It’s no secret that college students and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly, so when a new game makes a splash on campus it’s not long before there is a solid community of players. This is especially true for online multiplayers like Overwatch, Minecraft or the newest sensation, Fortnite.
Created by the studio Epic Games, Fortnite is the newest success in a growing market for sandbox-style, Player versus Player gaming.
The concept of the game is simple; there are two game modes, both based on cooperative gameplay, which means Fortnite is best played with friends. In the “Save the World” mode, up to four players work together to complete objectives, fight zombies and build defenses in a procedurally generated landscape. This means that every time the game is played, there is a different world with new challenges.
In the second and more popular game mode, “Battle Royale,” 100 players are dropped at random into a sandbox style world where they can manipulate their surroundings in order to gain advantages against other players and be the last player standing.
Dr. Travis Malone, professor of theatre, said that he often plays with his 13-year-old son at home.
“It can get hectic; everyone starts with the same abilities but it’s about finding things in the map that makes it fun. You rely more on luck than having absolute skill,” Malone said.
According to Malone, they play daily and it is very popular among the teenage demographic as well as the college-age players.
There is an element of social media involved in playing co-op games like Fortnite. For some it’s playing with friends in the same room or across campus, but for junior Henry Tasker it’s a way to keep up with friends from high-school.
“I like to play online in the Battle Royale game mode with a number of guys I went to high school with; there’s usually at least one of them online at any given time,” Tasker said.
Fortnite has succeeded due to its fun and fast-paced style and its multiplayer capacity, keeping things fresh and new every time. It also has the added benefit of being free to download an play in the Battle Royale game mode, with a new iOS Mobile platform that will start to be selectively released by the end of March. With all these options and styles of play, gaming with your friends has never been easier.
Emily Vial
esvial@vwu.edu
