In Fortnite you can test the new battle royale mode before the release. We traveled with 99 enemies and tested the new PvP mode. Can it rival PUBG?
Fortnite is a successful colorful coop shooter from Epic Games. You are joined by up to three teammates and collect resources to build strong fortifications against hordes of zombies. So it’s a purely PvE experience.
In addition to the regular game, you can now play a strictly PvE-locked battle royale PvP mode in the style of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
But is it worth it? We took a closer look at the beta version of the new game mode – the official release is not until September 26.
Fortnite – Battle Royale – With the flying party bus into the slaughter
The game principle of battle royale in Fortnite is similar to that of the big role model PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: 100 players jump from above a lonely island and must kill each other. Whoever is the last one standing wins.
Teams are currently not possible, but those who team up with other players will be banned.
In the game, you seek out various weapons that lie scattered all over the island. Resupply is necessary because you play as a completely unarmed hero. Your progress and building plans from the PvE mode are irrelevant in the PvP.
But Fortnite wouldn’t be Fortnite if it didn’t incorporate some of its quirks into the PvP mode. It starts already with the fact that you don’t jump out of a plane, but rather float over the island in a flying “battle bus” before you jump. By the way, the bus is filled with muted party music. Fortnite never really took the apocalypse seriously anyway.
Fortnite: Battle Royale – faster than PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
After jumping out of the flying bus, you glide down onto the island of death! However, unlike in PUBG, the combat island is smaller and more manageable. Furthermore, everything is faster, both the gliders that allow you to land safely and the movement speed of your characters: Everything is slightly faster than the competition.
Due to the high speed and the comparatively small area, you will almost always encounter enemies shortly after landing. Unlike in PUBG, where cautious players can easily hide, a wild battle for the first weapons breaks out immediately. Because apart from your trusty pickaxe, you have nothing after the jump!
Battle Royale – More PUBG, less Fortnite
As soon as the first players are armed, the mass dying begins, and within minutes, the player count is usually halved. Since you are constantly threatened and another player could take you down at any moment, the typical gameplay aspects of Fortnite often take a backseat: resource gathering and building fortifications.
Whenever I tried to gather materials longer, I was taken out from behind. Furthermore, you cannot just build anything you want. Only the usual walls, floors, and ceilings are available to you. For instance, if you want to set traps, you first need to find the rare blueprints for them.
By the way, I only succeeded once, and before I could finish a trap, I was shot by another player.
Completely different gameplay than in regular Fortnite
Therefore, most players currently play the battle royale mode like in PUBG. They build nothing, but camp instead. Building fortifications at the beginning of a round is not worth it because eventually the storm (the Fortnite version of PUBG’s force field) will shrink the playground, and you will have to abandon your big castle.
Only at the end of a session can fortifications be worthwhile, because unlike in PUBG, almost all objects in Fortnite are destructible, and your cover can be shot to pieces. However, that costs ammunition, and those who build cleverly can possibly rob the enemy of valuable bullets that they will miss later.
Many players also built walls during the fight, which were quickly torn down but confused the enemy and wasted ammunition.
Fortnite: Battle Royale – Conclusion – Promising start, great potential
Even in the testing phase, where numerous lags plague the game, the battle royale mode plays fun and well. However, I find the pace a bit too fast; I prefer to equip myself leisurely and then stroll around.
This could be improved in Fortnite by gathering resources. However, due to the high pace and smaller game field, resource gathering right now is more of an invitation to sneaky attacks.
But the new game mode is still in its infancy and hasn’t even officially been released yet. If the developers are as diligent here as in regular Fortnite, the PvP mode could still receive one or two innovations.
For example, classes, special building options, and larger maps. Then Fortnite: Battle Royale could become a cool, colorful, and peppy alternative to PUBG.
Also interesting: Fortnite in Test
