Spellbreak (for PC): Engaging (and Free) Battle Royale

I don’t like fantasy. Game of Thrones? Lord of the Rings? World of Warcraft? Nope, not for me. I also don’t like battle royale games. Whether it’s the realism of PUBG or the wackiness of Fortnite, I find games where you compete to be the last one standing more boring than tense. So how did Spellbreak, a game whose whole hook is being a fantasy battle royale, become one of my favorite PC game surprises of the year? Ironically, by using the creative potential of the fantasy genre, it breathes new life into the tired battle royale formula.

- JORDAN MINOR

YOU’RE A WIZARD

Initially, Spellbreak should seem familiar to anyone who has played a battle royale. You land on a massive continent. You scavenge for gear and destroy anyone in your path while a storm closes in. Eventually, the victor emerges. You’ve seen this in everything from Apex Legends to Call of Duty: Warzone to Realm Royale, which also added a fantasy style. However, from the basic framework, the game quickly diverges from battle royale conventions.

As a radical “Battlemage” wizard, you have no need for mortal firearms. Instead of guns, your weapons are different elemental gauntlets. You pick one of these gauntlets before starting a match to shape your general playstyle, as you’ll have their distinct abilities for the entire round. Do you want to shoot powerful fireballs, long-range ice missiles, or waves of toxic goo that poison opponents over time? You also find more gauntlets on the battlefield to equip your other hand, giving you access to two elements at once. Spellbreak is more of a third-person, competitive multiplayer, action-RPG than a standard shooter. It reminds me of Smite’s close-up, action-packed take on MOBAs.