Fortnite’s final season is as chaotic as the media that inspired it

Chapter 5 Season 3 of Fortnite is downright overwhelming. The first time I stepped out of the Battle Bus into the deserted area of ​​Brawler’s Battleground, I couldn’t tell one head from the other. The stadium – designed to look like a monster truck rally venue – is equipped with flamethrowers, live rock music and stacks of spinning rip blades. After winning a desperate battle with other players and scattered AI bots, I didn’t stop to protect and heal. Instead, I went to my menu and turned the sound down.

It turns out that that flurry of activity in those opening moments came to characterize the overall atmosphere of the film Fortnite‘s last major update. This season is called ‘Wrecked’ Fortnite away from the fancy European locations and instead creates an anarchic wasteland inspired by the likes of the Fallout games and, apparently, Mad Max. Take those two franchises as starting inspirations, then throw in a hefty dose of Metallica on top, and the result is a gameplay experience slathered in chaotic sludge – so much so that it can undermine the fun at points.

The update is absolutely littered with new items. There are the Nitro Fists, who can defeat even the fiercest opponents with an explosion of power. There’s a new set of medallions, which you pick up after boss battles and allow you to give yourself powerful buffs. There are the Lockjaw battle wagons, which can plow through anything and feature mounted turrets.

If you don’t get one of the battle cars, that’s fine, because the map is literally covered with other vehicles that you can customize, Flaming Boost Hoops that let you zoom around the map (or to another player, if you prefer), and items like the Ride the Lightning guitar that lets you fly through the air. If you want to become a weapon yourself, no problem. The plentiful Nitro Splash allows your character to run through buildings and destroy them with a simple jump into the Splash.

This results in times when it feels bad to lose or even worse to win. I had a moment where I was just chilling on a mountain and looting a chest when a player came up from the other side of the hill. I panicked and spammed the Nitro Fists and won with little to no finesse.

At one point I tried to attack an opponent driving a car, but I missed. I backed up like a mother taking her kids to soccer in a minivan and missed again. Then I turned around and tried to hit them again, and sure enough I did. It did enough damage that I was able to jump out and clean up the kill with a little gunfire. On the other hand, I was once quietly looting a building until someone on Nitro Splash boosted the entire building and sent me to another dimension, causing me to take some fall damage and get an easy kill of their teammate in a car. .

For better or worse, the developers have successfully captured the spirit of anarchy this season. If you’re a casual player who just wants to mess around with friends, the pace of any match can increase in an instant as vehicles rush towards you and smash you to smithereens. When you play competitively, it’s less fun. I’ve seen a lot of posts online complaining about the sheer number and power of the new gimmicks being played here. My regular partner in duos has already decided, based on a few playing sessions, that he will sit out this season. I don’t blame him, because it’s a lot, and a perpetually irritated fan base seems to be the new norm for Fortnite. However, I can’t help but feel like it’s all still very… Fortnite.

Image: Epic Games via Polygon

This is the same team that decided to make building, the titular and most original gameplay mechanic in the game, an optional feature. We got Dragon Ball powers in the game, the ability to bend all four elements, and more. As a Zero Build player, do I miss the slightly slower matches of the OG map? Sure, but Fortnite has often had a Mario Kart blue shell logic – meaning anyone can swoop in at the last minute and win – and that helps keep the game interesting for players of all levels. Right now it feels like the balance is tipping a little too far towards chaos.