If you “keep up with the times”, so to speak, then you would know what Fortnite is. Kids and teens alike all over North America are obsessing over this game, and some may think, “Why?”
Well, I’m here to teach you. Welcome!
Fortnite is a completely free to play multiplayer game developed and published by Epic Games. Now, I’ve played many multiplayer games before (Overwatch or Destiny 2, anyone?) but Fortnite is definitely something that stands out.
Before we get started, let’s talk about how the game is completely free to play (maybe you noticed how I bolded and italicized it before? maybe not). One of the reasons Fortnite is so wildly successful is due to the fact that it’s free to play on PS4, Xbox, and desktop (MacOS and PC!). It supports a wide variety of players, and the only money the game makes is from cosmetic upgrades like skins that players can purchase. Awesome, right?
Anyway, let’s talk about the basics. Fortnite is a battle royale game.
According to Wikipedia, “Battle royale games challenge a large number of players, starting with minimal equipment, to search for weapons and armor and eliminate other opponents all while avoiding being trapped outside of a shrinking “safe area”, with the winner being the last competitor in the game.”
In Fortnite Battle Royale, you’ll drop down from a flying bus along with 99 other players and have the choice of where you’ll land on the map.
You land with nothing but a pickaxe. Your objective at the beginning is to “loot” and find guns and other weapons/items around the map which you’ll need to survive.
Epic Games said that Fortnite is a lot like the game Minecraft in the way that you can break trees, buildings, and more to gain wood, bricks, and steel which you can use to build. One huge thing that sets Fortnite apart from other battle royale games is the ability to build structures. These structures go on to become incredibly useful in the game, where you can build forts and more to access places where you can find rare loot.
As the game progresses, a “storm” begins to surround the area and the safe zone (a thin, white circle randomly generated on the map) continuously shrinks. If you’re caught in the storm, you’ll take damage and potentially die. The reason battle royale games incorporate “safe zones” into their games is to eventually force the players to fight one another.
As the 100 players start being eliminated (killed), the game comes to the last two players who must battle each other- with whoever winning receiving a “Victory Royale”.
Now, getting started on Fortnite can be difficult. Mainly because there’s no tutorial when you first start. You can learn a lot by watching livestreams, gameplays, and I think there’s a couple “beginner’s tips” you can find online too! But at the end of the day, as cliche as it sounds, practice makes perfect.
I wish you all luck in your future Fortnite endeavours!
sources: featured image/1/2/3
Thanks so much, Pech!