I played Fortnite when the Battle Royale mode first launched. While I was impressed with the concept the full potential of the game was yet to be realised. Fast forward a few months and Fortnite has conquered the world. It has even supplanted PUBG as the most concurrently played game on Steam let alone its huge install base on consoles. It is a true free to play phenomenon and may set the model for years to come. But what do you do if you are like me? A person who played the game but ignored it while it took over the world. The answer surprisingly is to play the original version of Fortnite. The P vs E save the world mode.
Fortnite is a game where craziness happens. Like PUBG it is as good to watch as actually play and if you are as useless as me it is actually better. The combination of Battle Royale play and the building and trap mechanics in Fortnite are what set it apart from PUBG. It is like comparing COD and Overwatch. Fortnite Matches are generally quick affairs and can be played in squads or the traditional solo play. It is tense and exciting and they have improved the technical aspects such as loading times and connection brilliantly. But what do you do if you feel you are so far behind that you cannot compete? The only answer is to wait for a sale and but the founder’s edition.
With the original single-player edition of the game, you will get an introduction to the weapon handling, movement and most importantly the building mechanics as well as playing a fun game in its own right. The original complaint with the save the world version of Fortnite was the game becoming tedious, Now it seems to have benefitted from the increased revenue brought about by the Battle Royale version as playing it for 20 hours or so was a great experience.
The only Issue I encountered was a small bug where I didn’t have enough XP for the next skill point and had to take on a mission that I was too underpowered for. I survived long enough with the help of teammates and it was soon over. The cooperative Fortnite game is incredibly addictive and deep. It has many collectables and systems which allow you to buff your main hero character but here is where the game could do with some more explanation.
The squad system is how you buff your character. By opening loot piñatas and completing missions you are rewarded with survivors varying in rarity. These need to be slotted into various squads that you unlock by upgrading your skills. You earn the skill points via xp and so the enjoyable grind continues. There are also weapon blueprints that need certain materials crafted and the normal upgrades to your character. You can also put these characters and collectables into a Panini style sticker album to unlock more in-game currency. The sheer number of collectables and what to do with them can be overwhelming.
Then you have the gameplay itself, it is a mix of horde mode from many games and an entry-level Minecraft. As with the Battle Royale game you use your trusty pickaxe and gather resources which allow you to build the massive structures you may have seen on youtube videos. Here is where you need to hone your building skills before your return to competitive play. The great thing is the preview of the element you build is in front of you as soon as you select it meaning you get a transparent blueprint outline of the steps, wall or roof you are trying to build. As soon as you hit the confirm button this structure is there and begins filling itself in. This leads to the incredible build speeds you can see online and the ultimate way of winning a match, trapping. If you are an expert you can circle your opponent and box them in without needing to fire a shot. You can also set up some incredibly ingenious traps in a Rube Goldberg style. The best I have seen recently was a weapon left on the ground and a wall of spikes nearby. The killer hid in a bush and threw a launchpad at the victim pushing them into the spike trap as they went to collect the weapon. This level of ingenuity is commonplace online and means you really need to practice in the non-competitive game or in larger time limited squad games such as the 50 vs 50 or the current teams of 20 modes. A little human help in Fortnite goes a long way.
The last piece of advice is not to take this too seriously. Having been an avid COD player when I was younger I know how frustrating the latest online competitive game can get. Fortnite and PUBG have so many variables that it is extremely difficult to win, it isn’t all down to skill and there are 99 other people just like you in every game. If it gets too frustrating jump out and play some horde mode. You are still in the engine and your shooting, crafting and movement skills will be increasing without the pressure of the competitive scene.
When this finally arrives on mobile it will get even bigger so it makes sense to jump back in now to both the single and multiplayer aspects as both have improved remarkably since release.
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