'PUBG' desert map gameplay reviews: Miramar brings all-new feel to battle royale

"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG) releases a new desert map, bringing an all-new feel to the multiplayer game.

The new map, called Miramar, came out on test servers over a week before PUBG's official 1.0 release.

Overall, Miramar features denser urban areas, with one city much bigger than any seen in the game thus far. While more populated, these cities are fewer and farther from each other. More focus is given on the wide expanse of the desert, and the intricate spaces in between cities. One similarity with Erangel, the original map, is the military base.

The new map also features new challenges for players. With its wide expanse of soil and sand, hiding spots are rare, and surprise attacks are much harder to evade. Players would need to re-do their former strategies and come up with more effective ways to kill enemies on the desert ground.

In the urban spaces, the new map makes use of vertical spaces, with condensed buildings varying in sizes and heights. The new feature, vaulting, allows players to hop over low walls or windows, making gameplay smoother.

According to the experts from PC Gamer, the new map is more than just an upgrade, it "feels like a map built from the ground up." The new location was praised for its overall "inviting and bright" scenery, a huge contrast from the base map Erangel.

Polygon notes that the color still feels monochromatic, but the newly painted lobby makes the "game feel refreshed."

Apart from new colors, the map also includes a new design system to customize the player's character and gear. The readying system also got a small upgrade, in that it now shows which players are ready to drop in battle, minimizing confusion among players.

A new map means the need for vehicles that match the surroundings, and PUBG promises that some new exciting vehicles are coming around.