Supervive First Impressions: A Battle Royale Rush Like No Other

As a long-time MOBA enthusiast with decent knowledge of the battle royale genre, I was hooked on Supervive the first time I saw it. Developed by a team of industry veterans, Supervive is a top-down battle royale combined with a twist of classic MOBAs like League of Legends or Dota 2. The game features a diverse cast of heroes (called Hunters) and an in-match progression system that will feel familiar to MOBA mashers.

Besides the innovative concept, the new game promises to blend the strategic depth of MOBAs with the pulse-pounding exhilaration of battle royales. Installing the game through the Steam Next Fest, I dedicated the next 8 hours of my life to it. Well, after getting lost in the expansive early access, I can confidently say that I am pleasantly surprised. So keep reading as I break down the game with my Supervive first impressions here.

Supervive Overview

Okay, before I break down my thoughts, here’s what you should know about the game. Supervive is a squad-based battle royale where teams compete on a large map. Matches can host up to 40 players, creating an intense battlefield that evolves as the game progresses. Supervive features distinct hero classes, called Hunters, with unique abilities. These are classified into roles:

• Fighters
• Protectors
• Controllers
• Initiator
• Frontliner

This five-category system allows for more flexible team compositions and strategies compared to games in the same genre like Battle Crush in which the team is made of 3 characters. For instance – you might pair an Initiator with a Controller for powerful engage combos, or use a Frontliner to protect your Fighter while they deal damage.

This level of strategic depth in team composition is a clear nod to MOBA-style gameplay, elevating Supervive above many of its battle royale peers. A typical match in Supervive feels like a compressed MOBA game within a battle royale framework. My experience with the game revolved around three stages:

• Early Game: Teams drop into the map and focus on farming camps to level up and acquire basic equipment, similar to the stages like the Deadlock laning phase.
• Mid-Game: As teams level up and acquire better gear, they start contesting map objectives and engaging in skirmishes, reminiscent of the mid-game rotations and objective control in MOBAs.
• Late Game: The closing storm forces confrontations, leading to large-scale team fights that feel very MOBA-like in their execution with ability combos and team coordination being key to victory.

I primarily played as Joule, a Fighter class Hunter. Her kit revolves around high mobility and combo potential that reminded me of assassin-type characters in MOBAs like Akali and Irelia in League of Legends.

Leveling and Abilities

Supervive’s in-match progression system is where its MOBA influence really shines. Rather than just finding better gear as in most BRs, players level up by defeating mobs and other players. Each level allows you to unlock or upgrade one of your abilities, similar to MOBA skills upgrade.

You start each match with access to just one ability. As you level up, you unlock your other two basic abilities, and at level 5, you gain access to your ultimate ability. Additionally, the ability upgrades also allow you to adapt your playstyle as the match progresses. You might choose to enhance your defensive skills if you’re being pressured or double down on damage if you’re ahead.

For me, this versatile system helped create interesting strategic choices throughout the match. Much like making tough decisions in MOBAs, I found myself adapting and improvising in Supervive. Do you focus on farming mobs for better loot? Or do you seek out early fights to level up quickly?

Monster Camps and EXP System

One of Supervive’s most innovative features is its monster camp system, clearly inspired by areas of MOBAs like the Deadlock jungle but adapted brilliantly for the battle royale format. These neutral monsters are scattered across the map and play a crucial role in player progression.

Cleaning out these camps gave me several benefits including getting experience points to level up, gold for items and upgrades, and equipment scraps for gear.

The game features a unique level cap system tied to these camps. You can’t level up from killing monsters the same level as you. Additionally, the camps scale up in level based on a day/night cycle and you have a level cap during this time. This encourages players to seek out fights with other teams to break through level caps. This creates an interesting dynamic where farming efficiently is important, but player-vs-player combat is necessary for continued growth.

