Boatdonkey Fortnite: Battle Royale Review

The first season of Fortnite chapter six titled Hunters just released this past December 1st, 2024. Hunters, is a Japanese themed aesthetic season that introduces new features, map updates, collaborations like previous seasons, and of course a new battle pass which is now 1000 vbucks instead of the usual 950. The season primarily centers on a mythical Japanese setting, featuring new areas like a samurai-inspired city, rural landscapes, and an imperial palace with a mysterious portal. Players can explore these areas while facing challenges like battling oni demons and interacting with unique NPCs (Non Playable Characters). When I First opened Fortnite I was greeted with a short video featuring what is new this season. The video noticeably showcased the new exclusive battle pass skins, the weapons for the season, and new mini boss. After watching the video I felt frustrated . As a veteran player who has been playing since chapter one season two all the way back in 2017 this new season feels changed features that originally made Fortnite appealing. The change that stood out to me the most were the visuals. Fortnite’s original visuals were rendered a specific way and had its own aesthetic which was originally what appealed to the gaming community and one the main reasons Fortnite’s popularity skyrocketed very quickly. The new visual style resembles games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls which are styled to be medieval and gothic. It is very to see this when fighting the oni mini bosses because they stand out from the rest of the Fortnite World. Another controversial feature that was added in this update is the movement in Fortnite are parkour mechanics which include abilities like wall-running and barrel rolls. While some players see these features as adding depth to movement, others feel that it diminishes the skill gap and the overall balance of gameplay which is how I feel. While testing out the new mechanics they would hinder my abilities in buildfights in games and it was very easy to perform an unwanted action that usually costed me the match. In previous seasons guns were projectile based which means shots had travel time and were not instantaneous. The return of hitscan mechanics for traditional weapons has also been a focal point of debate. Many users have voiced their displeasure with this change, pointing out that it has eliminated a critical skill aspect of the game, leading to a more chaotic combat experience. Other players in the communities like popular gaming content creators have described the new shotguns as ineffective, claiming that the changes have made them suck and have removed what made combat feel rewarding. That is not the only problem with the new weapons; the new weapons obtained from the oni bosses such as the oni flame mask are extremely overpowered only taking two clicks and having auto lock on to send a player back to the lobby. Overall if you are a returning player these new features might not appeal to you the way you first started. If you are a new player it is up to you to decide how much you like the New Fortnite chapter.