If you like playing battle royale games and adore PUBG's interpretation of the genre, you get enough choices to enjoy the experience anyplace at any time. If you want to settle in for serious battlecraft with the most realistic simulation, PUBG on PC is the best way to get that experience. If you want to enjoy quick sessions of PUBG to massage your gamer ego by beating a few noobs on the move, PUBG MOBILE is at your service. However, there's a massive gap between these two versions of the same game and it seems that the studio has finally filled in the gap with PUBG LITE.
Okay, the PUBG team may be promoting the game as a more accessible version of the hardcore version on PC but in a lot of ways, this game feels more than just being accessible. And the best part about PUBG LITE is that it costs nothing to download and play - similar to the PUBG MOBILE. Despite coming with many compromises, the PUBG team promises the authentic PUBG experience and even in its beta stage, that claim seems to be true.
The game has been available since yesterday and I spent a few hours with it on my regular non-gaming laptop to see whether it manages to paste a massive smile.
Where does PUBG LITE exactly sit in delivering the experience?
As I said, the PUBG team is claiming to offer the authentic PUBG experience with this game. However, in the time I spent with the game, I think the game delivers an experience that surpasses the authentic PUBG experience.
The gameplay experience is a mix between PUBG for PC and PUBG MOBILE. You get the same physics system as PUBG for PC but knitted with all the conveniences of PUBG MOBILE. This, in my opinion, is enough to compel players to try out the game.
I spent a lot of hours in PUBG and even after dedicating a lot of time to the game, it's a struggle for a casual gamer like me. The almost realistic physics and simulation require real fighting instincts to manage to reach in the top standings. On the other hand, PUBG MOBILE is joyous with is easier gameplay style but the physics and watered down graphics at times make players want the same experience in a better package. PUBG LITE hits the sweet spot in between.
With PUBG LITE, you are getting the same PUBG physics, which is a bonus for gamers who like a little more challenge. At the same time, the game helps you in its own sweet ways to be more competitive. Every time I was being shot at by an enemy, the game notified me about the direction from where the firing was coming - just like PUBG MOBILE. Even when an enemy approaches with vehicles, the mini-map shows the positioning of the enemy thus giving casual players like me a chance to fight back against the pro-level players. The game also keeps the player updated on how much points he/she is earning while surviving each round.
The in-game physics are quite impressive. The way the player moves or crouches behind a wall while under attack seems realistic. The vehicle dynamics also encourage players to use them in order to move inside the world. Like all versions of PUBG, you can dress up your character with clothes earned from in-game crates. To add to the realism, players need to pick up weapons, medication or other items from the floor manually. What's even more challenging is that players need to reload the weapon manually when the magazine is empty.
The best part, however, is that all players are right now learning the game and hence, you aren't facing pro-level players right now. I was able to reach the top 5 most of the time with very simple battle skills.
I also found the controls to be fairly easy. You get simple controls schematics that you may have witnessed in gaming franchises such as Grand Theft Auto and Battlefield. I tried it with a controller but the game is best played with a mouse and keyboard setup.
PUBG LITE nails it in the graphics department
The fully loaded version of PUBG impresses so much with its graphics that often I find myself getting distracted (and eventually shot by enemies). With the PUBg LITE, you can get almost the same graphics, albeit with noticeable compromises. I played this game on a laptop specced with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 1050Ti Max-Q GPU and in the maxed-out settings, the overall visual effects look good but not as good as PUBG. PUBG LITE does miss out on the amazing light effects and some high-resolution textures of few objects. The player details are a notch below than the full version of PUBG but it's still not bad in any way -- fro someone coming from PUBg MOBILE, it is a massive upgrade. The reflections are good but not great. In short, the graphics feel like they are from the early years of the PS4 era. But given that this game is meant to run on low-end laptops, I can't complain.
I also played the game in the lowest graphical settings and the just looked like a scaled-up version of PUBG MOBILE in its lowest settings. It doesn't look pretty in these settings but if you are restricted by your hardware, this is the best experience you are going to get.
First impressions: A must-play game for battle royale enthusiasts
As a gamer accustomed to fighting titles and open-world shooters on PC, PUBG LITE impressed me highly with what it offers. The team has just nailed the sweet spot in delivering the perfect gameplay experience that many casual PUBG players have been longing for since a year now. With good graphics and amazing physics, you can't get a better battle royale experience than PUBG LITE. And especially when you consider that this is free to play, it becomes a must-have for all gamers.
