Flame in the Flood vs Mavericks: Proving Grounds
Flame in the Flood
Flame in the Flood is a rather unique survival game that's developed by the ex-developers of Bioshock. Instead of featuring an open world, the game places you on a rickety raft, which you can then upgrade as you gather the necessary materials, that's being dragged down a long windy river. The waters aren't always smooth and easily navigatable as you might expect and from time to time, particularly in between "zones", you'll encounter a stretch of whitewater rapids that will truly challenge your rafting skills.In this game, you will also encounter locations where you can dock your raft at and explore. From churches to farms, each location offers varying amount of resources for you to gather, and if you're lucky, a place for you to take shelter for the night. These locations aren't all safe though! Aside from the more harmless wildlife like rabbits, you may encounter dangerous animals that can cause severe harm to your character - you may even die either from being gored by a wild boar or from injuries sustained from the fight.
As a survival game, there are several indicators that you'll need to keep your eyes on. Fail to do so and you may die of exhaustion, thirst, hunger or hypothermia. The game also features a pretty in-depth crafting system where you can produce useful items like bandages for your wounds and clothes to keep your character warm.
Flame in the Flood is a truly hardcore survival game. It's merciless in its gameplay, pitting you against challenges after challenges until your character can take no more. If you get frustrated easily, this is definitely not for you, but if you love a challenge, you might just want to give this game a try.
Mavericks: Proving Grounds
Mavericks: Proving Grounds is an ambitious, 400-player battle royale game that includes some form of virtual world game elements to make it more social. What do we mean by that? Well, basically, there's a central, social hub where you can meet, chat and interact with other players. Similar to a virtual world game or an MMORPG, there are shops manned by NPCs here along with a nice selection of mini-games for you to enjoy during your downtimes outside of the "Proving Grounds". There's even a shooting range for you to test your skills.In terms of gameplay, Mavericks: Proving Grounds provides a massive 16km x 16km-sized map, which is dubbed as the Isle of Dern, that's filled with immaculate details like buildings, forests and the like. You'll then search these locations for chests or boxes containing the weapons or tools you need Considering the vastness of the map, there are vehicles you can drive around too.
Admittedly, it's pretty much similar to PUBG in many ways, but what truly makes this game unique is its physically-sound destructible environments. For instance, let's say an enemy is taking pot-shots at you from a forest but you can't see where he is... all you need to do is light the entire place on fire and smoke him out. There are also special specialist hardware that are powerful to use but can be really hard to find. These items will give you more strategic opportunities to get at your opponents.
The game has a bit of RPG in it mainly due to its emphasis on narrative and how every battle you fight in may determine the fate of the world. Through a unique reputation system, you can fight for the faction of your choice, either The Capital or one of The Factions, by completing achievements or simply by performing well in-game. Naturally, each faction provides you with their own sets of benefits.
Mavericks will be free-to-play once it is officially released, but it will also offer a premium, citizenship program. Likely a subscription program, having a citizenship will grant you some perks, allowing you to say earn more in-game currency and prestige, access to premium cosmetics and more.
So, if you enjoy battle royale games, you'll want to try this game! You can do so right now if you purchase a Founder's pack, or you can try your luck getting into the game's beta testing by signing up as a tester on the website.