high level, you should equip it immediately.

Given the above, urban areas near the center of the field tend to be fiercely contested and may be a bit of a hurdle for beginners.

If you have trouble finding a gun, you can either leave the area quickly or hide, holding your breath until the other players move on. You decide what you will do based on whether you can pick up a good item quickly, and this randomness of starting off creates a sense of excitement like no other.

In this way, you set out on the battlefield with nothing but your clothes on, collect equipment by picking it up and defeating enemies, and survive to the end. This is the basic style of gameplay in this title.

The gimmick of the gradually shrinking battlefield greatly influences the tactics of the players, who are not only forced to fight each other, but also to run and shoot alongside each other while escaping from the walls of the danger zone that looms behind them. Another exciting aspect of the game is the periodic drops of relief supplies on the battlefield, which can be fought over!　The tactics of whether to take the risk and go for the relief supplies or give up and play it safe are also hotly contested!

You can also hide near the area boundary and move as the area shrinks to prevent being attacked from behind. It is fun to be able to fight in a variety of ways. By hiding well and aiming for a fishing expedition, it is even possible to win the game with little or no fighting.

Above all, it is comfortable to be able to make up the next match immediately after being defeated, without waiting for the game to end, and it is also attractive to be able to play quickly and without much fuss.

The training ground is safe even for beginners, and there are also "duos" and "squads" that you can challenge with your friends.

Although we have been talking about the "Solo" mode, which is basically a single player mode, there are also "Duo" and "Squad" modes, in which two or four players can take on a challenge. These modes can also be played with randomly assembled teams. Although emotes (gestures, dance moves, etc.) can be used to communicate with other players, it goes without saying that voice chat makes it easier for players to work together. Playing with a group of like-minded friends while having a good time is a different kind of fun.

In the "Solo" mode, the game is over without question if you are knocked down, but in the "Duo" and "Squad" modes, if you are knocked down, you are stunned and can wait for your friends to revive you. If you take a certain amount of damage while stunned, you will die, so it is important to crawl and hide in the shadows or under your allies to increase your chances of survival.

What I strongly recommend to beginners is TRAINING, where you can freely practice shooting and driving. You can move to the training area and try out different equipment, so it is a good idea to build up your knowledge of weapons and other aspects of the game. This is because in a real game, you will often determine the type of gun by its name, such as whether it is a rifle or a shotgun.

Of course, you can determine the type of gun by opening the menu and moving the cursor over the gun, but you don't have time to do that when you need to act quickly, and since each gun has a different shake and range, it is a big plus to try out all the guns in the training area.

You don't have to learn everything from the beginning, but just look for a weapon that you find easy to use, and you can just say, "This gun is easy to use, so I'll definitely keep it.

In this game, you can expect all kinds of battles, from indoor battles where you have to shoot at close range to open-air battles. Especially in outdoor battles, it is often difficult to aim with the gun you picked up as is.

A variety of attachments can be added to the gun to customize its performance, but the most important is a scope that allows you to aim at long distances. The magnification of a scope greatly affects its visibility, so the higher the magnification, the more powerful the scope is. It is better to experience the difference in ease of aiming between different scopes on the training field. Well, whether you can even pick up a scope in the real game depends on your luck. ......

Customize the appearance of the player character and play in the style of your choice.

One element not directly related to the game is the customization of the player character. Gender and appearance can be changed at any time from the main menu, and clothing can be purchased and changed with in-game or real-world currency. Weapon skins and other items are also available for sale, making this an attractive element for those who are particular about their appearance.

The two main currencies are "G-COIN," which is purchased with real money, and "BP," which is gradually accumulated through game play. Each has different items for sale, but all of them have no effect on the game's win or loss, even if you pay for them.

The items that can be purchased with BP are crates, which are a random selection of one of several items for appearance. The contents will vary depending on the type, but you can see the items you may get before you purchase them.

In addition, experience is accumulated by playing the game repeatedly, and as your level increases, you will get random items as rewards. Experience can be gained efficiently by completing challenges called "Survival Goals. There are two types of challenges, "Daily Mission" and "Weekly Mission," so you can raise your level efficiently if you use them as a guideline for your play. Please note that the performance of a character does not improve in the game just because his/her level has increased.

Enjoy the fun of overcoming difficulties by making decisions on the spot!

If I were to describe the appeal of this game in one word, it would be "simple but profound. As I explained, the rules themselves are very simple, but when I actually played the game, I had a lot to think about. It is not an exaggeration to say that this variety of situational decisions is what makes this game so appealing. The thrill of making the most of what you have, aiming for victory, and succeeding is truly addictive and fun!　Even if you lose, you will experience a thrill that you cannot get anywhere else. Even if you lose, you will feel a thrill that you can't get anywhere else. Please feel free to try it out with the spirit of "Oh well, these days happen!

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PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS AND PUBG ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS, TRADEMARKS OR SERVICE MARKS OF PUBG.