Fortnite Quick Review

Fortnite Quick Review

Travis A. Meador

     As an avid gamer turned game design undergrad, there are really only two types of mmo shooters that fit the bill. Quest based dungeon crawlers and full on deathmatch orientated games. Luckily, we have a more recently released game that encompasses both of those elements, Fortnite. I started off playing the free to play PvP “Battle Royale". This was interesting enough as it pits 100 people against each other in an all out, free for all, shoot ‘em up. Each player starts the game exactly the same, jumping from a school bus that is strapped to a hot air balloon. After skydiving to a desired destination, everyone darts off to find weapons, ammo, and health options strewn across the map. The last person or team surviving is the winner.

     It doesn’t stop there, there is an entire portion of the game that is only accessible to those willing to purchase the full game. This “story mode" still allows for online gaming, but it is fully immersed in the “dungeon crawlers” category. You get together as a team of one through four and run around defending objects from zombie like enemies called “Husks", while building some epic forts along the way.  Although as extremely satisfying as it is, blasting off the head of an enemy husk, it tends to get repetitive and the quests are all very similar. You gather cards that represent new heros, traps, and weapons. Then you collect what you can for experience and move forward with level progression. I can only determine that while this game is barely in closed beta, it will soon be a dominating force in the rat race of the biggest and best mmo.

     Recently Fortnite released their first Halloween event later in the month of October. Players have the option to go through an entirely different set of maps and missions pertaining to the holiday Halloween. I really enjoyed the small additions Epic Games put in the game to keep it festive. For example, there were a few additions to the skins of the “Husks”, our main antagonists, as well as additional character skins and new weapons.

     As exciting as Fortnite might be, there are predecessors that I would have loved to jump on as soon as possible if it was not for one thing…. I am a console warrior. I love my Xbox One and to be honest Fortnite runs particularly smooth for being such a huge game that is still in Closed Beta. I wanted to be able to experience the craziness that is the +100 player MMO death match experience. When it comes down to it, we have to remember that Fortnite is really still in Beta testing. They perform regular updates to maintain the quality of the game but do little for it’s context. The story line is there but it doesn't really grasp the player. You feel like the zombies you are killing after hours of the same gameplay. Unfortunately, for me, the game is best played in increment. It is very long but very repetitive and I think adding more information available to the player for bit character and environmental backgrounds.

     When it is all said and done, Fortnite is a game that all ages can truly enjoy. Whether you are stuck on a console or jamming on the PC, you can enjoy yourself via Epic Games regardless of the time of day. There are missions aplenty and characters galore. Regardless of the lack of content, I think this game is going to go pretty far.