Fortnite review Fortnite is an extremely popular game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. The game is available on most popular platforms and is mostly known for its Battle Royale mode. Gameplay: a truly unique experience 10/10. Fortnite has come to Google Play! Squad up and compete to be the last one standing in Battle Royale, or use your imagination to build your dream Fortnite in Creative. On mobile, Fortnite is the same game you know from PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Switch. Same map, same gameplay, same weekly updates. Fortnite, as we mentioned in our original review, is not only an excellent product, but one that rewards players regardless of financial investment. Someone hopping in for a handful of matches with. Fortnite is a game of speed - and the fact is that mobile devices, even the most recent, can't compete with dedicated gaming machines. Bottom line: If winning affects your enjoyment of the game, it's best to stick to other systems, but if you're in it for fun and to improve your skills, the mobile version is a terrific alternative.

• Fortnite Android Review Philippines
• Fortnite On Android Free

Fortnite for Android is the final piece of the puzzle that started out in September of last year with the release of the Fortnite Battle Royale mode on consoles, PC and Mac. Since then, the game got a release on iOS earlier this year in April and couple of months ago on Nintendo Switch.

The Android version of the game is understandably very late when compared to other platforms. Or perhaps, not so late if the objective here was to rejuvenate interest in the game and start the hype cycle all over again.

Unfortunately, the launch of the Android version hasn't been the smoothest. The company first announced it won't be releasing the game on the Google Play Store but through its own website. Then it had a timed exclusivity with Samsung devices. Even though that was short lived, the game is still not available to every Android device, with only a few hand-picked devices being supported right now. Most importantly, the game being released right now is still in beta, and not the final release we saw on iOS.

But it's finally here and we have it installed on a Samsung Galaxy S9+, which is probably the best way to experience the game on this platform right now. Since we have already reviewed the game back when it released on iOS, we won't be discussing it in detail again and will mostly focus on the Android port and its differences and similarities to the iOS version.

For starters, installing the game is not as easy as simply hopping on to the Google Play Store and downloading it. Samsung devices have it a bit easy, as you can go to the Galaxy Apps store and download the game from there. I'm not sure why the game is available on Samsung's store and not Google's. Perhaps Samsung doesn't take a cut from Epic Games for transactions or perhaps Samsung paid a hefty amount to have it on its store. One can only speculate.

Once you download the game from the Galaxy Apps store, you realize it's not actually the game itself but the game launcher. This is the same launcher that other Android phones will be downloading later from Epic Games website to install the game. Why Samsung had to distribute the launcher through its store and not the game itself is confounding.

Fortnite Android Review Philippines

The launcher does nothing but download the 90MB or so game, which then sits alongside the launcher in your app drawer. It's not clear what the purpose of the launcher is beyond this point, whether it will be used to update the game or not. The game can clearly download new data on its own so it's curious what the launcher does. Uninstalling it made no difference and the game was still accessible.

Once you start the game, you are faced with another hurdle. The 90MB game you downloaded wasn't actually the full game at all but more like an installer and it will then download 1.9GB of data. Fortnite pulls this same stunt on iOS as well and it's rather disingenuous as you are lulled into thinking the game isn't that large when you see the app store size and then it drops this 1.9GB bomb on you once you launch it.

Once you download that you are given the option to log in. You can use an Epic Games account (also used on PC, Mac and iOS) or an account from PlayStation, Xbox or Switch if you want to sync your progress with one of those platforms. You can obviously only be signed into one of these at a time and once you pick, all your account info and purchases will carry over to this device.

It's worth mentioning at this point just how slow Fortnite is to start on Android. Even on the Galaxy S9+, once you finish all your setting up and everything, the game takes anywhere from 70-80 seconds to reach the main screen from a cold start. It's not especially fast on iOS either and even on the iPhone 8 Plus it takes about 50 seconds but it's still considerably quicker there.

From here on out, the experience isn't too different from what you get on iOS. The menus are just as bad as they were on iOS, with tiny buttons that look like they were pulled straight from the PC port and are barely usable. The graphics options are limited to low, medium and high, with the epic option grayed out and unavailable on the S9+, just like it is on the iPhone 8 Plus.

You can set the max frame rate target to either 30fps or 20fps. You could potentially save some battery by running at 20fps but 30fps is already a pretty low frame rate and running at 20fps will legitimately put you at a disadvantage compared to other players as it directly affects the responsiveness of the inputs. There is also a low power mode that can further reduce graphics quality stress the hardware less.

Visually, the Android version on the S9+ looks very similar to the iOS version on the 8 Plus. The presets work similarly on both platforms. The Low preset drops the internal rendering resolution to what looks like 480p, with significantly reduced texture detail. Bumping up to Medium renders it close to 540p but nothing much else changes. High setting gives you shadows as well as grass while also bumping up the rendering resolution to around 720p. The HUD remains the same resolution, though, regardless of what setting you pick.

At High, the game does look decent but the fact that it's running at about 1/4th the native resolution of the S9+ display isn't unnoticeable.

Image settings

The iOS version doesn't run at a higher resolution but it does run better. One thing that was very clear on the Android version was the pop-in. Basically, as you moved closer to objects, the game would swap in the higher resolution assets but because it happened very close to the camera, it was much more noticeable. Also, for some reason, the shadows cast by trees would only render about ten feet away from you, which looked very jarring as the shade would appear and disappear as you moved closer or away from trees. This happens on iOS at a much greater distance from the camera and is thus not noticeable.

Apart from that, there are also minor hitches in frame rate. It's not game breaking by any means and most people wouldn't notice but if you have an eye for these things you can notice the minor differences in frame times even when nothing taxing is happening on screen.

