H1Z1, which developer Daybreak Games calls “the original standalone battle royale game”, launches on PS4 in open beta form on 22nd May as a free-to-play title. The developer has released a teaser trailer of sorts, which you can view down below.
Daybreak has worked had to rework the core mechanics of the game to fit with the current Battle Royale fad. From grabbing loot as you go, to ever-increasing tension all the trappings are there. The devs have also put a lot of effort into rebalancing the progression systems and weapons in the game, H1Z1 also has a brand new UI to make things much better in terms of usability.
H1Z1 officially released on 28th February 2018, after a multi-year stint in Early Access. Shortly after, the game went free-to-play.
The newest addition to the game is competitive mode called “Auto Royale”. In this mode teams of players drive vehicles of various types around a cityscape map, all while picking up weapons, ammo, armor and powerups. There’s also the requisite contracting safe zones as well. It usually ends with a handful of remaining teams chasing each other around a tiny zone until someone hits a mine and gets sent flying long enough to get destroyed. The mode is good for some quick fun, but certainly isn’t even remotely as fun as a full Battle Royale mode.
From now until the open beta launch on May 22, you can pre-order a $30 bundle that comes with guaranteed cosmetic items and a dynamic PS4 theme. PlayStation Plus subscribers can get the bundle at 20% off.
