14 DAY TRIAL // Our Incoming 2015 series focuses on the most important game launches of the next 12 months, and next up we talk about one of the most anticipated first-person shooters of the year – Fortnite – made and published by Epic Games.
What we know
Fortnite was announced a few years ago by Epic Games as its first title powered by the new Unreal Engine 4 technology. The confirmation surprised quite a lot of people, as Fortnite was a stylized cooperative shooter and pretty different from Epic's previous works, realistic and ultra-violent shooters like Gears of War or Unreal tournament.
Since then, quite a lot of time has passed and Epic has been silently toiling away at the experience, as well as on other projects, particularly Unreal Engine 4's updates, and even the reboot of the Unreal Tournament series.
Recently, however, more and more details have been offered by the studio about the free-to-play shooter. It promises to combine actual shooting mechanics, as players have to defend themselves at night against rampaging monsters, but also scavenging and crafting, as they need to rummage for supplies and expand their forts during the day.
The game's first online alpha test phase is currently taking place for a select number of people and it's clear that more such trials are going to be organized throughout 2015, possibly even a beta one.
Fortnite is expected to launch as a free-to-play experience this year on the PC at least, but Epic hasn't ruled out possible versions for PS4 or Xbox One.
In terms of microtransactions, the studio has made it clear that it doesn't want to profit from players and won't feature pay-to-win mechanics that advantage those who pay real-money in the game.
Why it matters
There have already been a few Unreal Engine 4-powered titles but it's always been clear that Epic can do the most with its own technology, so Fortnite is certain to be a show of force from the developer.
The gameplay also seems to be quite varied and the different classes and mechanics are set to delight all types of players, not just those who are looking for a great shooter experience.
Unfortunately, until the game gets more test phases, it's unclear just how it's shaping up and what it will include.
Look forward to a Fortnite open beta or even a full release during 2015 for PC.
