As the season of giving rolls around, Epic Games once again has given gamers worldwide an opportunity to relive the glory days and nostalgia of childhood gaming by re-releasing “Fortnite O.G.”
About a year ago, the company did the same thing, but that release started with “Chapter 1, Season 5” and progressed weekly through “Season X.” The new re-release, which came out on Dec. 6, instead, goes all the way back to day one of “Season 1” allowing gamers to revisit the old while experiencing something that feels new.
Currently, gamers only have access to “Chapter 1, Season 1;” however, with Epic Games’s trailer for the re-release saying “Fortnite OG’ is back and Here to stay,” it is likely that each month going forward, a new season will be cycled in until all ten seasons have been released. “Season 1” is set to end on Jan. 31, at 1 a.m. CST., and hopefully, “Season 2” will drop right after that.
As for “Season 1”, though they have brought back almost everything they can, It doesn’t quite make me feel like the eager sixth grader I used to be, waiting for the final bell to hop on my favorite game.
Even though it doesn’t quite bring back the exact feelings that made me obsess over it back then, the balance of the loot pool is just like the original season; it’s still almost impossible to find any shields and higher-tier loot items feel rare to find, and it is not a watered-down loot pool like in previous seasons. This does make the feeling of finding something valuable almost as exciting as it was when I was 11 years old and playing it for the first time.
Additionally, Epic Games deciding to keep the newer movement system, which includes the ability to tactical sprint and mantle [jump over objects] as well as having slower sprint speed as they did in the last iteration, is something to be appreciated.
This is something that many gamers didn’t want to see in the mode along with Turbo Build, the ability to build instantly with just one button, but, honestly, both of them staying is excellent because they add a twist to something that fans are already very familiar with.
The game brings back O.G. sound effects, like firing the Epic and Legendary rarity Assault Rifle (Scar) and the Pump Shotgun, all of which, sound fantastic on the ears and truly lest the nostalgia of childhood take over. Along with this, players can once again collect 999 material in each category. This was not done in last year’s iteration of “Fortnite O.G.,” and it is that attention to minute details that make this year’s release a more authentic experience than last year’s.
Fights with old guns and being able to double-pump (use two shotguns back-to-back) again feel just like the old game. The balance between fighting from a distance and close encounters is amazing. It is refreshing from previous seasons, where most fighting is done in a close encounter. Also, the no-damage dropoff and the fact that shots deal the same amount of damage no matter the distance fired adds an extra challenge by making it even harder to go out into the open and push opponents. These additions are appreciated especially for gamers who are returning to the game and have not mastered building like other players.
However, while the release is fun, it does have a few glitches in its design. For example, the map’s overall funky structure puts players who have not played previously at a severe disadvantage. Additionally, the west side of the map has a predominant number of hills and mountains compared to the east side, and with the majority of players landing at four or five locations, the endgame comes very quickly. This aspect can make the game feel a bit stale and boring at times.
Since there are no rotation devices or items, like driveable vehicles or shockwave and impulse grenades, rotating is much more annoying, having to make sure not to get caught in the open or without builds to protect yourself. It also has players being cautious about not getting caught in the storm and pushing into fights.
Along with this, the addition of AI players or “bots” makes the game not feel the same. Loading into a game and the scary feeling of seeing a high-level player is no longer there when half of the competition is bots. Even when you do win, it does not feel earned in any sort of way.
Overall, the graphic aspects of the original are replicated, but the feeling is just different. While it is nice to see original players returning and new players getting to experience the original game, it is simply not the same.
Along with the recent update Epic Games added two other new game modes. “Ballistic,” which is a five versus-five shooter similar to “Valorant” and “Counter-Strike Go,” and “Lego Fortnite Brick Life,” which is an open-world game with similar styles to “CyberPunk 2077” and “Grand Theft Auto.”
Though it does not feel the exact same, it’s definitely not game-over for the newest release of “Fortnite O.G.” At the end of the day, it is a welcome game mode option for those of us who have grown up with the game.
