Tired of hearing about Fortnite, PUBG, and all the other fantastic Battle Royale games?
Well, too bad. In this thread, I will explore the surprisingly aged roots of this genre.
And it starts with the classic, Tetris.
In Tetris, all of the player's agency is dependent upon how quickly and efficiently he/she reacts to which tetromino is next in the queue. When the player thinks ahead and has enough skill, the next piece really doesn't matter. The grandmasters of the Tetris scene will beautiful puzzle solutions into existence. New Tetris players might rely on that one line piece that's four moves away, but not these glorious professionals. Each piece is a new opportunity for success.
Now you might be saying to yourself, "TheDanimal, there's so much more to Battle Royales AND Tetris than the tetrominoes and weapons that you find at the beginning!"
And, my fellow Era member, you'd be right.
These games are all about building towards success. Setting up winning strategies. And, most of all, being the last one standing. Setting up that ten-combo in Tetris and winning a match in a Battle Royale comes down to puzzle solving skills. In Tetris, you have to outsmart yourself by not making foolish mistakes. In Battle Royales, you have to outsmart your opponents using the tools you have been given and the game's creative mechanics.
In the end, the core gameplay mechanic of both Tetris and the Battle Royale genre is how the player manages randomly generated tools and sets up their success.
(btw Tetris is far superior to every game ever to exist)
Well, too bad. In this thread, I will explore the surprisingly aged roots of this genre.
And it starts with the classic, Tetris.
Before getting upset with me for such a preposterous suggestion, let me first give my evidence.
In Tetris, all of the player's agency is dependent upon how quickly and efficiently he/she reacts to which tetromino is next in the queue. When the player thinks ahead and has enough skill, the next piece really doesn't matter. The grandmasters of the Tetris scene will beautiful puzzle solutions into existence. New Tetris players might rely on that one line piece that's four moves away, but not these glorious professionals. Each piece is a new opportunity for success.
And just like Tetris, less skilled Battle Royale players will get screwed over by the random weapon loot at the start of a match. A good player, whether they get a shotgun, rifle, or explosive, will come out on top in the majority of fights. At least, this is the case in a well balanced Battle Royale (I can't speak for all of them like I can for Tetris). Getting an amazing, rare gun will help a player who might be in a skirmish with a similarly skilled player, but not up against a high skill player. These high skill players can solve the puzzle of enemy interactions, not matter the tool.
Now you might be saying to yourself, "TheDanimal, there's so much more to Battle Royales AND Tetris than the tetrominoes and weapons that you find at the beginning!"
And, my fellow Era member, you'd be right.
These games are all about building towards success. Setting up winning strategies. And, most of all, being the last one standing. Setting up that ten-combo in Tetris and winning a match in a Battle Royale comes down to puzzle solving skills. In Tetris, you have to outsmart yourself by not making foolish mistakes. In Battle Royales, you have to outsmart your opponents using the tools you have been given and the game's creative mechanics.
In the end, the core gameplay mechanic of both Tetris and the Battle Royale genre is how the player manages randomly generated tools and sets up their success.
(btw Tetris is far superior to every game ever to exist)
