THE
CHARGER
Fortnite is a multiplayer video game that people can play on a computer, Xbox, Playstation, or iPad. Released by Epic Games in July of 2017, the game blew up at the start of 2018 due to celebrities and professional athletes playing the game. Famous people such as Drake, Travis Scott, and Andre Drummond posted about the game on social media and the game’s popularity increased tremendously fast. According to EpicGames.com eight million other users from around the world play the game.
So what goes on in the actual game? The game consists of four game types: Solo: where players are by themselves; Duo: players have a partner; and Squad: players can play with up to four players. There is also a special game mode which can change every couple weeks. Another way Epic Games keeps users coming back is by adding new weapons and game modes.
On any given day, people are likely to see groups of teenage boys huddled around their iPads. People witness this ritual at the beginning of every class and at any break during the school day, and what they are seeing is the addictive nature
of the new smash hit, Fortnite.
Once a player has landed on the map, the goal is to collect as many weapons, healing items, and building materials as possible. After collecting these, a player is ready for battle. They use the guns they’ve found to ward off opponents and build simple forts to defend themselves from enemy fire. The materials consist of wood, bricks, and steel. Fort building is an important aspect of the gameplay because having a barrier to hide behind is often a necessity. If a player has decent building skills, it gives that person a huge advantage.
There is a wide variety of places to go on the map. Some of the more popular areas are Tilted Towers, Anarchy Acres, and Retail Row. The map is continually growing as well. Within the two months, 10 areas such as Lucky Landing and Tilted Towers were added, nearly doubling the amount of locations to loot. Epic Games has stated that they are planning to continue changing the map to keep users interested. In an interview with Fortnite player Ryan Adams, when asked how he felt about the constant updates, he said: “Most games I play don’t change at all or have any add-ons. Fortnite, however, is constantly adding new features and game modes that keep me playing.”
All in all, this is a very addictive and fun game. If Epic Games continues to keep servers running and create more skins, items, and dances, the game will continue to grow. To all the players, keep playing because people are only going to get better. Work hard and get yourself a Victory Royale.
The game is free and downloadable on any device. However, there are in-game purchases such as character skins, pickaxes, and dance emotes like the Charleston and the Electric Shuffle. What user doesn’t love watching their characters do funny and cool dances during the middle of a game? Skins can include a variety of things, from army characters to astronauts. Players love the fact that they can choose different outfits and find the perfect one for their taste. Fortnite player Joey Slattery said “The orange astronaut costume is my go to, it looks amazing and not many players use it so I stand out.”
Fortnite
Fortnite game play. Image courtesy of Flikr. Covered by Creative Commons license.
Fortnite game play. Image courtesy of Flikr. Covered by Creative Commons license.
By Tim Yerkes
Fortnite frequently adds special temporary gamemodes that differ from the regular Solos, Duos, and Squads. One of these game modes is High Explosives, in which the only weapons players are allowed to use are rocket launchers other explosive weapons. This allows for fast paced and explosive gameplay. Once you get into a match, it is a 100 player Battle Royale, where you fight other users until there is one player left(unless playing with friends). As the match starts, the players start in the sky above a map on a moving hot air balloon bus. Players then can drop from the bus to a place of their choice on the map.
“Most games I play don’t change at all or have any add-ons. Fortnite, however, is constantly adding new features and game modes that keep me playing.”
Another integral part of the game is The Storm. The storm is a lightning storm that slowly kills players. After the players land on the ground, a safe zone shows up on the map. If you're is outside of that zone, you're susceptible to being caught in The Storm. This storm is a strong wave of rain and thunder that deals damage to those within. If you're trapped in The Storm, your health starts to fall, and if you don't make it out before your health bar falls to zero, you die. The Storm is key part of the game because it expands inwards forcing players into combat with one another.