The battle royale is still alive and well as a genre, and Ubisoft is the next company offering an entry. The company shows its title off for some time at Ubisoft Forward, but fans of the genre don't have to wait to give the game a try: Hyper Scape, a new sci-fi shooter in a virtual arena, is now in open beta. Some players might be curious how Ubisoft's title compares in design and mechanics to other battle royales before they give it a try, so ere are a few of the similarities and differences between this new game and some giants of the genre.
Hyper Scape vs. Fortnite
Hyper Scape is clearly quite different from Fortnite, as the player has very little control over the map. A core game mechanic that sets Fortnite apart from games in its genre is the building mechanic that empowers players to break down structures to strategically build barriers and platforms of their own. Hyper Scape is designed to make players adjust to the map, rather than letting the map adjust for players. Competitors are pushed together toward the endgame as districts of the virtual city deteriorate and eventually turn to voids.
However, that isn't to say there's no value in an ability to adjust to a changing map in Hyper Scape. When a district starts to break down, players will have to think about changing terrain and cover, not unlike buildings breaking down mid-battle in Fortnite. Additionally, Fortnite players might enjoy using one of Hyper Scape's Hack abilities in particular: the Wall. It's not nearly as flexible as Fortnite's plethora of building options, but it still empowers players to manage the field of battle a little.
Hyper Scape vs. Apex Legends
The hero shooter Apex Legends has a fair few things in common with Hyper Scape. Ubisoft's game isn't quite a hero shooter: even though players can choose a character, they don't come with unique abilities. However, hero elements come in because of the aforementioned Hacks. Players can carry up to two of these activated abilities collected in the map, essentially customizing themselves into a sort of hero. Apex Legends players intrigued by Hacks will be interested to know that they can also be upgraded mid-game.
Hyper Scape has also been described as a game focused on movement, which will also be familiar to Apex Legends players. Apex Legends has all kinds of movement options, from sliding to long range ziplines. Players that enjoy that kind of fast-paced mobility are likely to appreciate similar aspects of Hyper Scape. The virtual city can be navigated with the help of movement related Hacks -- Teleport, Slam, Shockwave, and even Ball are all options worth considering.
Hyper Scape vs. Warzone
Hyper Scape is also set on Earth, but the fictional virtual reality game that the battle royale takes place in does not carry over a lot of elements from the real world like Warzone does. Players of Warzone can wield all kinds of real weapons, from guns to tactical grenades, that they might already know how to use from countless other shooters taking place in alternate reality Earths. Hyper Scape is much more sci-fi and loaded with original weapons. Players will have to learn to wield much more fantastical weapons, like the Skybreaker, which can be used to rain down lightning on one's enemies.
However, the games do treat player characters somewhat similarly. Operators in Warzone are generally identical, meaning players don't have to worry about rounding out a team with built in abilities, instead simply choosing a favorite character before dropping into the game. Hyper Scape players can do the same thing. Any member of Hyper Scape's cast of competitors is a worthy choice in the battle for Crown Rush dominance.
Hyper Scape is in open beta for PC and aiming for a 2020 launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.