In 2017, Epic Games released a free Battle Royale game titled Fortnite. Fortnite became popular very quickly due to its addictive third-person shooter gameplay. Fortnite uses a seasonal system with cosmetics: skins, emotes, and weapon skins, that you can buy from the item shop. These cosmetics are available for a limited time each season. There's also a battle pass that you can buy that will give other cosmetics and V-Bucks, the in-game currency used to buy items from the item shop. There is also a single-player mode called “Save the World,”  but it was abandoned in favor of the more popular Battle Royale mode.

Battle Royale is a multiplayer game mode where the goal is to be the last person or team standing. There can be a maximum of 100 players in each game. There are multiple modes: solos, duos, squads, zero build, and user-created maps. A lot of user-created maps have completely different goals and game modes. I play solos because winning feels more satisfying. The original map from 2017 is back until December 2nd. I haven't played since 2019, so it’s nice to come back on familiar grounds. 

The visuals look very good, the cartoony aesthetic feels more fresh than other similar games. The controls feel tight, movement is fast and responsive. There's a slide mechanic that feels great to use. It can be used to help gain speed going downhill. There's also a stamina bar which limits how long you can run. The stamina runs out fast, but refills just as quickly. The weapons feel great to use, each one has a different recoil pattern and sound. The sound design is great, each weapon has a punch to it, making it feel more immersive. 

Fortnite also has a building mechanic, which is what sets it apart from similar games on the market. You can build walls in front of yourself to avoid getting hit, but to do this you have to collect materials: wood, brick, and metal. When you build it makes the thing in front of you, which means you can shoot at it as it’s being made and destroy it before it's done. I personally only used it to reach locations that I couldn't normally. 

Another mechanic is the storm. When you’re in the storm your health drains. You have to make sure you’re in the eye of the storm. The eye will shrink as the game goes on, bringing players closer to each other. There's a timer that tells you how long there is before the eye shrinks and the storm gets closer. 

In Fortnite, you are always aware of your surroundings. Anybody could come out of nowhere. There’s a counter telling you how many players are left, and another one that says how many eliminations you have. Fights are always thrilling because you never know how other players do things. Some people use buildings to gain higher ground. Some use ranged weapons like snipers. Some use close-range weapons. You never know how others decide to play. 

Overall Fortnite is an entertaining and addicting game. Easily one of the better Battle Royale games out there. I’m going to rate it an 8.5 out of 10.