Miramar - A Snipers Heaven

G'day team,

Today I thought I'd have a quick chat about the new PUBG map, Miramar.

Although it was released a few weeks back I've only just had a chance to play this map, and after coming to terms with all the foibles and fancies of Erangel I must say Miramar is a completely different beast.

So let's get started.

Just like Erangel, Miramar is an 8x8 km map... that's roughly where the similarities end.

Where Erangel is covered in lush vegetation providing ample cover and plenty of shadows to hide in, Miramar's desert theme means that the vast stretches between towns are largely barren. Both maps are highly undulating, but you'll find yourself out in the open a lot more on Erangel, a perfect target for any sniper that might lay waiting.

And playing the map you can really feel this. While engagements in Erangel are rarely under 200m, you're far more likely to be firing at (or fired upon) from someone 400-500m away on Miramar. And it makes for a completely different experience...

I can't help but get the feeling that one of the worst original aspects of PUBG was spending 30 minutes sneaking around and taking well-earned kills, before accidentally walking past a bush that someone had been camping in for the whole game, and dying.

This simply isn't an option on Miramar. The map feels open and unforgiving, but it feels fair as well.

You'll have to think a lot harder about if you want to shoot at that player 400m away running desperately for the circle, when it'll pinpoint you to anyone else who might be on the map.

The map, as a whole, really feels like it's much better at embracing the strategic aspects of PUBGs gameplay. Further separating it from run-of-the-mill shooters like Battlefield and COD.

The undulating land also plays a more important role in this map. While a lack of trees, rocks and shrubs mean you're constantly a target, you can easily avoid fire from a hasty enemy by running to the opposite side of any hill. Because ranges are longer and scopes aren't any more common you're less likely to die from a single shot and have more of a chance to turn the tables in any fight.

This is why I say it's a snipers heaven. Anyone with a Kark/ SKS, an 8x scope and some patience will have a great time picking off players as they journey across the vast desert floor. There are plenty of areas of elevation and players who know the map well will know which of these offer both cover and a vantage point!

There are some downsides whoever. After a few games the map is already starting to feel a little homogenous. That is to say on Erangal it matters where you drop on the map, because it will decide how many towns you'll have to fight your way through, or which direction you're expecting enemies to come from. Erangal's vast desert spotted with tightly packed towns means that no part of the map really has a unique feel.

This could easily be improved upon by making a little more of the terrain impassable and creating a few choke points on the map where the decision to rush through or make a laborious trip around has to be made.

Thanks team

-tfc