Summary
- A full-featured, arcade-style racer from Rocket League-maker Psyonix, Rocket Racing offers fast, physics-defying fun for speedsters of all stripes.
- Collect resources, combat the elements, and construct tiny toy bricks in LEGO Fortnite’s incredibly charming take on the survival-crafting genre.
- Rock Band-like rhythm game Fortnite Festival rounds out the roster, joining Rocket Racing and LEGO Fortnite as new, free-to-play entries within the Fortnite platform.
Given the popularity of Fortnite‘s OG season, the battle royale could probably take the rest of the year off. But in the spirit of the season, it seems Epic Games’ free-to-play shooter would prefer to be a gift that keeps on giving. After returning to its roots to the delight of longtime fans, Fortnite’s now looking to the future with three, full-featured games — LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival — all accessed for free through the Fortnite platform.
Ahead of their recent release last week, I spent time with all three games and came away impressed by not only their potential to grow within the Fortnite ecosystem, but also evolve as standalone experiences with their own growing fan-bases.
Surviving…One Brick at a Time in LEGO Fortnite
Unfolding in a world 20 times the size of Fortnite‘s map, the colorful, brick-based LEGO Fortnite puts you behind the survival skills of LEGO versions of favorite Fortnite Outfits. In fact, over 1200 familiar skins have already received this charming, block-y makeover!
LEGO Fortnite draws you in with pick-up-and-play appeal before slowly introducing a robust set of features just begging to be mastered. As a brick-built version of the Fortnite character Fishstick, I immediately felt at home in the vibrant world, effortlessly collecting resources and chatting up Brite Bomber. Within minutes, I’d secured enough wood to build a campfire, gathered some food, and even chased down a chicken to give it a friendly pat on the head.
But as a drizzle developed into a downpour, the game’s survival focus started to rain on my fairly-tale adventure. User interface elements communicated that Fishstick was beginning to feel the effects of both the brisk weather and its own hungry belly. Thanks to earlier stockpiling and crafting efforts though, I cozied up to the fire and consumed a handful of fruit.
As good as new and feeling confident, I set out to collect more resources for a small shelter. Having crafted a forest ax – from a station set up earlier – I gathered wood and stone with more speed and efficiency. I even scored some silk upon taking out a few pesky spiders. My cockiness got the better of me, however, when I turned the tool on a nearby wolf, a far more aggressive threat that quickly reduced Fishstick to a pile of bricks.
Feeling less brave upon re-spawn, I stuck close to my camp and focused on constructing my tiny shack. Luckily, LEGO Fortnite‘s intuitive mechanics make building a snap. Much like tackling a physical LEGO set at home, the game sees you following a pre-planned blueprint with a known outcome.
That said, those looking to construct with less guidance can leverage raw building parts and their imaginations to create pretty much whatever they want. These same players might also want to set up shop in the game’s separate, sandbox mode, where threats and hazards can be turned off.
The demo concluded with Fishstick enjoying a nice snooze in a bed recently built and placed in his modest home. My short time with LEGO Fortnite barely scratched the surface of its enormous potential, but I look forward to diving back in to transform my puny camp into a thriving village.
Buckle Up and Brace Yourself with Rocket Racing
Next up was Rocket Racing, a gravity-defying, speed limit-abusing arcade racer that puts the pedal to the metal and never lets up. That might sound like hyperbole, but it’s no joke – not once during the 45-minute demo did I feel the need to hit the brakes on my rocket-powered ride.
Created by Rocket League developer Psyonix, the racer favors fast, accessible fun over any sort of simulation elements or even physics that play by the rules of science. As such, its drifting is incredibly simple and satisfying to pull off, while its thrilling sense of speed rarely subsides.
Like any good rubber-burner, Rocket Racing features a turbo charge capable of propelling you past the competition. But that’s just the beginning. This traditional thruster – which can be triggered upon filling one of three meters – is complemented by some additional means of leaving your fellow speedsters in the dust.
You can build a more immediate boost by performing lengthy drifts, potentially allowing you to skyrocket out of turns and ahead of the pack. You can also leverage drafting to cruise along in the competition’s slipstream. Rocket Racing has little regard for the laws of gravity, so with a quick input you can take to the skies and speed along just about any surface – including ceilings and walls. Individually, these maneuvers provide steady jolts of adrenaline, but when smartly combined, they can deliver extended, seat-of-the-pants stretches that’ll have you instinctively checking if your seat-belt’s secured.
