"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG) is showing no signs of desertion despite the upcoming release of its new desert map and the overdue in-game vaulting mechanism.
PC Gamer chronicled its visit to the South Korean headquarters of developer Bluehole, Inc. to obtain a hands-on demo for the new desert tileset map. They were notably surprised at the number of obstacles and buildings littering the whole map since they half-expected it to contain nothing but vast expanses of open landscape with minimal covers for the players to duck behind.
The desert area was surprisingly filled with hills, cacti, trees, as well as ruins, which reportedly will affect how players traverse the area, either on foot or on wheels. The roughness of the terrain will also be a big factor in determining the speed of the vehicles. The primary inspiration for the new map was said to be the desert areas of Mexico.
Still, it seems that it might take a while before the desert map gets released. At the time of writing, it has no exact name yet, has missing textures and locations, and still requires further testing.
The significant amount of obstacles in the desert map may also pave way for the utilization of the vaulting mechanic, which most players have been clamoring for in the past months. Its absence in the game does have a significant gameplay impact as it limits the mobility of players and their ability to jump from cover to cover.
However, the vaulting mechanic is still under development. In its current iteration, it does get its job done, but it can feel clunky and requires getting used to. Still, its advantage is undeniable, as the demo tester alleged that with the vaulting mechanic, he can forgo doors and climb through building windows instead. This may be a perfect counterbalance to snipers who nest in buildings, waiting for other players to go near the door.
The upcoming vaulting system also allows for more frantic chases since players will no longer be impeded by fences, short walls, and the like.
No exact release dates for both the desert map and the vaulting mechanic have been announced, ao players may have to wait indefinitely for these to be implemented. Meanwhile, they can try "PUBG" early access on Steam for approximately $30 with a promise of a full-game on release for those who paid.
