First Impressions of Fortnite's Battle Royale Mode

Hi everyone,

I know that I personally was very excited to hear about the addition of a Battle Royale mode to Fortnite, because, like many others, I am without a (sufficient) PC and very interested in this whole PUBG phenomenon. As a disclaimer, I was also interested in Fortnite since its release, and have considered picking it up for the PvE mode it offers but had decided to wait until it became F2P later on, due to several early reviews criticizing its monetization model and microtransactions. Regardless, I'm too impatient to wait for PUBG to come to console, and no one else seemed to be posting their thoughts on this game mode, so I thought I would present my own.

After about 10 matches, I can say that this is definitely a faithful recreation, specifically when compared with the other Battle Royale-esque games available on PS4. I don't know how well it holds up to PUBG itself, because I've never played the latter game. However, when compared to the other two offerings available (The Division's Survival mode, and GTA's Motor Wars) this is the most accurate representation of the popular game mode that I am aware of.

In case you are not familiar with either PUBG or Fortnite's BR mode, I will quickly summarize both games with a sentence that accurately describes both (to also demonstrate their similarity): 100 players skydive onto a large island from an aircraft. On this island, they will search for weapons, ammo, and other valuable items, and fight to be the last person standing. In order to drive conflict, there is a slowly shrinking 'area of play.'

Technical concerns up first: The game runs well, considering that it is in early access. You will see character models jump here and there, but for the most part this sort of bugginess only occurs in the pre-match waiting area. Once in the match, I have experienced very little in the way of lag, bugs, etc. Bear in mind, I've only played about 10 matches, but at the moment the game seems to be capable of running 100 concurrent players on a single map with only the minor niggle here and there.

If you've looked at the game you know that it employs are more 'cartoonish' art style. To me, this isn't a huge concern, although I will admit that I prefer the more realistic aesthetic of PUBG or even The Division's Survival Mode. However, once in the match, I find that I'm rarely paying attention to the cartoonish nature of the graphics - it doesn't distract from the core experience (IMO), and some may even find it more to their liking. The animations are nothing to write home about, and the UI is rather basic. Again, I wouldn't say that any of this broke my immersion, but its certainly something to be aware of. Ultimately, I think this aesthetic could be leveraged as a positive in Fortnite's favor - because while it detracts from the tension (IMO), it also gives the game the future possibility of some fun, fantastical elements that couldn't be present in a more 'realistic' aesthetic. We will see if the devs capitalize on this in the future...

With regards to gameplay, I'm quite pleased thus far. I've died a couple times in the first 30 seconds, but thats the nature of the game! I've also been one of the last 2 alive already, so I've seen both sides of the spectrum. The game's tone is probably best conveyed as 'tense.' You must constantly think about engaging in firefights or hiding. The game feels a bit like hide-and-seek, because once somebody has got their sights on you, you're practically dead. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wanted to convey that you shouldn't expect long, drawn out firefights. My longest firefights have occurred when I am being shot at from a distance and I have to assess where the shots are even coming from. But once you are up close, most duels only last moments - just as fast as someone can pull the trigger. So despite the cartoonish aesthetic, the TTK is surprisingly low, and this adds to the overall tension of the game and also makes you think more tactically about how to enter a conflict, or whether to enter at all.

Finally, theres the crafting/construction element. I have used this to great effect in a couple matches and I think it will be a central element to doing well in this incarnation of the 'Battle Royale' idea. At first I didn't think the construction would be so useful, but as it turns out, being able to quickly fashion a set of stairs to get on top of a house, and then set up a border on the roof to safely monitor any activity nearby is surprisingly cool and powerful. Building takes some time, makes some noise, and also distracts you from keeping an eye on your surroundings, so pursuing construction strategies can be dangerous, but also well worth it if you pull it off.

Overall, I'm pleased with the new mode and I think it will satiate my desire for a BR mode on PS4, for the moment at least. There are a couple things I'd like to see changed/improved:

1. Vehicles need to be added. The map is big enough that sometimes you can get stuck running for a prolonged period of time. This isn't a gamebreaker or anything, but the addition of some form of vehicles would be fantastic. It would also help add some chaos to the title which I think, as it stands, can feel a little quiet at times.

2. Squads/Teamplay: Everyone knows this is a highly desired feature, even EPIC, so I'm not going to waste my breath. They've stated that Squads are coming ASAP, so I'm not that concerned about this at the moment.

3. Finally, and most importantly, I think some of the guns and the general gunplay need some tweaking. In particular, the assault rifles feel 'off' - they fire a bit too slow and the spread seems a little wide for my liking. Also, I personally would prefer it if they would make the over-the-shoulder aiming a little tighter. Again, its not terrible the way it is, but it just feels a little weak in terms of the difference from the standard camera and the OTS for my liking.

Anyway, I hope this helps anybody who is looking for a Battle Royale experience on PS4. I was sorely needing some impressions of the game, as I wanted to see if it was worth buying during the 25% off sale, but it didn't seem anyone was coming forward with detailed opinions about it.