PixlBit

Games of the Decade #30/Blog a Day #01

 

Hello fellow gamers, how are you?

For this game, I would like to say it was a really recent game and it's one you've probably heard of on the internet a least a number of times. It is a game that has taken the world by a "storm" and it's a game you either love or hate, or love to hate. For my 30th and very first game on this list, I'm talking none other than the most popular and played game in the world: Fortnite.

 

                        Game has some pretty fire music so pump up your volume

Yes I know what you are thinking, "why Fortnite?" Well hypothetical reader, put down your torch and your pitchfork and I'll tell you.

What is Fortnite? That has been a question the internet had before the game came out. So here is a little backstory on it. The original Fornite was called Fortnite: Save the World which is a PvE game which had you and 3 other players fight hordes of zombies and you could do other objectives too like getting survivors to safety, gather materials, build bases and so on. It sounds like another zombie survival game that has been done before, the difference between those games and Save the World is its cartoon like graphic style and that you can build.structures to aid you and hinder enemies. The game wasn't that popular and around that time, games like PUBG were starting to get popular so Epic Games probably thought "let's do that" and they did.

In a few months they had Battle Royale running and it reused assets from Save the World like the graphic style, building mechanic, and pretty much the same engine. Fortnite Battle Royale is a Free to Play game that drops 100 players on the map at the same time where they scavenge for weapons and materials while running away from the storm, which shrinks the safe zone on the map every now and then and you compete to be the last one standing to get that coveted Victory Royale. Since its release they have added more modes and content into the game to keep it fresh like playing with your friends to some Limited Time Modes that have respawn to get you back into the game. To some really special crossover LTM modes.

 

                               Was really fun dogfighting in the air against opponents

For me, the appeal of Fortnite is the fact that the game pits you against 99 other people and you fight to survive to be the last one left. It's a true test of skills because more often than not, the better player always wins, whether by having better weapons, being the better builder, being the most skilled, or all 3. However like every game of Fortnite, random happens and you might actually win by your own skills, the last player accidentaly killing themselves, or luck if Lady Luck smiles down upon you. There are many methods of getting a Victory Royale, you can fight your opponent, trap kill them, knock down their base, or you can outheal them once the storm fully engulfs the map. It comes down on your skills and in some cases your ingenuity and luck.

Every decision you make in this game can mean victory or defeat and this is a game where you have to make decisions on the fly. Like do I farm for materials now or later? Should I risk fighting and eliminating that player for better loot? What if I get eliminated? Will I make it out of the storm? What if the storm kills me? All of these and more are things that go on in your head while you're playing the game. It's one of the few games where I have gotten such an adrenaline rush, especially once you are in the last storm circle against the last player. At that point every decision you make counts and can either mean Victory Royale or coming in 2nd place. But once you get your (first) Victory Royale, there is no better feeling because you worked so hard, you survived everything the game threw at you, and you surived and beat the very last player. Against all odds, you weathered the storm and are the last one standing.

 

           My very first Victory Royale. Was hard but so satisfying to see that screen pop up

You can also play in Duos or Squads, either with friends on randoms and you can play together and get a Victory Royale together. Or if you want to play a more chill game, there's Team Rumble which drops 40 players, 2 teams of 20 and the side with the most kills/points win. It has respawn so there is no fear of dying and it's a good mode to practice and sharpen your skills. Or if you're the creative type, they have Creative Mode where you can build your own map using the assets of the game and you can submit it so others can play and if it's a good map, you can even have it featured so everyone around the world can try it out.

One thing that sets this Battle Royale game from the others out there is the building mechanics it has. Sometimes you need to scale a mountain so you builld up to it. Or build down if you need to get down safely. Or you can build a wall if you're getting shot at in order to give you some breathing room to give you time to heal or retaliate with shots of your own. You can even build bases as well to give you cover from any side. People love building really elaborate structures in this game, sometimes really high up in the air to the point where you can knock it down and eliminate the player via fall damage. As a general hint, this won't be the only game about building that will be on my list. Being a good builder in the game, or at least understanding the building mechanics can make a huge difference in the game.

