Is Hyper Scape Too Fast-Paced For Its Own Good?
Ubisoft Montreal’s newest endeavour, Hyper Scape battle royale, has been a smash hit with the community. The game is a refreshing take on the BR genre, implementing several new features that separate it from the crowd. The map is innovative, the weapons are diverse, and the abilities are powerful, but not to the point where they’re overpowered. So, the features within the game are solid, and while they do need some fine-tuning, they should give Hyper Scape a leg to stand on. However, there’s one aspect of the game that could sweep that leg right out from under Ubisoft - the pacing and movement mechanics.
Looking at Hyper Scape’s movement
When you first watch a Hyper Scape match, there’s a strong chance that you have no idea what’s going on. Players are flying all over the map thanks to the Hacks or jump pads placed generously around the map. You’ll even see some players bouncing up and down in a ball, which is a terrific feature but highlights an underlying issue with the battle royale.
For the casual gamer, Hyper Scape might be a little too fast-paced. Of course, there’s always some room to adapt and get used to the gameplay but that certainly takes some time in this particular case. After all, enemy players can shoot you from sky-high in the air and from halfway across the map thanks to the various jumping mechanics.
- Read More - Hyper Scape Battle Royale - First Impressions
Imagine you’re a beginner and you’re trying to get the hang of Hyper Scape’s core gameplay. You’re walking around the map looking for a gun or sprinting on the train tracks when suddenly you hear a sniper shot and you’re dead. In Hyper Scape, that sniper shot could have come from at least a dozen different directions, given the map is filled with skyscrapers and players who are storeys above those skyscrapers.
While that might seem like a normal BR on its own, let’s pair it with the fact that so much action takes place in such a short amount of time. One second you’re looting a Hack or a weapon and the next you’re surrounded by three different squads. This kind of thing happens quite often in Hyper Scape and can’t really be compared to another battle royale.
In a recent YouTube video, 100 Thieves founder Matt “Nadeshot” Haag and creator Jack “CouRage” Dunlop hosted their podcast with new 100T member “Neekolul”. While the video discusses a wide array of topics, the trio does end up talking about Hyper Scape. Essentially, Nadeshot is worried about playing it for the reasons that we laid out above. You can jump ahead to 23:55 in the video below for the discussion on Hyper Scape.
Nadeshot relays some extremely valid points about the new battle royale. However, perhaps the most interesting tidbit is his timidness to actually play the game. The fast-paced nature and advanced movement mechanics are something that takes a ton of time to understand and adapt to. Not only that, but some gamers are hardpressed to keep up with the action even if they comprehend the game’s core gameplay.
At this point in time, Hyper Scape is the new talk of the town and should remain relevant in the community. The title is definitely enjoyable and does step away from the traditional battle royale features. However, as time goes on and players become more advanced, the movement and action might be too much to keep up with, especially in regards to esports.
Since Twitch integration is such a huge part of the game, competitive matches will be streamed on the platform on a regular basis. Although, this could raise some issues, as professional-level lobbies might get too hectic for viewers at home to keep up with. Ubisoft is still gathering data on the game as it’s only in beta. So, perhaps we’ll see some nerfs to the movement in the future. It certainly would increase viewer and maybe even player retention as time goes on.
Images via Ubisoft Montreal