Battle Royale games are a dime a dozen on Steam thanks toValve’s extremely lax regulations, but despite the immense success ofFortnite, there isn’t actually a whole lot of options for last-man-standing combat on console. EnterRealm Royale, a fantasy-themed Battle Royale game which attracted 4 million users during Early Access on Steam and will soon enter beta testing on PS4 and Xbox One.
Realm Royaleis similar toFortnitein art style, and similar to pretty much every other Battle Royale in terms of its core premise. It does, however, possess some quirks that have allowed it to stand out from the crowd, such as the inclusion of fantasy mounts, and a choice of five combat classes that are decided before the game has begun.
The PS4 and Xbox One beta is closed, meaning anyone wanting to get involved must first acquire a key fromthe game’s website. This can be done by registering for the Beta, inputting one’s email address and desired platform, and then waiting patiently for the response. Beta keys will be distributed early next week, and the Closed Beta itself will start shortly afterwards.
It’s not yet clear how generous Hi-Rez Studios is going to be with the beta keys, or indeed how the recipients will be selected. It’s likely that the biggest aim of this Closed Beta test is to determine the limits of the game’s servers, which is a wise move consideringthe extreme issues faced by H1Z1’s PS4 betawhen it first launched. If this is the case, it’s possible that more keys will be sent out after the initial batch, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on those inboxes.
The perceived oversaturation of the Battle Royale market has become somewhat of a meme among cynics, andspectacular failures likeThe Culling 2only serve to fuel the collective pessimism when a new one emerges. However,Realm Royalestands a much better chance than most of overcoming this trend, as it’s similar enough toFortniteto attract some of its significant player base, and yet quirky enough to offer a substantially different experience.
Realm Royale’s Closed Beta for PS4 and Xbox One begins next week, and registration for keys is open now.