The game has a shop where you can shop for in-game cosmetics. This is where Epic Games makes the money from this game. They don't make money from the cosmetics, but rather from buying in-game currency known as V-Bucks which you can use to buy cosmetics. The cosmetics themselves offer no competitve advantage so you can pretty much play the game without ever needing to buy something. But one thing I would recommend buying is the Seasonal Battle Pass. For $10 you can buy a pass and you can unlock exclusive seasonal cosmetics as you level up. You can also earn V-Bucks from that pass to buy cosmetics should you want, or you can save them for the next seasonal pass in a few months.

       Wingman was the very first cosmetic I've ever bought and has become my main since

The game has no music playing while you're playing in any of the modes. Some Limited Time Modes do have music towards the end. I feel the reason for this is due to the fact that on this game, you have to really pay attention to your surroundings like enemy footsteps. If there was music then you wouldn't be able to hear opponents. However there is music in the main lobby of the game. They put out new tracks to buy with V-Bucks or as part of the Seasonal attle Pass but I can say that they sound really damn good. Like the one you are hearing right now.

But one of my favorite parts of Fortnite is the story that goes every season. Fortnite has a season that goes on for a few months and each season brings in a major change to the map like new locations and new mechanics like vehicles. During the seasons, you can see subtle changes in the map, telling you the story of the season and a clearer, bigger picture of the overall story of the game. And at the end of the season it is followed by a big in-game event like a meteor crashing down on the map making a huge crater, to having a volcano erupt out of nowhere and destrying locations, to having a giant kaiju fight between a giant monster and a giant robot. Or not so long ago, a black hole that brought the end of the game. If you were on any social media platform, you might of heard of that last one.

Fortnite has had a number of crossovers ranging from Avengers, to John Wick, Borderlands, It, Batman, and even Star Wars. It even had the very first in-game concert featuring Marshmello as well. It's a game that is constantly evolving.

"But Captain N, where can I try this game?" Well my hypothetical reader, pretty much everywhere. It's on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and on Mobile Devices. I will say that the Switch is the worst version since it runs at 30 fps but that's the one I always play and it runs fine. I always manage fine, but if you are the type of person who cares about frames, then any of the other versions work fine. But I would say go for a console version because you have to install the Epic Games launcher on your PC in order to install the game. The best part about this is that it's Free to Play and you don't need none of that Playstation +  nonsense and whatnot to play online and since the game has crossplay, you can play with any of your friends no matter which platform they play on.

  Playing with others regardless of the platform and free of online subscriptions is so much fun

Final Thoughts: I always saw the game on twitter and saw people posting about Victory Royales and whatnot and it looked fun but it wasn't till we got the Switch version that I decided to see for myself to see what the game and hype was all about. And to my surprise, I found it to be a fun and enjoyable experience and I got hooked as I played more. I saw why people loved this game as well as why people hated it. When I got my very first Victory Royale, it was such an emotional moment because I've been trying to get one for a long time and I worked so hard for that win. All of that hard work paid off, I survived everything and was the last player standing.

People love to hate on this game because it's popular, but a lot of people will always hate the current popular thing. Some day a game bigger than Fortnite will appear and they will hate that too. One thing I believe in is that you should try out a game before saying that it's bad or that it isn't good. Who knows maybe you'll find something new to like. Unless it's something that's proven to be bad like Sonic 06 then hate away.

It's made a stupid amount of money, it's the most popular game in the world, and the most played game in the world. In a way it has changed the world and this game isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Whether you love it or hate it. For better or worse. I say give it a go and who knows, I may see you the next time I board the Battle Bus.

                                      I may see you next time I board the Battle Bus

And that is the 30th game on my Favorite Games of the Decade. This is also the very first Blog a Day post as well. Next blog will drop soon boys and girls. Thanks for reading and see you on the next drop.

 

*All images except the first one were taken courtesy of me, my Nintendo Switch and Fortnite*