Fortnite is a game of ups and downs.
Every few months, as the Battle Pass resets, the game world changes. We've had medieval towns, cyberpunk cities, giant ice cubes, and adorable bowling alleys. We've fought clandestine military organizations led by Dwayne Johnson and Brie Larson, Greek gods, and interdimensional beings. We've had cyber swords, Spider-Man hands, and super-powered mallets.
Sometimes these changes work, sometimes they don't. Luckily, the latest reset to Fortnite's constantly-morphing island arrived late last week with Chapter 5 Season 3 (aka "Wrecked"), and what we have now is the best Fortnite has been in years. In over 1,200 hours spent playing Fortnite with my friends over three years, I can't remember a time when the game has felt this fun. Here’s why.
Killer cars
As much as Fortnite changes, there have always been cars. They're a great way to get around, with the caveat that people can hear you from a long ways away. With this season, though, they've added Mario Kart-style pickups that you can use to mod your ride.
Pick up a cow catcher or spiked bumper for the front, monster truck-style tires or bulletproof tires underneath, and a grenade launcher or machine gun turret above. These are all fun, but the guns top the list because they're controlled not by the driver but by the passenger. You could always poke your head out and take shots at enemies, but these turn any ride-along into an exciting, cooperative, and customizable new way to get around.
Mega mobility
Hoofin' it around the Fortnite map is always part of the equation, but there's usually something to help you get around, as mentioned above. The current combination, though, makes this map more fun than ever to move around.
There are, of course, cars. But there's also the Hades Dash from the just-finished Greek gods season, the jump-augmenting FlowBerry Fizz, and sprint-enhancing Slap Juice barrels, and now the addition of Nitro Dash and Nitro Fists.
The Nitro Dash lets you sprint at super speed through walls, and the Fist lets you rocket up into the air and back down at your opponent. Fortnite has never been this fast. And they haven't even added in the upcoming harpoon yet.
A change of pace
With all of the new mobility options, encounters feel totally different. Cars were previously just a way to get out of storms and were otherwise just a great way to get exploded, and are now a fun, hilarious way to chase other players. Nitro Fists let you zoom around during a skirmish, while the Combat Shotgun is powerful and exciting when aimed well.
Even though battles feel faster, they often last longer because it's easy for a third or even fourth team to roll up on you mid-battle, turning a defeat into victory (or vice versa).
A fresh, fun theme
For the first time in a long time, the theme feels like a unified idea that brings the rest of the game together. Clearly inspired by Mad Max (just in time for “Furiosa”), this season turned a third of the island into a desert wasteland. The main villain, Megalo Don, is a guy in a skull mask with breathing tubes.
Aside from looking great, this vibe matches up well with the new car combat options, the nitro fists, and better yet, the big collab for the season. Fortnite often collaborates with other properties, with recent examples including Avatar the Last Airbender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This season features Fallout, with a focus on the series' iconic Power Armor.
The T-60 armor wouldn't be that out of place in Mad Max, and the cobbled-together cars wouldn't be all that strange in Fallout. Both series are obsessed with DIY gear and big, heavy metallic structures. For once, it feels like the pieces fit together nicely.
However...
Of course, no season is perfect, and there's room for beneficial tweaks and upgrades. Cars are a bit too durable now, and there simply aren't any really strong counters for them. This is especially the case in Build Mode, where a car can knock the bottom out of a huge structure in a split second.
Nitro Fists are a good start, but more options would help for those moving around on-foot. It's less of a problem in Zero Build where people aren't trying to protect themselves with a whirlwind of wooden walls. This season is incredibly car-heavy, but the Battle Pass has no car designs or car skins, which feels like a huge oversight.
Editor's note: Fortnite is a traditional "Web2" video game with no crypto or blockchain elements.
Edited by Andrew Hayward