Anyone would say that releasing a new battle royale in 2024 is risky. It is a genre that has been exploited to the core and that has had its clear kings for years: PUBGFortnite and Warzone. And the same goes for hero shooters (Overwatch, Valuing…), a shame that PlayStation didn’t want to see it with Concord. The next step was pull-out shooter games.
Studios have been looking for the goose that lays the golden eggs for the extraction shooter genre for years, whose greatest precursor is Escape From Tarkov. The latter is not very accessible or friendly to new players. And for that reason, franchises like Battlefield y Call of Duty They have tried to hit the mark (unsuccessfully) with more casual versions.
Gunzilla Games joins this attempt with Off the Grid on PC (Epic Games), Xbox Series X and PS5. It is a hybrid between battle royale and extraction shooter. I have played its early access on the PlayStation console. I admit that I liked it a lot and that’s saying a lot: I really hated battle royales for years. And even so, I do not recommend it openly… at least for now.
There are some considerations you should know before you get started. Off the Grid It’s in early access, so it’s too early to give verdicts. Another problem is its monetization system. It has its own currency, a store, loot boxes, the possibility of monthly subscription, a stream of cosmetics and also has the “Blockchain/NFT” label on Epic Games. Playing it has been fun, not so much researching it.
Off the Grid: battle royale as a spectacle
It is not the first time we see violence as a spectacle. The Romans had gladiator fights and other works have been inspired to create their own games: from Battle Royale or Hunger Games to the competitions of Rainbow Six Siege and the craziness of The Finals. Not forgetting the iconic Death Races of Death Race.
Off the Grid follow the same philosophy. In this universe, several video game companies (among others) have come together to create a battle royale show on the abandoned island of Teardrop. The universe is inspired by movies like District 9 y Elysium.
Participants or heroes replace their limbs with robotic arms and legs to obtain cybernetic improvements: portable mortars, speed, invisibility, hooks, poison projectiles… In fact, they are interchangeable inside and outside of games. As for the weapons, the inspiration in Elysium becomes more evident because there are some with an almost carbon style.
It’s a battle royale, but at the same time you can extract things during games and have sections dedicated to predefined configurations and inventory. This includes weapon customization. It shouldn’t sound strange to you because it’s something you already do. Call of Duty: Warzone. In fact, Off the Grid It meets all the points of a battle royale: a closing circle, plates and syringes, wounded status, weapons with different tiers…
In my opinion, the most interesting thing about Off the Grid is that it is played in third person and limb system. The third person perspective doesn’t have much to explain. I will say that it makes moving around the map a lot easier, especially when it comes to verticality. You have a jetpack that you can use at any time. The map is large in both extent and height. And varied! It has a lot of interiors.
The limb system is what I liked the most. Arms and legs are interchangeable during games. Doing so requires an animation of several seconds and you can lose them due to impacts, but they provide a very interesting variety to the gameplay. My favorites so far are:
- Mortar legs– You mark the three hit locations with a Call of Duty-style tablet and they have several minutes of cooldown.
- Hook arm: An arm that allows you to use a hook to improve mobility.
- chemical arm– Allows you to launch a chemical projectile that creates a huge cloud of gas that damages enemies.
They are skills, but they are not intrinsic to the characters. They are elements that you can predefine in your settings (you have to unlock them first) and that are obtained during the games. This ensures that you can change skills on the fly and as needed. It’s great because you rarely play two or three games in a row where you’re carrying the same weapon and limb builds.
I had a great time playing Off the Griddespite my concerns about the monetization system. It’s been a long time since I had so much fun playing a battle royale, let alone a PVP. And the only thing I did was be a burden on my team, die like a condemned man and get assists. I didn’t even have that good of a time in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s PVP modes.
I share a gameplay with one of my first games before finishing this publication. I’m an absolute liability to my team, but I think it delivers when it comes to showing off different weapons, limbs, and game mechanics. Plus, the ending is pretty exciting. I would like to recommend Off the Grid without reservation because I’m having a great time, but I wouldn’t feel completely comfortable. Try it if it calls you because early access is free, but at least knowing the type of monetization you are going to find.
In iGamesNews | You may not know it, but Fallout 76 had a very fun battle royale that we will never be able to play again
In iGamesNews | World of Warcraft does not want to be less and joins the Battle Royale trend: everything about Plunderstorm, its new temporary game mode
In iGamesNews | I already played the best battle royale and extraction mode long before Fortnite, Warzone and Escape From Tarkov. Now it’s abandoned
