PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which recently broke the Steam record for the most number of players at a time for non-Valve games on the platform, has added the previously announced first-person only servers through the Early Access Month 4 Update.
The new mode will provide an even tougher challenger for hardcore players of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and is a very big deal not just for the game but also for the entire first-person shooter genre.
How To Access First-Person Servers In 'PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'
Bluehole Studio has rolled out first-person server options for Solo and Duo matches in the North America and Europe servers of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The changelog for the Early Access Month 4 Update noted that only players who chose to join a first-person server will be matched against one another.
To access the new game modes of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, players will simply need to press Play on the launch menu and choose either "Solo FPP" or "Duo FPP." Once the game starts, players will default to first-person view, with the ability to switch to third-person view disabled.
Why Are First-Person Servers A Big Deal?
Accessing the first-person only mode of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, however, is far easier than actually playing it.
In the regular games of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, players can freely switch between third-person mode and first-person mode. Players use the third-person mode to move around, inspect their surroundings, and check around corners and over walls for possible enemies. They then switch to first-person mode when the action escalates, for better accuracy with weapons.
The first-person servers of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds provide a vastly different experience, starting with the heightened immersion in a survival game that threatens danger at every possible turn. Camping, a popular strategy in the game, is no longer effective, as players are not able to check for signs of incoming enemies in third-person view while waiting for a good time to launch an ambush. In addition, to get an opponent in their line of sight, players will need to take the risk of exposing themselves as well if the enemy looks in their direction.
With the ramped up difficulty, however, comes a greater sense of accomplishment, as even small victories such as being able to hide from a chasing attacker comes with much more thrill. Combat in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is more unforgiving, but the excitement of taking down enemies becomes much greater.
The impact of first-person servers on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds also proves that there is much more to unlock in what has become a stagnant formula for shooters. If a game that is not yet even finished is capable of creating such innovation, then it is also possible for all other developers working on titles in the genre.
