The Culling

First-person melee-focused survival battle royale with crafting elements.

Intense Survival Action With a Classic Twist

The Culling offers a distinctive take on the battle royale genre, pitting up to 16 players against each other on a remote island filled with traps, weapons, and resources. Unlike most games in the genre that emphasize firearms and long-range combat, The Culling centers its gameplay on close-quarters melee combat and improvisation, demanding quick reflexes and strategic thinking from participants.

Gameplay and Features

Players drop into a map and must scavenge for weapons, medical supplies, and materials used for crafting. The crafting system is simple but rewarding, allowing competitors to create traps, basic tools, and more advanced gear out of found items. Combat relies on timing, blocking, and stamina management, making every encounter feel personal and intense.

The map slowly contracts as a toxic gas cloud encroaches, forcing confrontations among the remaining players. In addition to battling each other, environmental hazards such as traps and dangerous wildlife add another layer of challenge, requiring constant vigilance and adaptability.

Progression and Customization

A global ranking board tracks player performance, and cosmetic customization options allow for some degree of personal flair. Unfortunately, progression is mostly limited to these elements. The in-game economy is primarily driven by loot boxes, which mainly offer cosmetic rewards.

Community and Player Base

Originally launching in 2016, The Culling attracted attention as one of the earliest games to pioneer this survival formula. However, in recent years, the number of active players has dwindled significantly. Finding a live matchmaking game is now a challenge, with the majority of activity relegated to the offline player-vs-bot mode. This single-player alternative lacks the tension and excitement of human competition, and most players will find it underwhelming compared to the main mode.

Visuals and Performance

Visually, The Culling delivers competent but dated graphics. The environment design effectively fosters a tense atmosphere and rewards exploration, but does little to stand out among more recent titles. Technically, the game runs smoothly on most modern PCs, with minimal reported issues related to stability or optimization.

Conclusion

The Culling stands as an interesting historical entry in the evolution of battle royale games. Its melee focus and crafting system once set it apart from the competition, but lack of ongoing innovation and community support have left it behind. Today, it may appeal to genre enthusiasts curious about the roots of battle royale, but most players are likely to be disappointed by the limited matchmaking and progression opportunities.