Science-Fiction Weapons from Save the World
Fortnite’s stylized cartoon-like visuals give its Battle Royale a distinctly whimsical tone. It’s a hangover from the base PvE game’s wacky supernatural theme, in which a colorful cast of heroes defend Forts against hordes of zombies (Husks). In this mode, players have access to an arsenal of eccentric science fiction weaponry as well as conventional guns. Futuristic blasters mow down hordes of Husks in dazzling sparks of neon lightning, ripping apart waves of enemies with special effects like splash damage. They’re a complete hoot to use, so how about spicing up the Battle Royale experience with a few of these fantastical weapons, too?
The Battle Royale mode did, in fact, originally launch with the Zapotron — an absurdly powerful blaster with one-hit-kill capability, but it was later removed for being too overpowered. So care would need to be taken to ensure correct balancing of weapons introduced to the game, but surely Epic Games can find a sweet spot between overpowered weapons and adding something new and fun to the mix? After all, Battle Royale’s ground-pad item, various traps, jump-boosting tires, and shield potions are hardly grounded in any realism, so why not extend that to the guns, too?
A New Map (or three)
Fortnite Battle Royale hasn’t been out in the wild for nearly as long as PUBG – which is soon to receive a new map – but even still, we’d desperately like to see another map introduced to the game.
Part of what makes Fortnite Battle Royale so accessible for new players is that the matches are fairly quickfire in comparison to other similar games, and this is largely due to its smaller map size. Not that there’s nothing wrong with the current offering, but as a result of its limited scale, there isn’t quite the depth of tactics and new areas to experiment with in comparison to PUBG. Fortnite Battle Royale really feels as though it could really do with one or two new maps to mix things up. It would be great to see a snow-covered winter landscape or a tropical setting with multiple islands to traverse.
Perhaps it’s a little too early to expect a new map for Fortnite Battle Royale, but it won’t stop us from crossing our fingers in hope of a map-shaped Christmas present from Epic Games!
Husks
When Fortnite Battle Royale first launched, critics – and other developers, for that matter – were quick to criticize the game for too closely following the beats of other battle royale experiences, namely PUBG. We’ve already written about just how wrong we think that statement is, detailing how much of a great job Fortnite’s building mechanics do in putting a fresh spin on the battle royale dynamic. Yet still, with such an awesome stable of zombie-themed assets from the base PvE game, is Epic Games missing a big opportunity to add even more innovation to the experience by introducing a crossover of some sort? Is there room for Husks in the Fortnite Battle Royale experience? We think so.
Whether Epic Games was to offer a separate mode in which Fortnite’s Battle Royale island was riddled with wandering undead, or whether they were somehow connected to the storm, it’s one addition that would do well to further define the game’s point of difference from PUBG.
There are so many awesome combinations that could work wonderfully. How great would it be to have Husks spawn from the ground at nighttime? Or if the safe zone was really just a shield against hordes of Husks rather than a damage-inflicting storm? Can you imagine getting a Victory Royale by trapping an enemy squad in a town full of undead, or how hilarious it would be watching someone scream past you being chased by a pack of Husks as you hide in a bush? Come on Epic Games, make it happen!
Custom Matches
Fortnite Battle Royale’s three standard modes – solo, duos, squads – have temporarily been joined by a 50v50 option that turns the game into a giant team deathmatch. It’s a nice alternative to the standard beat of the conventional modes we’ve seen in other battle royale games, but it’s only got us thinking about a greater level of customization that would bring more variety to the gameplay. What we’d like Epic Games to consider is allowing players to control servers and set different game modes with their own sets of rules. Gun modes, such as explosives-only or sniper rifles and pistols-only; options to turn down gravity or remove the building mechanics from the game; a faster/slower shrinking safe zone — giving players the option to set their own rules would add plenty of replayability.
In the interest of keeping the game focused on the newly-added progression systems, these sorts of custom matches could sit isolated from leveling and challenges. Surely, though, encouraging this sort of experimentation would only see the game’s player base grow as Fortnite Battle Royale was turned into a giant playground, of sorts.
Free Roam Mode
As intuitive as Fortnite’s building mechanics are, the trouble for those that don’t play the PvE experience (of which there are plenty), is that having the time to actually experiment with the building mechanics is rare. Most newcomers to the game spend their first dozen or so games quivering in bushes, or the more brave dying within the first five minutes of a match. Once you finally adjust to the ebb and flow of gameplay, building is typically a rushed affair under the pressure of being spotted or killed as you fumble about equipping the right resource or platform. What we’d really like to see is a free roam mode or social area in which players could spend time practicing building, sharpening squad tactics, and even brushing up their aim versus bots.
Quite apart from giving newcomers a better chance of catching up and veterans the opportunity to hone their tactics, but also because imagine all the weird and wonderful building creations we’d see from the most creative players!
