The latest in video game crazes, third-person shooter “Fortnite” has become widely popular across not only the nation, but also Northwestern’s campus.
Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC and Mac systems, “Fortnite” can be played in solo mode, duo mode or squad mode, hosting up to four people.
Tanner Goetsch, senior, and Caleb Benzing, sophomore, are two students on campus that love the “Fortnite” community.
“The game is free and that is huge, and it’s also a new type of game,” Goetsch said. “You just drop into a giant map and the last person alive wins. It is sort of like the ‘Hunger Games,’ ‘Minecraft’ and ‘Call of Duty’ all in one.”
Benzing agreed that the game has been an interesting experience and kind of a throwback.
“It’s brought together this sense of joy of gaming together that people haven’t had in a while,” Benzing said. “In middle school everyone would be excited about going home and playing ‘Call of Duty’ with friends, and there hasn’t been a game that’s done that for years. ‘Fortnite’ has kind of brought that feeling back.”
To begin the game, players drop into a map with no supplies or weapons, just a pickaxe for mining and minor damage. As players wander around, they find random weapons and supplies that help them win the game. The goal is to be the last person alive, but the map shrinks every few minutes, forcing players closer to each other until there is an ultimate showdown for first place.
There are lots of different strategies for winning, and none of them are guarantees, but some players have their favorites.
“For playing with a team, try to stick together. And never land in Tilted Towers. For solo mode, try to land in solitude. It’s best to be as far away from everyone else as possible,” Benzing said.
“When I play solo, I like to hide in bushes. No one can see you so you can sit there and wait for them to walk past, then shoot them in the back,” Goetsch said. “Also just hope and pray you don’t have to run all the way across the-map.”
The Battle Royale version of the game is a free download, which could be one reason it has grown so popular. Players do not need subscriptions or memberships to play online, like most games require, but can both own and play the game free of cost. While there is a base game and special exclusive items available for purchase, paying money will not give anyone an upper hand in the actual gameplay.
