Fortnites Impostors mode is hardly surprising - but it is pretty sus

Date:
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 11:55:25 +0000

Description:
The recent controversy surrounding Fortnites new Impostors mode has me wondering: is the game creatively bankrupt?

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Its difficult to deny Fortnite s runaway success over the last few years. And if youve been anywhere near a PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X theres a high chance youve tried the game out for yourself. As a battle royale, Fortnite bears a much more colorful, inviting aesthetic than competitors like PUBG or Call of Duty: Warzone . Its also highly polished and introduced the moreish Battle Pass system that others have since copied.

Yet in spite of its ease of access and introduction of the Battle Pass, Fortnite arguably takes far more than it gives. The most recent exhibit of that being the games new Impostors mode. The 10-player mode sees Agents aim
to complete tasks and survive while attempting to figure out which players have taken the role of the murderous impostors.

Sounds pretty familiar, right? Well it should, because its basically Among Us . The core concept of the popular multiplayer game seems to have been ripped wholesale for use in Fortnite. Taking inspiration is one thing, but upon viewing the trailer for the Impostors mode, its easy to see that Epic Games isnt even hiding how blatantly similar the mode actually is. Best battle royale games : Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends and more Well-known battlegrounds : the rise of battle royale games Halo Infinite could be
getting a battle royale mode

Among Us developer Innersloth isnt best pleased about the situation, as you could imagine. The companys community director, Victoria Tran, had this to
say about Fortnites Impostors mode: "It wouldve been really, really cool to collab

"Like game mechanics, fine, those shouldnt be gatekept, but at the very least even different themes or terminology makes things more interesting?"
Extremely sus

Tran is correct in that game mechanics absolutely shouldnt be gatekept. Among Us itself borrows mechanics from the social deduction game Mafia (also known as Werewolf). Plus the fact that most (if not all) video games have taken inspiration from somewhere, and we often see refined game mechanics (such as aiming down the sights of a gun, or the convenience of a double jump) be adopted universally.

But if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Fortnite must be seriously enamored with Among Us. Because as Tran rightly points out, the new Impostors mode is similar right down to individual gameplay quirks and terminology.

Of course, this isnt even the first time Fortnite has borrowed so liberally from other properties. The game itself only skyrocketed into the mainstream after the release of its battle royale mode that generously borrowed gameplay elements and ideas that were established by the likes of H1Z1 and PUBG, while adopting the fast-paced building of Minecraft . In fact, it was so on the
nose that the developers of PUBG initially sought to sue Epic Games as a result.

While Fortnites gameplay isnt an issue in and of itself, its indicative of
the games biggest flaw. While Fortnite certainly does lead in terms of concurrent players and overall popularity, its always been a follower in
terms of its content. Fortnite constantly chases whatevers popular in the moment and forms a content plan around that.

Its something Ive been critical of in the past when it comes to Fortnites abundance of guest character skins . Sure, its kind of cool that Harley Quinn can get into a scrap with Master Chief, but once the novelty wears off, its easy to see Fortnite for a cynical amalgamation of whatevers popular in the moment. (Image credit: Epic Games / Marvel) Impostors could have been so much more

I think what gets me most about this situation is how Fortnite takes these ideas and simply adopts them without giving credit. The Impostors mode takes so liberally from Among Us that I feel like at least some credit is due to
the inspiration. And as mentioned, Innersloth itself sounded like it wouldve been open to a collaboration with Fortnite.

But once again, this is something Fortnite has a history with. Many of those dance emotes youve been collecting in Fortnite have original, uncredited creators . Once more, Fortnite seems to have lifted these without permission to cash in on phenomena it had no hand in creating.

At this point, Fortnites reliance on other media to bolster its roadmap is tiring. And the crazy part? It doesnt even need to do this. Fortnite, in
spite of it all, is an extremely fun battle royale and is absolutely packed with things to do, thanks to the Battle Pass and its often clever integration of season objectives and in-game events and concerts .

These alone make the game worth checking out and coming back to, not its shallow attempts to adopt a popular game mode from a much smaller developer. Whats next, Fortnite Kart? Lets not tempt fate on that one. Kratos in
Fortnite is a step too far here's why



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/fortnites-impostors-mode-is-hardly-surprising-b ut-it-is-pretty-sus/


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