Amazon Goes Bigger on Gaming

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Image: Crucible, Amazon Game Studios

Gaming during this period of lockdown has seen an influx of numbers. If you’re not out socialising, travelling or going to the gym, gaming is a prime choice to fill an evening after working from home. Gaming used to be a great pastime that I’d enjoy with friends playing hours of online games. Those days seemed to be long gone as life took over. Yet with the ongoing pandemic, I found a number of my friends returning to online gaming to not only pass the time but also fill a social void where many of us are constantly apart. Online gaming, cross platform and better internet speeds that are widely accessible have transformed the way online gaming is today. The arrival of Call of Duty Warzone could not have come at a better time and its set to continue breaking records as avid gamers sign up for a fusion of familiar CoD shooting and Battle Royale gameplay.

Battle Royale games have been around for a while now, I’ve enjoyed playing various takes on the formula. The gaming industry continues to evolve and this genre of gaming is plenty attractive to developers as it carries the aforementioned social element. While solo games are fun and competitive, the wider social engagement on media platforms carry weight on squad based games. It’s fun to play with friends and others. Team based play introduces a number of variables that make the game exciting and executing strategies is a valuable team building skill. Communication, connectivity and being able to play with friends on all platforms (PC, Xbox and PlayStation) has been key to cultivating an enjoyable gaming experience.

It’s no secret that many game developers want a slice of the pie. Introducing free to play games and selling season passes to unlock challenges and exclusive items has proven to be a great business model across a number of platforms, even outside of gaming. Amazon Game Studios (AGS) have been around for around 7 years and have published a number of smaller mobile and web games. 2019 saw their entry to console gaming the release of The Grand Tour Game. Reviews across the board don’t instil confidence, this may have been due to lower budget allocation. I was amply surprised when discovering that a new big budget title would be coming a few years ago when announced years ago. Fast forward to our current situation and It’s finally time to have a look at their new game – Crucible.

Crucible is yet another free-to-play game that emphasises on team play. Its futuristic setting and art style are appealing, I cannot fault the way game looks. Killing off hoards of monsters around the map is reminiscent of a number of other games that I’ve played with over the years. Gears of War’s hoard mode comes to mind and other game modes involve elements of PVP and a twist of anarchy at the end discovers a true winner. I’ve set the game for download and will be testing for myself over the coming days.

You can grab it on Steam, currently available here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057240/Crucible

There is currently an early bird incentive: “Log in before 11:59 p.m. PST on June 1 to get 1,000 in-game Credits for free! “.

Current reviews praise the game for its aesthetic appeal but it’s negative ratings overall. The game suffers from balancing issues and it seems there is much to be worked on in terms of mechanics and player objective leading. Comments around limited variety in monster hunting can also make the game feel mundane very quickly, an important aspect for this format of gameplay. Initial launches aren’t always smooth and it’s clear amazon have a number of issues to address if they are to successfully build a new player base. Partnering with influencers will not be enough to retain an audience if the game’s core is broken or boring. There is also mention of missing voice and text chat, leading me to believe that the game is currently in an unfinished state. Perhaps rushed out during this lockdown period. This is essential in any team based game and developers will need to work swiftly learn and improve through updates. It’s not a total disaster and perhaps the game can only get better from here, it might just be the next biggest thing for gamers.

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