PUBG Mobile War Mode Impressions: Maddening, exhilarating and infinitely engaging

Kshitij PujariJul 26, 2018 21:14:28 IST

While most of the world is going absolutely gaga over Fortnite, PUBG for Mobile has introduced a humungous 1.6 GB update to its game for keeping its audience more engaged. In this update, along with many UI changes, improved frame rate, better guns, new accessories and more, comes a new mode which was announced by PUBG at this year's E3 gaming expo. I'm of course talking about the intense 'War Mode' that has finally made its way to the mobile platform from Xbox and PC.

PUBG War Mode.

Some background first. I'll admit that I haven't even touched PUBG on either the Xbox or PC, But I also know that it wouldn't be a stretch to say that nearly everyone who has heard about PUBG in the last couple of months has heard of it because of its mobile release. While Fortnite is also available on mobile devices, it is as of now exclusive to iOS. As per various reports, this is soon to change as Tencent is actively working on an Android version which it plans on releasing very soon.

So what does PUBG do when it sees that Fortnite's massive popularity could bite into its Android market? It releases War Mode. Being highly satisfied with the Classic and Arcade modes of PUBG, I never thought that there would be another mode which might raise my addiction levels. I've never been more wrong.

War Mode is unlike anything I've ever seen on a mobile gaming device. It is a proper take on the Deathmatch game mode and gamers would know that popular deathmatch shooter games would include the likes of Unreal Tournament, Call of Duty, Half-Life, etc. However, the War Mode happens to have an intensity which is 10X more than any other deathmatch game I've ever played!

First, the basics. What exactly is War Mode? If you are aware of how PUBG's Battle Royale Mode works, then it would be easy to understand War Mode. For others, here's a short explanation. 20 players are dropped in a very small area. These players can play solo, in teams of two or in teams of four. The objective is simple. Keep eliminating the other players or teams to reach a certain point count. Each kill gives you or your team 3 points. In case you are playing as a team, any player knocked out can be revived by the other team player, this, in turn, will earn you another point. Reach the point-count first before the timer ends and you win. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. Sounds easy? You wish it was.

PUBG

The drop area is tiny and as soon as you drop even the slightest bit of lag can cost you your life. Everyone more or less drops in around you. The good thing here is that you are already loaded with weapons so you don't have to scavenge them. When I first played the mode, I thought that I managed to land in a spot that was not going to be crowded. I quickly realized that there is no such place. Your feet hit the ground and the area around you lights up with bullet indicators. It is total chaos. You run left, right, front and back but there is no escaping the barrage of guns blazing all across the map. They are everywhere and chances are quite high that you will die in the first 10-15 seconds of the game. One eye needs to be on you or your team's point counter, the other on the map. There's no room for strategizing against opponents or to wait for an opportune moment to attack. Everything is happening instantly and the only strategy you need is to just run headfirst into the battlefield and spray bullets like a madman, hoping that a few catch your enemies. But maybe that's just me.

The bonus part here is that you have unlimited lives, which is not available in any other mode of the game. You respawn after an interval of 10 seconds and the same intense process repeats. The map never remains the same. Every new War mode game shows us a new restricted area of the Eragnel map. Honestly, the experience is quite exhilarating and compels me to play one more game every time it ends. As a matter of fact, while writing this impression, I've played 3 games back-to-back just for the heck of it. Those who enjoy the slow-paced nature of PUBG's Classic Battle Royale mode may not be very thrilled with the fast-paced nature of War Mode. If you are a starter to PUBG, I highly recommend that you start with the Classic 100-man Battle Royal and not with the War Mode.

As parting remarks, I truly believe that War Mode could be the single biggest upgrade PUBG needed to establish itself as a fast-paced game, much like Fornite. But can it convert some of Fortnite's die-hard supporters? The answers are sure to come in due time.

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