5 reasons Fortnite isn’t as bad as you think it is

Yes, yes. Fortnite, that kids game that has spawned dances, battle passes and billions of dollars for Epic games.  Anyone over 18 wouldn’t play it, right? Well…….no.

I’m 35 and honestly, I’ve been having a great time over the past couple of months.  Ignore the sweaty teen/tween stereotypes. Get past the impact it’s had on the cultural zeitgeist, and just enjoy it.

Here’s why it isn’t as bad as you think.

Cross-platform/cross-progression

Very few games allow such ease of access to your stuff on any platform.  I play between Switch, PC and Xbox one and with very little effort, every single match counts towards the same account. Seamless, easy, and honestly, a high bar for the industry.  Why should I have different accounts on different platforms? Or worse, why should I have the same account, but separate unlocks and progression?

I don’t buy V-bucks and all that crap, but if I did, I could use all my stuff no matter where I play. That should be a basic thing these days, right?

Always changing

Thanks to all that income from the in-game store and those Harry Kane skins (yup, really!). Epic are pumping money into Fortnite like very few other live service games can.

Massive global get-together events. Map changes, seasons, themed events. I can’t keep up with all the changes in Fortnite, but there’s whole lore to the thing now! Huge events involving the biggest names in pretty much all industries. Marvel, DC, DJ’s, Aliens, NBA players and so on.  It’s crazy.

Fortnite is ever-evolving. Weapons, items, landmarks.  It isn’t stale, at the very least. And that’s worth half an hour of anyone’s time.

It’s just fun

If you’re like me and you get a little too into PUBG or Apex Legends.  It’s enjoyable, but not necessarily relaxing. Fortnite removes all of that. Bright and colourful, cartoony and crazy.  Everything is over the top, and bumping into Rick Sanchez (of Rick and Morty fame) is par for the course.  So it’s really hard to get tensed up.

To me, Fortnite is an arcade version of the battle royale genre, and that just helps my mindset. Super casual, fun and bursting at the seams with character and colour. Plenty of wins because I just don’t get sweaty. Sure, my aim could be better when someone is running at me with a shotgun, or they’re using a tractor beam from a UFO above me…….

Chaos, yes. Stressful? Nope.

It’s easy….

Shhh…. don’t tell anyone. But Fortnite really isn’t hard.

I’ve played plenty of battle royale games. I bloody love them. But I’m not exactly swimming in chicken dinners. Perhaps my global rank is so low, I’m constantly matched with bots? Maybe there’s a skill-based matchmaking system that decided I’m shit so it puts me with other morons?

I don’t care. I’m casual as hell with Fortnite and I’m still getting wins. Or top-ten finishes very frequently. Sure, if I’m doing some daily quests of something, I might lose track of actually killing people as I try and dance in front of an NPC or something. But, honestly……minimum effort, no sweat and still pulling wins out.

Pretty sure playing on Switch is the easiest way to play, based on user count or average user age or something? No clue or evidence, but I’m convinced playing on the Nintendo Switch is like easy mode. Playing on PC looks incredible and I do absolutely fine. But if you’re in bed, or on the toilet, a quick Victory Royale is never far away with your trusty handheld.

Victory Royale for everyone!

It’s free

Sure, the price of entry means that a billion kids can play and not upset their parents’ bank balance (until they need those VBucks….). It also means you don’t have to spend anything to give it a go!

It’s easy to dislike Fortnite from a distance. Writing it off is pretty lazy, to be honest. There is no cost to try it and it’s good fun, to boot!

I’m no evangelist. PUBG will always be my favourite, but Fortnite is easy, fun and a much more casual experience. Honestly, what good reason is there to not try it, once you remove the social pressure to dislike it purely because that’s what we do to popular things?

Give it a go, it won’t bite! I’ll be streaming some over on Twitch

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