Fortnite's experimental storytelling continues with a brief ...

Fortnite: Chapter 2 season 6 kicked off with an experimental single-player mission that built off of past events like the black hole and ... Skiptomaincontent clock menu more-arrow no yes Tech Video Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft Samsung Tesla AI Cars Cybersecurity Mobile Policy Privacy Scooters AllTech Reviews Phones Laptops Headphones Cameras Tablets Smartwatches Speakers Drones Accessories BuyingGuides How-tos Deals MorefromVergeReviews Science Video Space NASA SpaceX Health Energy Environment AllScience Creators YouTube Instagram Adobe Kickstarter Tumblr ArtClub Cameras Photography What’sinyourbag? AllCreators Entertainment Film TV Games Fortnite GameofThrones Books Comics Music AllEntertainment Video Features Podcasts Newsletters Store ✕ Filedunder: Gaming Entertainment Fortnite Fortnite’sexperimentalstorytellingcontinueswithabrief,thrillingsingle-playerevent Season6startsoffstrong By AndrewWebster Mar16,2021,10:45amEDT Sharethisstory SharethisonFacebook SharethisonTwitter Share Allsharingoptions Share Allsharingoptionsfor: Fortnite’sexperimentalstorytellingcontinueswithabrief,thrillingsingle-playerevent Linkedin Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email Iwokeupat3AMthismorningsoIcouldhelpaglowingbutterflysaveallofreality.AtleastIthinkthat’swhathappenedduringthemostrecentmind-bendingFortniteevent,whichkickedoffthegame’snewseasonandservedasashowcaseforitsnarrativeambitions. Epic’sbattleroyalehasbecomedefinedinpartbyitsmassivein-gameevents.Therewastheoriginalrocketlaunchin2018,thesprawlingmechvs.kaijubattle,andablackholethaterasedtheoriginalFortniteislandandtookthegamedownforseveraldays.LastseasonendedwithMarvelvillainGalactusfightingmillionsofplayers,creatingariftthatcausedmultiplerealitiestoconverge.Theseeventshavebeenexcitinginpartbecausetheywereshared,somethingthatFortniteplayerscouldexperiencetogether.Butthemostrecentwasdifferent:anattempttosqueezeamoretraditionalsingle-playernarrativeintooneoftheworld’sbiggestmultiplayergames. [ThisstorycontainslightspoilersforFortnite’slateststoryevent.] Itstartedout,asmostvideogamesdo,withacutscene.PlayerswatchedasAgentJones,whoissteadilybecomingthegame’smaincharacter,madehiswaythrougharagingbattleinanattempttoreachagiant,glowingorbatthecenteroftheisland.Aftergettingpastterminatorsandxenomorphs,he’sfinallygreetedbyamysteriouscharacternamedTheFoundation,whoagreestohelphim.That’swhereyoucamein. Oncethegameresumed,itwasn’ttheregularbattleroyale.Instead,itwasasingle-playerexperiencewhereyouhadtohelpJones—who,atonepoint,istransformedintoaglowingbutterfly—closedimensionalriftsthatareopeningupacrosstheisland.Gameplay-wise,thesequencewasrelativelysimple.YoufollowedtheinstructionsofbutterflyJoneswhileusingahigh-techguntoclosedimensionalriftsasifyouweresqueezingaZip-Locbagshut. Wavesofenergypulsedout,changingrealityitself;atvariouspoints,mycharacterwastransformedintoawalkingchickenand,later,LaraCroft.Youcouldn’tdieorfail,buttherewasstillasenseofurgency.Battlesflickedinandoutofexistencearoundyou,blockbusteractionmoviemusicblaredinthebackground,Jonesyelledthingslike“realityisbreakingdown,”andthewholethingendedwithastrange,mysteriousspirerisingoutoftheearth. Despiteitssingle-playernature,theseason6eventbuiltoffofnarrativetechniquesEpichasbeenrefiningforyearsnow.There’stheenvironmentalstorytellingaspect,forstarters.Inthedaysleadinguptoseason6,Fortniteplayerscouldseegiantribbonsofenergyspreadacrosstheisland,pulsatingasifsomethingwasabouttohappen.Meanwhile,thatgiantorbhasbeenanimpossible-to-misspresencetheentireseason.Andnowthattheeventisover,thespireistheisland’snewfocalpoint,withacompletelychangedlandscapeallaroundit.TheeventalsomadesmallbutnotablereferencestoFortnite’spast;longtimeplayerswillrecognizethatbutterflyfromthe2018eventinwhichagiantcubeexploded,forinstance. Itwasalsoheavyonthemystery.I’dbehard-pressedtogiveyouacompleterundownofFortnitelore,orexplainexactlywhatthe“zeropoint”is,butthatdoesn’tmakehuntingdownscrapsofinfoanylessfascinating.Andlikeitspredecessors,theseason6kickoffwasalsojustagreatspectacle.Itwasshort,thrilling,andfullofsomeincredibleeyecandy,likewhentheorbblossomedintoastunningflowermadeoflight. There’sacynicaltakeonallofthis.Theideaofmultiplerealitiesconvergingalsohappenstobeidealforadeveloperthatmakesmoneybysellinglicensedskins,whichwerealmostoverwhelminginnumberduringseason5.Whilethisseason’sbattlepassfeaturesbrand-newcharacterstieddirectlytothenewstoryline,likeanassassinobsessedwiththespire,therearealsoskinsfromTombRaiderandTeenTitansandanupcomingvirtualrenditionofsoccerstarNeymar. Butit’salsoclearthatstorytellingisbecominganincreasinglyimportantpartoftheFortniteexperience,andEpichasshownthatit’snotafraidtotrynewthings.Inthepast,toolslikeaudiologsandchattynon-playablecharactershavebeencrammedintothefranticbattleroyaleaction.Nowwehaveasingle-playerevent.Itdoesn’talwaysworksmoothly,butthisexperimentalapproachshowsnosignsoflettingup.Andastoday’sexplosivesequenceshows,it’salsomakingthegamemoreinterestingasaresult. NextUpIn Gaming Signupforthe newsletter VergeDeals SubscribetogetthebestVerge-approvedtechdealsoftheweek. Justonemorething! 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