When game developers started packing up last spring to work from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I suspect we all knew it was going to be a bumpy ride. Sure enough, there have been game delays galore over the past year as many studios found the adjustment to be a challenge. On the bright side, some seem to have really taken to it. Hi-Rez Studios, the folks behind Smite and Paladins, say "the pandemic has taught us new ways to work that we believe are superior to our previous way of operation." They'll be encouraging 80% of their 435 employees to work remotely if they choose to.
]]>Let’s travel back in time. To the distant year 2018.
We’re at peak Fortnite. Ninja urges a new year’s crowd to floss with him as rain beats down on his sodden bandana. Water seeps into his suit, into every fabric of his being. The flash of his smile is the only source of light, but it’s a bit too bright. He begins flossing. The sound of awkward shuffling blurs with the music. My eyes shatter into a thousand pieces.
During this was also the peak of game studios being like “Battle Royale equals money”, so along came Hi-Rez with Realm Royale. As you’d expect, players drop onto a map, there’s a ‘deadly fog’, yada yada. But you know what? This actually has a few fun twists on an overused formula, so much so, I consider it some of the most fun I’ve ever had with a Battle Royale game.
]]>Two weeks ago, I was sat in a dive bar so scuzzy it was practically underwater. It was there my friend told me he spent nearly all his time playing Paladins on his Xbox, and I learnt two things. 1) Paladins must be bigger than I thought, and 2) platform restrictions can make me sad.
Today, in the opening announco-blast of Atlanta's Hi-Rez Expo, Hi-Rez announced that cross-platform play is coming to Paladins, Realm Royale and Smite.
]]>The developers behind Paladins, Smite, Realm Royale, and Tribes: Ascend today announced they're formally splitting into distinct new studios to handle their big games (no, not including Tribes) under an overarching publisher. At the very least, this should assuage some fears about Hi-Rez's track record of ditching older games when their limited teams shifted over to newer games. For now, it seems their three core games are secure. Hi-Rez are also opening two new arms, one company focused on running esports events and the other making art assets. To speak in business terms, all of Hi-Rez's limbs are possessed by alien parasites and wrenching out their sockets to skitter off on lives of their own.
]]>With their new game Realm Royale, Hi-Rez are taking on the likes of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, but instead of taking what's already successful and simply slapping their name on it, they've brought more of a unique spin on the genre. It's set in the same fantasy world as Paladins, for example, and it adds forges to craft gear and the ability to scrap weapons into resources. Oh, and dying turns you into a chicken.
So in order to not turn into poultry, this guide will take you through the basics of Realm Royale, what's different about it compared to other similar games, and some general tips and tricks in order to obtain that coveted "crown royale".
]]>Perhaps the strangest thing for new players of Realm Royale is knowing the differences between the various classes on offer. Each one has a uniquely different play style with a host of abilities to master, as well as their own unique class legendary weapon to craft at the forge. This guide will take you through each one, detail what spells and weapons to grab, and also some tips on how to use them effectively.
Since this is not your typical battle royale game, there are a variety of things that you need to know going in. You can find some more of the core game tips and tricks over at the main guide for Realm Royale, which includes, among other things, some tricks to keep in mind should you become a chicken.
]]>Like most battle royale games these days, the best loot in Realm Royale tends to be in locations that have larger clusters of buildings. With five different climates crammed into one tiny island, it's a bit difficult to know exactly where the best places are to drop for loot.
But knowing where to go is only half of what you need to know and so there is a more general Realm Royale guide available for you, which also includes links to our other more in-depth guides.
]]>The most important loot in all battle royale games like Realm Royale are the weapons and armour. Without them, you can't exactly do much to your enemy beyond flailing a small knife around. Obviously this is going to be about as much use as it sounds, what with the amount of weapons that you can find just lying there in chests, waiting to be snagged up. This Realm Royale weapons and armour guide will take you through some of the key things to keep in mind when it comes to rarity and crafting, as well as some notes on the individual weapons themselves.
We've got a fair bit to cover in this article that will go in-depth on more technical stuff. If you still need some more general tips for playing Realm Royale, head on over to our main guide for some pointers on what to do when you're a chicken, why crafting at the forge is fraught with risk, and how to mitigate said risk.
]]>This is Playstyle Royale, where I head into Playerunknown's Battlergounds a battle royale game and try to win my chicken dinner while adhering to arbitrary rules. This time's a bit different, because I'm more interested in becoming a chicken than winning one.
I'm playing Realm Royale, the battle royale spin off to Hi-Rez's Paladins. One of its best ideas is that when you run out of health, instead of dying you get to run around as a defenceless chicken: survive for 30 seconds, and you're reincarnated in human form. I'm going to get myself poultry-fied three times, then win a game. That is definitely absolutely what is going to happen.
]]>I’m surprised by how much I like Realm Royale, the free-to-play battle royale spin-off to Hi-Rez's Paladins. This is battle royale by way of wizards, and an even goofier spin on the genre than Fortnite’s. Neither has the same tension as Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, but - oddly - this isn’t really a game about tension. This is a game about soaring into the air, whacking down a fireball and getting turned into a chicken when your flashy plan falls apart.
]]>Take the class-based wizard shooter action of Paladins, riff on the battle royale modes whizzing all over games these days, and bish bash bosh you've got Realm Royale. Hi-Rez's Paladins spin-off, which previously bore the remarkably cheeky name Paladins Battlegrounds, has now properly launched onto Steam Early Access, letting all play for free. Are you a bad enough wizard to murder like 99 other wizards? Throwing magical class abilities into the battle royale mix might make for interesting team-building in squads, so I'm curious about this one myself.
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