Difficulty: N/A

Played On: PS4 (Original)

Undeniably one of the most popular shooters of all-time, Fortnite lives up to this high-standard and Epic has even created new standards of their own with creating a welcoming and loyal community.

For those who don’t know, Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode has 100 players duke it out to be the last one standing. Players start in a bus that flies over an island and are then forced to jump out and parachute to wherever they desire. From there it’s basically a battle to the death with players hunting for guns, supplies, and players as they compete to be the last one standing. Not to mention, there is a storm that surrounds the island and slowly kills players to force them into the middle of the shrinking safe zone. So hiding won’t work for long.

Fortnite could have just been that simple and easily blended in with the multitude of other Battle Royale games coming in, but Epic had plenty of other plans. Since its start, Fortnite has slowly become the game where it’s welcomed to either battle for first on your own or with your friends. Solo, Duos, Squads, 50 v 50, Sniper Shootout, and Playgrounds are just some of the diverse game modes that players sink their time into. Each feeling a little similar to modes from other shooters, yet they still somehow feel fresh thanks to the aspect of Battle Royale.

What I found to feel the most interesting about Battle Royale gameplay was the immense pressure I felt whether or not anyone was around. The landscapes are very vast in Fortnite with sky-piercing mountains and low valleys leaving players to feel more paranoid than ever. Thankfully, the games third-person perspective gives players more advantageous opportunities. Peeking around corners and eagle-eye vantage points are perfect way to have more organic gameplay moments that rarely get old.

Modes like 50 v 50 and squads only adds more fun as bringing your friends along or teaming up with players across the world feels like you’re really building a squad. Teamwork sometimes is the best way to win games and Fortnite makes team-building feel stronger than most other shooters.

Team modes are heightened ever more with Fortnite’s unique ability for players to build structures and fortresses that reach even past the clouds. With your trusty pickaxe, players will be able to collect supplies to collect wood and brick so that they can create walls and ramps in the heat of battle. Seeing other player’s create railings and legitimately complicated fortresses shows how deep the building system truly is. Not to mention, players can even use quick building to scramble away from opponents or even confuse them to get the upper hand.

Honestly, though, I am not the best with building and I often try to avoid situations where being a good builder is dire. But, that doesn’t mean those who don’t want to build are left in the dust. Rather Fortnite offers a truly fair fight between both builders and gunners as the game’s varied landscape and diverse arsenal of guns puts everyone on even ground.

Many will feel that Fortnite’s map is truly iconic just after a couple times of playing it. There’s marshes that slow players down when in the water, mansions filled with chests, and even dense forests that are a sniper’s nightmare. All of the locations are also stylized and give names that fit with the game’s more cartoony and kid-friendly style. And sure, it’s only has one map that players can play on across all game modes. But Epic prioritize themselves on constantly adding new additions through updates and teasing them through their excellent marketing campaigns.

With more recent updates, Epic has even made updates in the maps to include activities and treasure maps that rewards players for exploring new areas of the map. Little updates like these, showcase how Epic is giving players more content than ever and also add to more fun and unique challenges players can accomplish while surviving for the top spot.

Players can also find a variety of guns throughout exploring the map that tiered so that players know what guns are really the best. Whether you’re the kind of player who wants a sniper to eliminate enemies from afar or get up close and personal with a shotgun, Epic constantly adds new guns with each update and puts in counters to balance the gameplay. However, I do feel that this type of balancing only adds more problems as other over-powered guns aren’t usually fixed or noticeably different because guns are randomly found rather than given in classes like other shooters. It doesn’t necessarily take away from the player’s experience, but it is something on my wish list to Epic to work on more.

Fortnite also brings some of the fairest and most rewarding micro-transaction systems I’ve seen across games with its “Battle Pass.” I actually played the tail-end of Season 4 without the Battle Pass and found myself still enjoying the game’s free content and tier system. But when Season 5 came around, I finally caved and shelled out the ten dollars for the Battle Pass and realized what I missed out on. For the small fee, there was a crazy amount of customization’s I could use with my character and menus. Not to mention, some there are some epic challenges that make tiering and leveling up incredibly easier.

Epic and Fortnite have done what most games attempt to do: create a thriving community. Fortnite is a game that puts players first and gives them content that will keep them coming back no matter what game is coming out. If Epic continues to implement this much effort into developing their community, Fortnite will continue to be a game that everyone talks about for years to come.