The weekly challenges have certainly brought a breath of fresh air to Fortnite: Battle Royale. However, with the time trials in the sixth week of Season 5, Epic has gone one step too far, our author Robert believes.
That’s why challenges are important in Fortnite: The challenges provide players with opportunities to make progress in a battle royale game and unlock items – the famous carrot that must not be missing in long-lasting games.
Humans are creatures of habit, even in video games. Many land in Fortnite: Battle Royale at the same spot every time, prefer the same weapon, and follow the same tactics.
To improve, players must be encouraged to take different paths to succeed. The weekly challenges provide just that kind of motivation.
So far, so good. However, with the time trials, Epic has indeed gone one step too far.
Time Trials in Fortnite – The Four Fronts War
What is the objective of the time trials? At various locations on the Fortnite map, clocks are placed. When these clocks are activated, it is necessary to complete a course within a specified time (extremely annoying music included).
Those who successfully complete five of these trials have completed the weekly challenge.
What sounds easy in theory turned out to be almost an insurmountable task for me. Instead of stumbling blocks, I was faced with whole rock formations:
- The best time to tackle the course is at the beginning of a match. Unfortunately, building materials are almost always needed to equalize height differences, which of course must first be identified.
- Some of the tasks are virtually impossible without the golf cart. Before one can even attempt the trial, a golf cart must first be found.
- Other players generally do not agree with other players wanting to complete this challenge and will mercilessly destroy the golf carts. Anyone who has landed at such a trial at the very beginning of a match will also be unarmed.
- Those who take longer will likely face bad luck. The storm will mercilessly roll over you.
In the following video, the opponent was even so kind as to wait for the successful completion of the challenge:
This is why this challenge is terrible: By the way, anyone wanting to complete these challenges in the 50vs50 mode needed particularly thick skin. For it was not the opponents who blocked the course, but the own teammates. Built structures are destroyed or the golf cart is stolen while one activates the trial.
Should I visit other towns and get kills there? Fine! Epic forces me to use another weapon to master the entire arsenal? Yes, please! A challenge will only be successfully completed if critical hits are landed? Perfect!
However, when players are forced to jump around completely exposed in the landscape for minutes or drive around with loud golf carts, I no longer see the point.
Time Trials contradict the Battle Royale principle: The Battle Royale principle rewards players who survive the longest, no more and no less. With cleverness and good building skills, deficits in aiming with weapons can thus be compensated. However, if I am forced to jump on rooftops in the middle of the city, the Battle Royale principle is turned on its head.
We have already had to overcome bizarre challenges in the past. However, there is a difference between collecting a garden gnome behind the counter of a gas station or swinging through the wild like Tarzan.
Especially the lovers of a stealthy playstyle will have serious problems with the time trials, at least for a short time. In a few days, the locations of the trials shouldn’t be so crowded anymore.
I gladly continue to collect garden gnomes and rubber ducks as this can be done on the side. However, the time trials require a non-negligible time investment, which represents an anachronism in such a fast-paced battle royale shooter.
What do you think of the time trials? Annoying? Or did you have fun with them?
