By Rachael M. Shugars, Food and Entertainment Columnist
If you looked up the definition of the word fortnight, you would find something referencing the time within a 14-day period. Then you might think to yourself, “What the heck does a fortnight have to do with the game Fortnite?” I’m here to answer that question for you the best that I can.
It all began on July 25, 2017, when Fortnite released to the gaming world and took it by storm. Rivaled only by a similar survival game, Apex Legends, it’s arguable the biggest game still being played almost four years after its release. But the concept of Fortnite wasn’t always “build and beat the other player.” Originally, Fortnite was a survival game based off of the idea of a post-apocalyptic world, where you are tasked with surviving 14 days against a zombie hoard. Your main goal was to build fortifications (forts) at night to protect yourself from the zombies.
In December of 2014, alpha play began. Alpha is early release to a smaller scale group for trial-type play. A second alpha round went out the following year in March. They finished up and two years later, we got Fortnite. In the first two weeks of its release, it had 10 million players fighting for the number one rank in one of four categories; solo, duo, trio, or quad. Only a few games have been able to capture a gaming audience like that in such a short period of time. There are a number of huge draws to the game that make it such a hit across the board.
You’ll find, upon entering game play, that it has a very comic/cartoon vibe with a touches of pop culture scattered everywhere. Players have the chance to play as different skins, which include characters like Din Djarin from the popular Disney series “The Mandalorian;” or a sci-fi horror character like “Predator.” Upon getting these skins, you get extra goodies like a miniature Razor Crest ship to glide in on in each game or a cool emoticons and banners for the Predator. The point is, the rewards are AWESOME! The skins you can unlock and all their gear are fantastical.
Other perks to the game? There is no blood. It’s super kid-friendly. When you defeat an enemy or opponent, they simply get teleported out of the match and all of their loot gets left for the taking. I even feel okay letting my 5-year-old give it a go. He ended up loving the fort building and fishing aspects if the game. Fishing is a great way to get free health in the game, outside of foraging or picking veggies from a local garden.
Gaming like this has been known to increase hand eye coordination, increase decision making skills, and heighten critical thinking. Studies have been done across the country on the benefits of gaming for a reasonable, normal amount of time. This does not include those gaming binges some of us go on for 6+ hours. I can neither confirm or deny if I’m guilty of this myself. It also gives people a way to socialize with their friends in a time when we currently just can’t do that. The chat ability on any current console is great. Through messaging and creating chat parties, you can talk to your buddies while you game as if they are on the couch right next to you.
Fortnite isn’t cross-platform yet but a girl can always dream. Cross-platform means that the game can be played on any system (PS4, XBOX One, PC) and you can play with other people even if they aren’t on the same gaming system.
It will be awesome to see where this game goes in the future and what type of mods (modifications) and add-ons the designers start to include. Maybe the old idea will resurge and we will be able to fight some zombies while we roam across the map. If you have any updates on this game, or have fun facts and news about other gaming favorites, make sure you email me at Foodadventurespennsauken@gmail.com and remember to Game On!
Resources:
https://www.svg.com/161792/how-did-fortnite-get-its-name/
https://fortnite.gamepedia.com/Release_Timeline
The Pros and Cons of Fortnite – A Parent’s Guide – Stressy Mummy
