We’ve played the Fortnite beta – the full battle royale mode on your iPhone. In our Fortnite preview we tell you what you can expect from the game.
Fortnite preview: Battle Royale on your iPhone
Fortnite is coming to iOS. Not a separate version with fewer options, but the full Battle Royale mode, which lets you play against players on other systems. An invitation event is currently underway. Players can request an invite, after which they can access the beta. With this, the makers test whether everything is working properly before the game is officially released. We have already started work.
Battle Royale
In Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode, 100 players get dumped on an island. Here you search for weapons and other items and possibly build a home base to hide yourself. However, sitting still for a long time is not the intention. The island is just in the eye of a deadly storm and this eye is getting smaller and smaller. This quickly brings all players closer together, resulting in a lot of excitement and action.
The goal, of course, is to be last. Do you win or lose? Then you just start the next game again. The great thing about Battle Royale as a game mode is that it does not get boring quickly. Each game is different because of the situations in which you end up. It is not really innovative, but it is special that the game can be played on iOS.
Getting used to
It is really a bit of cramming: such a big game on a small screen. Still it works well. You walk with your left finger and look and shoot with your right finger. In addition, there are all kinds of buttons on the screen, for example to jump, crouch or reload your weapon. Initially, the controls take some getting used to, especially if you are used to the PC or console version of the game. However, if you play shooting games on iOS more often, you can undoubtedly deal with it immediately.
You aim by moving your finger across the screen. Then shoot by tapping on the right side of the screen, or by using the shoot button on the left side of the screen. It is definitely not as easy as with a mouse and keyboard or controller, but fortunately the game helps you with aiming.
Little things that bothered us, is that we regularly touched the jump button while walking. The reload button is also so small that you press next to it and accidentally fire a bullet, giving away your location.
Different from the big version
Although Fortnite on iOS is the full Battle Royale mode, the creators have made some tweaks. Most striking is that it is made visually clear where sound is coming from. Sound is important in the game to know where the enemy is. If you play on your iPhone or iPad without headphones, you have a circle around your character that indicates in which direction bullets or footsteps can be heard.
There are also some small things that have been streamlined. For example, that doors open automatically when you bump into them, or that you automatically pick up items when you walk over them. You only have to pay attention if you want to change items as soon as your inventory is full.
Already a hit
This Fortnite beta shows how far we’ve come as smartphone gamers. From simple games to a complete 3d Battle Royale game that is not inferior to the versions on consoles and PC. Fortnite for iOS looks good, runs smoothly and plays nicely.
Nothing stands in the way of this game to become a huge hit on iOS as well. Fortnite is already in first place in the App Store, and that while you can only play with an invitation. You can find the app in the App Store via the link below. For an invite to the Fortnite invite event, see the official website.
→ Download Fortnite from the App Store (free)
More games
Can’t wait for an invite? Fortunately, until that email finally arrives in your inbox, there are plenty of other games to play. Every month we list the five best new games. Have you seen the best games of January and the best games of February?