Fortnite has finally reached Chapter 3, and it's time for a new era. Fortnite: Flipped literally flips the game map upside down and introduces a whole new world, new weapons and new mechanics. So, once again I'm back to review the latest Fortnite season. Let's go!
Fortnite has received a new map for the second time, following the Chapter 2 finale event, bringing a series of new locations and a handful of remixes of old locations.
CHAPTER 3 | THE WORLD
Here is the Chapter 3 - Season 1 Map:
This is a very high-quality map. Locations like Sleepy Sound, Logjam Lumberyard and the returning Greasy Grove made the map very good and fun to land on from the get-go, and the more recently added Covert Cavern and remixed Tilted Towers only make it better.
The map and the assets overall this chapter are much closer to Chapter 2's than Chapter 2 was to Chapter 1, so it's not as easy to notice the changes if you look at images of the locations, but overall it's still very good.
CHAPTER 3 | THE LOOT
Here is the Chapter 3 - Season 1 base loot pool:
The loot pool for Chapter 3 Season 1 is almost entirely unique. Assault Rifle? Gone. Pump Shotgun? Gone. Even the old reliable Pistol? Gone. Despite the issues with the SMG meta, the new weapons are a refreshing change for the game that I, for one, welcome with open arms.
A few items have been added since the launch, such as the Pizza Party, updated Heavy Shotgun and the long-awaited Machine Pistol, which have all been great changes. However, there is a very imbalanced meta, with SMGs overpowering every other weapon type by far - this will remind many long-standing players of the original Season 5's meta.
Expect the Ranger Assault Rifle - that thing can go away forever.
CHAPTER 3 | THE GAMEPLAY
Chapter 3 has brought some amazing new gameplay features. Whereas Chapter 2 introduced swimming, carrying and fishing, Chapter 3 has introduced two notable features. The first is Sliding (likely inspired by Apex Legends), a fun ability that allows you to duck under fire and quickly move down hills. The second is the introduction of new Physics from Unreal Engine 5, including some trees that fall over when you break them. Neat stuff.
Throughout the season, more content with unique features have arrived, such as the cute new dino Klombo, who can be found roaming the island, or weather effects like Tornadoes and Thunder Storms, which have all revolutionised the way you can play Fortnite.
CHAPTER 3 | THE COLLAB
THE LICENSED MONEYMAKER: SPIDER-MAN IS FINALLY HERE
After so, so long of waiting, Spider-Man has finally arrived in Fortnite. The crossover has been one of the biggest yet, with several outfits, an entire POI known as The Daily Bugle, but most importantly to the gameplay... the Spider-Man's Web Shooters mythic item.
This item allows you to swing your way through Fortnite like Spider-Man himself, and it's unironically more fun than the Marvel's Avengers game. Epic knocked it out of the park with this collaboration and it's so good.
CHAPTER 3 | THE ISSUES
The biggest issue with Chapter 3 Season 1 is absolutely the inconsistent performance of some weapons in the loot pool. The Stinger SMG is far too powerful, and you only need to be vaguely good at aiming and have the ability to press the fire button to eliminate anyone in your path.
On the other hand, the Auto Shotgun completely underperforms and is completely useless in the majority of fights. There is no reason to take the Auto Shotgun over the Heavy Shotgun or Striker Pump Shotgun, as it is simply too slow and weak.
The Hunter-Bolt Action Sniper Rifle spawns at a ridiculous rate - seriously, I think 1/5 of the loot I find lying around is a green sniper, and that won't be useful when you're hot dropping into Tilted.
CHAPTER 3 | CREATIVE MODE
Chapter 3 Season 1 is the fifth amazing season in a row for Creative. It's amazing how Epic has kept the content rolling. This time we had the first Chapter 3 items and structures, such as the Sanctuary POI props, along with more long-awaited content like The Spire and Fire effects.
TO CONCLUDE...
Fortnite's second relaunch has been a very successful one, and that's completely deserved. Epic knocked it out of the park with the map, introduced a ton of amazing new weapons, items and gameplay features.
SEASON RATING | 10/10
It's crazy to see how different Fortnite is now than it was in 2018, and as always I can't wait to see the future of this game and what happens next. The Imagined Order seems to be drilling holes in the map, so let's wait for war with Chapter 3 Season 2 next month.