Battlebit utilizes Low-Poly to beat Battlefield at their own game
As computing power has steadily advanced over the last few decades, new game genres have emerged. 3D shooters like Quake, multiplayer online games like Everquest, and elaborate simulations like Minecraft were all unlocked by exponential computing growth predicted by Moore’s law. In recent years, however, the emphasis seems entirely on graphics, as game critics lament. Aside from a few niche categories like motion controls or virtual reality, AAA games mostly push ultra-realistic graphics and facial animations as their cutting-edge features.
Credit to Nick930 for all side-by-side comparisons
Battlebit Remastered is a refreshing reversal of this trend. Developed in Unity by a small team of indie devs, Battlebit is a low-budget indie shooter that captures the essence of the Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront games. Top 50 game on Steam, 40k concurrent players, and holding steady 6 weeks in. As with all indie game success stories, Battlebit was a mix of skillful execution and serendipity. The game’s core systems — gunplay, maps, progression, and social systems — were all streamlined and solid. The genre was uncontested, as the AAA counterpart, Battlefield, had been floundering with slow releases and unfocused design. Popular Twitch streamers picked it up on release for a free marketing boost. The low price and low minspec (minimum computer requirements) made it far more accessible. But most visually apparent, Battlebit utilized a distinctive low-poly art style.
Pundits have chalked up the low-poly art as simply a cost-cutting measure or stylistic choice (“zoomers like Roblox!”). However, I think it runs much deeper than that. Where HD graphics would be a hindrance, low-poly enables impressive technical feats that better deliver the gameplay experience of being a footsoldier in a large and chaotic battle.
Low-poly, short for “low polygon count”, refers to the 3D graphics using very few polygons on in-game models, creating a chunky, angular, blocky look. Low-poly harkens back to the N64 and PS1 era when that was all consoles were capable of rendering. Similar to the pixel art trend a decade ago, some recent indie games like Tunic have executed beautifully on this nostalgic style. Battlebit, however, is less Tunic and more Minecraft, utilizing low-poly to unlock technical constraints rather than artistry. With the reduced graphics requirements, Battlebit is able to deliver large-scale battles on massive maps with fully destructible terrain.
The core fantasy of Battlefield is playing as a footsoldier in a large military battle, full of tanks and helicopters and building-to-building combat. Large player numbers are required to create a chaotic battlefield. While Battlefield offers 64 v 64 matches, Battlebit doubles it to 127 v 127. Each player adds additional computational load, and Battlebit is able to stuff more players in with low-poly.
Photo Credit: Pocket Tactics
Large maps are also crucial to the Battlefield experience, and with that comes long draw distance. Helicopters flying in from a mile away need to be visible as they approach; they can’t suddenly appear a few feet away. Snipers in the hills need to be able to see far through their scope, and also be seen from far away; a short draw distance defeats the point of a long-range weapon. With fewer polygons per model, Battlebit is easily able to render the long draw distances needed to support gameplay.
Destructible environments are perhaps where low-poly unlocks the most computing power. Rocket launchers, grenades, and crash-landing helicopters are constantly blowing holes in buildings, creating smoke and chaos on the battlefield. From a gameplay perspective, destroying buildings offers new options to attack defensive positions. Battlefield games offer incredibly high-fidelity building destruction, with plenty of dust and rubble physics. This comes at a high production cost — artists must model and animate shattering glass, wood splinters, concrete rubble textures, et cetera.
Moreover, realistic rubble demands realistic physics, which is computationally intensive. Infamously, Microsoft wanted to show off its Azure cloud computing capabilities with Crackdown 3’s fully destructible arenas. However, this landed with a lukewarm reception; the destruction physics felt too cartoony and failed to enhance the actual gameplay. Battlebit, on the other hand, can simply show some monochrome cubes scattering. Players immersed in the low-poly environments won’t think anything of it, avoiding the uncanny valley.
Low-poly is here, echoing the pixel art trend from the last decade. While it can serve an aesthetic purpose like in Tunic and Astroneer, it also can create an edge on functionality like Battlebit and Superhot. The best 2D platformers of recent memory are all pixel art, with games like Shovel Knight, Celeste, and Pizza Tower. Similarly, emerging 3D games requiring precise gameplay are starting to utilize low-poly for visual functionality, such as Neon White (3D speed platformer) and Rollerdrome (Tony Hawk with guns). Moreover, low-poly does not need to lean as heavily on late 90s nostalgia. Roblox and Minecraft have acclimated a whole new generation of gamers to low-poly who will be receptive to the style as they age into their prime gaming years.
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Eric Guan is an ex-Riot veteran, currently designing economies at Superlayer. You can hear him soapbox on the Game Economist Cast, or read his shitposts on LinkedIn.
