3.5/5 ★ – Isaac_Ashley's review of Fortnite.

I have a love-hate relationship with Fortnite. On one hand, it’s one of the most fun and creative battle royale games out there. On the other, it can be insanely frustrating at times. But no matter how you feel about it, there’s no denying that Fortnite has completely changed gaming. First off, the game is just fun. The cartoony art style, the constant updates, and the ridiculous crossovers make it stand out from every other battle royale. One match you’re fighting a squad dressed as superheroes, the next you’re getting sniped by Darth Vader. It’s completely over-the-top, but that’s what makes it so entertaining. The gameplay is smooth, fast-paced, and surprisingly deep. The mix of gunplay and building makes Fortnite unique—no other battle royale has that same level of skill-based mechanics. If you’re good at building, you can completely outplay opponents, turning any fight into a crazy tower battle. And if you aren’t good at building… well, that’s another story. I also have to give credit to Epic Games for keeping the game fresh. They constantly update Fortnite with new weapons, locations, game modes, and seasonal events. The map changes keep things interesting, and the crazy in-game events—like black holes, giant mechs, and live concerts—make it feel like more than just a game. And of course, the Zero Build mode was a game-changer. For people who hated how sweaty the building mechanics got, this mode made Fortnite feel way more accessible and fun. For all the fun Fortnite offers, it can also be really annoying. The skill gap is ridiculous. If you’re new or just not great at building, you’ll get absolutely destroyed by players who can build a five-star hotel in two seconds. Nothing is more frustrating than shooting at someone, only for them to instantly build a massive fortress while you’re stuck behind a rock. The microtransactions are everywhere. Fortnite is free-to-play, but the amount of skins, emotes, and battle passes they throw at you can get overwhelming. The cosmetics are awesome, but let’s be real—it’s easy to spend way too much money on them. And while I love the constant updates, sometimes the game feels completely different from season to season. If you step away for a while and come back, it’s like playing a totally new game. New mechanics, new weapons, sometimes even a completely new map—it’s a lot to keep up with. When Fortnite first came out, I hated the community. The toxic lobbies, the nonstop dancing after every elimination, the obnoxious kids screaming into their mics—it made the game almost unbearable at times. If you weren’t good at building or didn’t play 24/7, you got clowned on instantly. It felt like one of those games where if you weren’t amazing at it, you were just there to be someone else’s highlight clip. Thankfully, over time, things got better. With so many different modes and playstyles now, you don’t have to deal with that same level of toxicity all the time. And honestly, Zero Build was the best thing to happen for casual players who just wanted to have fun without getting destroyed by someone who could crank 90s in a millisecond. At its core, Fortnite is a super fun, fast-paced battle royale that’s always evolving. It has great mechanics, an insane amount of content, and some of the most unique in-game events in any multiplayer game. But it’s also not for everyone. The building mechanics can be frustrating, the skill gap is massive, and the community (especially in the early days) was brutal. That said, when Fortnite is at its best—when you’re in a crazy firefight, dodging rockets, and trying to clutch a victory royale—it’s still one of the most exciting multiplayer experiences out there.