Fortnite Chapter 3 is Coming Soon… Should You Play?
With Fortnite becoming the most mainstream video game of all time, many players decided to leave as it turned into a “kids game” and even I considered it to be that, until recently. Now that the next chapter of the game is coming, most likely bringing a new map and a whole lot of changes to the game, many might wonder if it is worth it to hop back on this 2018 gem. After jumping in for the first time in around 650 days, I can say that Fortnite is hitting its stride once more.
The massive hit by Epic Games has been receiving constant updates for these last four years through balance changes, events, map updates, and new items to the point where I can say it is simply fun to play. The changes to the game's creative mode are amazing, opening up all sorts of different game modes that make the Limited-Time-Modes of season 4 look dull. Games like death run or knockout make Fortnite a completely new game and allow for endless variations of the IP. The endless collaborations with IPs like Marvel, DC, and most recently Naruto, can seem silly from an outside point of view; but when you actually play the game, the hype for these new skins is through the roof.
When seeing posts about the recent Naruto collab on meme pages and Naruto pages alike, there was a decent amount of animosity towards it, and it's funny to look back and go “that was me a month ago.” But Fortnite is honestly better than ever in Chapter 2 Season 8 with the Cube Queen corrupting the entire map and an entirely revamped battle pass + quest system which came in seasons 7 and 8 respectfully.
With this new battle pass, players can choose how they progress, earning stars with each new level and selecting the rewards they want. Although the end will always be the same, requiring all items to be purchased, this autonomy is a great quality of life change. Likewise, Fortnite has introduced the Bonus Rewards tab, which allows players to purchase reskinned versions of their favorite new battle pass characters, once more, Epic is making a pro-consumer change that feels great to have in your hands. Alongside this are the additional vbucks in this battle pass with around 1,500 vbucks being included. All this goodwill adds up and truly makes the game feel responsive right now.
The new quest system is interesting too, as it asks players to talk to different NPCs around the map, completing their quests and earning XP. Anybody can do these too! Removing the battle pass tied quests and increasing the access to the game for everyone. These new add ons segway right into a new addition with the gold system, which came in season 5, and is now completely reoptimized with the addition of NPCs, allowing the purchase of special guns or materials that can make normal matches all the more exciting.
Another major optimization I’d like to point out is the matchmaking system. Currently, I think matchmaking is at its best. Although the problem with versing terrible bots still exists, the majority of games are against players around your skill level. I will sometimes run into players that are just better than me, and sometimes I’ll play against others that I outbuild giving me this great sense of achievement. So most of the time, matches will guarantee me to have a good time and even squads with my more skilled friends are fun. These changes have eradicated the feeling I had when I quit, that every time I fought people would build the Empire State Building within a second, but now I can keep up decently with the people I play against, and it just feels great.
Lastly, Fortnite has also added in a continuously shifting meta where players vote for weapons to be cycled in while other weapons are being cycled out. This gives the community a say in the meta but also allows for the game to be easily balanced and creates a more positive atmosphere than the old vaulting days where weapons just disappeared for no reason.
So overall I would say that you should definitely consider getting into Fortnite again as the whole “kid game” aspect of it has died down now and it seems to be reverting towards a Minecraft state of being where both kids, teens, and young adults enjoy it all the same. With Chapter 3 just around the corner, expect a new map within the next two weeks and a lot of new content too!
Thanks for reading,
Josh Whittington
