Y’know, whether Bluehole’s got a point complaining about Fortnite: Battle Royale or not, you’ve got to credit Epic Games for being incredibly astute with its capitalisation of PlayerUnknown’s Battleground’s popularity. While we’re sure various other developers are scrambling to implement their own survival modes, the Unreal Engine maker has managed to incorporate its own at record pace – and it’s already free-to-play across PC and consoles.
On the PlayStation 4 especially, it’s smart business. Microsoft announced recently that it will be publishing PUBG on the Xbox One, and while it seems talks are already taking place between Sony and the Korean developer, the fact is that Fortnite is already filling a gap that’s begging to be occupied. But it’s all well and good putting a game out – perhaps the bigger question is whether it’s actually worth playing or not?
And that’s arguably the most surprising thing about Fortnite: Battle Royale: it’s genuinely enjoyable. At the time of typing, the servers are heaving, so it takes a matter of seconds to join a 100-player lobby. Once you’re all connected, you’ll hop aboard the Battle Bus, where you’ll be transported to the title’s sizeable map. You have about a minute to disembark, and from there you free-fall into the shrinking arena to scavenge for supplies.
Shacks, huts, and warehouses pepper the greenery of the cel-shaded world, and each structure can be combed for ammunition and firearms. You do start out with a hammer, but you’re going to need more than that to earn your chicken dinner. A storm descends upon the map almost as soon as the Battle Bus has taken its leave, and this forces you into chokepoints with other players. There’s a cool ebb and flow to matches, with the tension ratcheting up the longer you survive.
Much like in the main Fortnite game, you can build structures, but we haven’t found much use for this yet beyond makeshift cover points. We’ve had more fun trying to shack up and make our move at the right moment; we’re yet to be the last man standing, but we have got a couple of top ten finishes to our name thus far. There’s no stat tracking or anything like that in the current build, but the gameplay seems very much in place.
While the lack of vehicles et al mean that this is a much simpler game than PUBG, rounds are also pretty fast-paced; you can be done within 15 or so minutes, which means that there’s not a huge investment each time that you disembark the Battle Bus. And it feels good to play: the shooting isn’t the most satisfying third-person gunplay you’ll find on the PS4, but it’s more than strong enough to get the job done, and there seems to be a decent selection of weapons and items to find.
All in all, this is a decent mode – and it’s well worth downloading for free if you’re desperate for a taste of the burgeoning Battle Royale genre on your console of choice. Admittedly, it’s all a bit bare bones – but that's certain to improve over time. While we fully expect PUBG to eat its lunch once it does eventually descend on the PS4, all credit to Epic Games – it’s dining on delicious chicken dinner for now.
Have you tried Fortnite: Battle Royale yet? What are your thoughts on it? Are you eagerly anticipating PUBG’s arrival? Be the last man standing in the comments section below.
Comments 10
Agreed, I've also noticed significant improvement in tactics day-by-day almost. Random teammates are dropping at the same area, using the map-markers, etc...It's going to be a fun ride, hope they keep the updates coming!
Im loving it can't stop playing. though i do hope they add in rewards
It's a fun experience and I've had a few games but the framerate is jumpy at times and some deaths can feel a bit cheap. It's definitely not PUBG but an alright alternative I guess. Hopefully they fix the stuttering and laginess soon
Smart moves for Fortnite. I think PUBG had made a misstep in the exclusivity deal with XB. They need to get it into as many platforms to keep momentum going because as Fortnite and Gta V have proved, games can pivot and open new modes pretty quickly to compete.
Fortine has done PUBG a massive favour. Its introduced the genre to PS4 gamers and its free. Meaning people are not spending money on it and those people who enjoy this will love PUBG even more.
To be honest I'm interested in this game just for the coop part, not for this! PUBG on pc already got me covered and looks like it works better than this one
PUBG has the advantage of being more 'realistic'. Having spoken to a lot of PUBG players, they much prefer the aesthetics. Fortnite, according to them does a good job but its not the same and not just aesthetically.
I am not saying that Fortnite should be slated but more that it can work perfectly well alongside PUBG if/when it comes to PS4. Its like saying CoD and BF are competing in the same category but the truth is, they can co-exist too because of their differences more than their similarities.
From my perspective, I am not that interested in either. I would happily play this type of mode as an 'alternative' to playing some of the other FPS modes we often get in shooters - something different for a change of pace - but I would still want a campaign, maybe some co-op mode(s) as well as more varied MP mode. I am more excited to play modes that have more 'narrative' to them - multi-stage modes where you have objectives tied to a 'narrative' and 'progress' through a Map - like we have seen in SW:BF2 - both on Naboo and in Space battles or CoD:WW2's war mode for example.
Will renew Plus this week for Battlefront's 2 Beta so I may give this one a try. I hear PUBG all the time but I know nothing about it. Last man standing doesnt sound like my cup of tea though.
It's definitely smart of them to capitalize on the battle royale genre, Fortnite just isn't for me.
Just started playing and it's a laugh! Playing with mates is hilarious. Currently on PS4 broadcast it's in pole position and double the audience of destiny 2! What's more it's freakin' free and it's addicting!
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