While the arcade-y feel of Rocket Racing‘s speed-focused features can send anyone to the finish line, getting there first demands some appreciation of its strategic depth. After pulling up the rear of my first few races, for example, I began to grasp some of the nuances that could potentially rank me higher. These included making the most of those drift boosts and properly managing my turbo, but also strategically hitting speed pads.
Knowing when to take flight is also key, as catching air is not as fast as burning up the blacktop. Toss in vehicle-slowing obstacles that should be avoided, as well as the ability to gain a nice head-start out of the gate with a perfectly-timed punch of the accelerator, and Rocket Racing soon reveals more layers than its playful surface initially suggests.
Make Your Own Kind of Music in Fortnite Festival
Finally, I made my way to Fortnite Festival‘s Main Stage, where I was immediately struck by a heavy dose of nostalgia. Developed by talented rhythm-game makers Harmonix, the music-focused entry shares many similarities with the studio’s iconic Guitar Hero and Rock Band games.
Just as with those classics, Fortnite Festival had me and three other band members making music by matching a series of symbols cascading down a note highway. Performing Weezer’s “Buddy Holly,” I played guitar, as Peely, while my bandmates rocked drums, bass, and vocals as other battle royale favorites. Fortnite Festival doesn’t currently support instrument peripherals – though Epic is working on adding the feature in the future – so notes are matched by using the Xbox Wireless controller’s D-pad and X and B buttons.
Before hitting the stage though, players prepare for their show by deciding who will play what instruments and choosing a set-list. On top of Weezer’s classic, plenty of other licensed tracks – from the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” to KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” – are available. Additional tunes can also be unlocked as you progress through the season and be purchased with V-Bucks.
Regardless of how you build your library, you can also use the tracks on Fortnite Festival’s Jam Stage, the game’s second mode. As its name suggests, Jam Stage has a more impromptu vibe, allowing you to mix distinct loops from different songs. Unlike the tunes played on the Main Stage, these musical mash-ups can’t be failed. Instead, they are the product of jam sessions, creative collaborations made with other players.
I participated in a few such sessions during my demo, mostly making every other song better by injecting a bit of “Gangnam Style” into it. But whether you’re looking to create beautiful music or make your friends’ ears bleed, Jam Stage has your back. The mode allows you to pre-select eight songs from which you can then mix four loops – lead, vocals, bass, and drums. The songs and their loops are also quickly selected and swapped from a user interface wheel, making it incredibly easy to experiment on the fly.
Speaking of which, while my demo took place in a dedicated area with various stages, jams can also be started on-the-spot within battle royale mode. So just as you might suddenly bust out a favorite emote during a match, you can now begin an impromptu jam session. Who knows, you may even inspire your competitors to swap their SMG for a keytar and join in.
You can jump in and start playing LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival today on Xbox.
LEGO® Fortnite
Epic Games Inc.
Explore vast, open worlds where the magic of LEGO® building and Fortnite collide.
Collect food and resources, craft items, build shelter and battle enemies solo or team up with up to seven friends. Get creative in building and customizing your ultimate home base using LEGO® elements collected from the world around you, then recruit villagers to gather materials and help survive the night. Gear up and drop into deep caves in search of rare resources and hidden areas. Find the ultimate survival crafting LEGO® adventure in Fortnite! The journey is only just beginning with new world building, gameplay features, and more LEGO® Style Outfits arriving in updates starting early 2024. Getting this add-on is not necessary to access this content.
Rocket Racing
Epic Games Inc.
From the developers of Rocket League comes Rocket Racing, a supersonic arcade racer that lets you drift, fly, and boost with your friends through an ever-growing selection of tracks. In Season Zero, hop into a rocket-powered car and put your skills to the test! Fly through the sky to avoid towering obstacles, take shortcuts, and flip onto walls to blast past your competition. Climb the ranks and unlock new tracks. This is just the start of the race with new Modes, Tracks, Creative Devices, Rewards, and more coming soon in 2024! With a cross-game Vehicle Locker, you’ll be able to share your favorite cars between Rocket League and Fortnite. Customize your ride and race without limits — Play Rocket Racing today in Fortnite for free! Getting the bundle/add-on is not necessary to access this content.
Fortnite Festival
Epic Games Inc.
Play in a band with friends or perform solo on stage with hit music by your favorite artists in Fortnite Festival! On the Main Stage, play a featured rotation of Jam Tracks. Compete against friends for the best performance or team up to climb the leaderboards. Explore the Festival Jam Stage to find friends and mix hit music together using the Jam Tracks in your locker. The festival is just beginning with more Jam Tracks, Music Icons, concerts, and stages coming soon. Take your stage in Fortnite Festival! Getting the bundle/add-on is not necessary to access this content.
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