Items and Equipment: Varied and Crucial

Supervive’s unique combination of items and equipment adds another layer of depth to the gameplay, blending elements from both MOBAs and battle royales:

• Equipment: At the start of each match, players choose initial equipment that can be upgraded throughout the game. Equipment comes in different rarities and can be upgraded by collecting scraps from camps or using power shards dropped by defeated players. The equipment system allows for significant customization of your Hunter’s stats and playstyle. For instance – you might choose to focus on cooldown reduction for ability-heavy play or opt for more defensive stats if you’re playing a Frontliner.
• Consumable Items: Players can purchase various consumable items from shops scattered around the map. These items add tactical options beyond your Hunter’s base kit, allowing for creative plays and adaptations to different situations.
• Armor: Armor is a crucial element in Supervive. It reduces incoming damage and has durability that decreases as you take hits. Players can repair armor at forges or by using armor repair pickups from defeated opponents. High-tier armor can be found in vaults or purchased from shops, adding another strategic element to resource management. The decision of when to invest in better armor versus other upgrades can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
• Powers: Powers are additional active or passive abilities that can be picked up throughout the match. These are bound to separate keys (F and G by default) and can significantly impact your playstyle. Powers can be found in vaults, dropped by defeated players, or sometimes purchased from shops. They range from simple stat boosts to game-changing abilities like creating walls or teleporting.

Combat and Movement: A Smooth Dance of Death

To me, Supervive’s combat was fast-paced and skill-intensive effectively blending MOBA-style ability usage with BR gunplay. Most abilities are skill shots, requiring precise aim and timing. This creates a high skill ceiling, rewarding players who master their Hunter’s kit.

Movement in Supervive is fluid and doesn’t feel choppy. In addition to basic movement, players can cross gaps in the terrain by limited gliding. However, taking damage while gliding can result in being “spiked” – knocked out of the air and potentially off the map entirely. This adds an exciting risk-reward element to the aerial movement.

Supervive’s top-down perspective serves it well, allowing for greater situational awareness while maintaining the intensity of close-quarters combat.

Innovative Vision Mechanic

One noteworthy feature of Supervive I loved was its innovative approach to player vision. Unlike many top-down games that provide a uniform field of view around the character, Supervive implements a directional vision system. You have increased visibility in the direction your character is facing, creating a cone of enhanced vision.

This mechanic adds an extra layer of strategy to the gameplay. It encourages players to constantly manage their positioning and facing, not just for combat purposes, but for information gathering as well.

This system also opens up opportunities for surprise plays and ambushes. An enemy team just might be lurking around the corner, exploiting the limitations of the vision cone. It creates a sense of tension and awareness that’s often more associated with first-person shooters than top-down games.

Good but Needs a Bit of Polish

While my overall experience with Supervive has been positive, some areas could use refinement:

• Learning Curve: There’s a lot to take in when you first start playing Supervive. The variety of Hunters, abilities, items, and map mechanics can be overwhelming.
• Visual Clarity: In hectic team fights with multiple Hunters using flashy abilities, it can sometimes be difficult to parse what’s happening. Additional visual or audio cues could help improve clarity in these intense moments.
• Balance: As with any hero-based game, balancing will be an ongoing process. Some Hunters and ability combinations felt stronger than others in my play sessions. However, it’s early days, and I expect balance adjustments as the game ages.

Verdict: A Combination Worth Gliding Into

After my initial play sessions, I found myself eager to jump back into Supervive. The game successfully bridges the gap between MOBAs and battle royales, offering a unique experience that will appeal to fans of both genres. The incorporation of MOBA elements like hero-based gameplay, in-match progression, and objective control adds layers of strategy and depth to the battle royale formula.

Supervive successfully creates an experience that feels fresh and engaging. The high skill ceiling for both individual play and team coordination means there’s always room to improve and new strategies to discover.

If you’re a fan of either MOBAs or BRs and are looking for an insane combination of them both, I’d highly recommend giving Supervive a shot. While the learning curve might catch you off guard, the depth and excitement on offer make it well worth the effort.

That said, what do you think about Supervive? Let us know in the comments below!