But when it comes to gameplay, Fortnite on Android works reasonably well and no better or worse than on iOS. The fact that the game works on mobile at all is still very impressive, especially since Epic managed to make far few compromises to the look and feel of the game on mobile than what Tencent had to do with PUBG. The crossplay functionality is also intact and it's tremendous to be able to play with players on vastly different platforms.

Finally, it's worth remembering that what we have here is still beta and the final release will likely be polished. Having said that, I wouldn't expect any improvements to visual quality considering it's nearly identical to the four month old stable release on iOS. I do wish, however, they reduce the time it takes to start the game and maybe improve the menus at some point in the future.

In the end, the game is about as good as you'd expect the Android port to be, at least on a powerful device. But one can't help but feel Epic Games really botched the launch by first avoiding the Play Store, then making it a timed Samsung exclusive and then making people sign up for a beta available on very limited devices. The number of hoops and provisos currently involved in getting the game are just fizzling the launch of a very anticipated release, which is a shame because the underlying game is pretty decent.

Reader comments

• Anonymous
• IAr

i am hyped for season 6 and the android beta

• user123
• r4@

true

• punkilita
• PMT

Game not available for all android users :(

At this point, whether you’re a gamer or not, there’s a good chance that you’ve at least heard about Fortnite. This free-to-play game has taken the world by storm and has ended up earning the company hundreds of millions of dollars through in-game purchases.

Fortnite has made its way to PC, Macs, game consoles including the Nintendo Switch, and even Apple’s iPhone. But what about Android? The good news is that Fortnite for Android is here. Unfortunately, not without some caveats. First, you need to have a supported Samsung device at least until August 12th. Second, this beta seems to have some serious performance issues.

Note: I’m a long time Fortnite player on the PC, but also tested the game out extensively on Apple iPhone before the release of the Android version. Our team also has played the Android version on several devices ranging for the S4 Tab to the Galaxy S9 and older devices like the S7 Edge. Unfortunately, the experience just doesn’t live up to what you’d get from PC or even Apple’s iOS version.

Performance: It’s not great..

I have been a long-time Fortnite player primarily playing on my PC. To get the most out of the game on that platform, I have had to rely on a reasonably high-performance CPU and GPU. With my current setup, I have no issues with lag or graphics.

So when I started playing Fornite mobile first on an iPhone, I was surprised by the fact that the gameplay wasn’t garbage. While graphics weren’t nearly at the level found on consoles or PC, they are on par with other hit mobile games. But what wass urprising is that performance didn’t take a hit either. You have to remember that these games are filled with up to 99 people at a time that are all participating in a single match.

The same solid performance doesn’t apply to Fortnite for Android, unfortunately. First, the game is capped at 30fps even on newer devices like the Galaxy S9 and Tab S4. Second, the graphics are considerably tuned down from the iOS version, unless you are willing to put up with extremely bad frame rates. That’s not all.

Battery and data usage

While this is true for the iOS version as well, this game eats up a phone’s battery life. In my testing, I was finding that every match was draining my phone’s battery by up to 10 percent or more.

I get that mobile games are supposed to help people pass the time and have fun on their phones, but when half a dozen matches drain most of a battery, you have to start thinking if it’s worth a dead phone.

Secondly, I can’t recommend playing this game when you’re not on WiFi. As previously mentioned, Fortnite is a live multi-player game that requires a constant data connection to the other 99 users playing in a match. This demand means you will start to drain your data allotment provided by your cellular carrier.

Fortnite on Android: All the info on its unconventional release in one place

If you can look past the performance issues, the game is still playable, just frustrating. So let’s look further at gameplay, game modes, and the rest.

Gameplay

Fortnite for Android is a battle royale genre game where the objective is to be the last player standing. Each match kicks off with every character in a flying bus that takes a random route over an island with multiple types of terrain and cities. At any time during this flyover, players can jump to the ground and begin their journey.

Game modes

Fortnite is perfectly made for users who prefer to either play by themselves or with their friends. To achieve this, Fortnite offers several different default game modes. These include solo, duos, and squads. As the names suggest, solo is for when users want to play as a team of one, duos are for teams of two, and squads allows for up to four people to play together at once.

What’s nice is that if you want to fight alongside other players but don’t have any friends online, you can automatically be paired together with other people playing the game.

Outside of these default modes, Fortnite occasionally introduces modified game styles. For example, at the time of this writing, the battle royale has a 50 V 50 mode where players are put on a team of 50 characters and are given the primary goal to eliminate all opposing members. Other past examples are shotgun and sniper only game modes where players are only able to pick up and use those classes of weapons.

In-game weapons, tools, health, and shields

When a player first lands in the game, they are given nothing but a harvesting tool. While this technically is a weapon, it can’t do much damage to opponents. This tool is primarily used for collecting resources around the map such as wood, brick, and metal

If a player wants to survive, they’re going to need to move around the map and either find guns and explosives or open crates that provide a random array of items that the user might want.

Additionally, players should stock up on healing items and shields. As the character can take damage from opposing gamers, they will want to reheal when possible.

Character customization

The moment a new Fortnite round starts, everyone is on the same playing field. This means that no one player will have better powers, weapons, or capabilities when dropping from the bus. The only advantage someone might have is their own experience gained by previously playing the game.

So then why does everyone look different from one another? The simple answer to this is that people have either unlocked or bought character customization items.

Outfits

The look of each character is the primary difference between users. When players are new to the game, they’re given several basic-looking avatars that aren’t fancy. As they advance, a limited number of characters can be unlocked for free. But the way most people change their look is by buying different outfits from Fortnite.

I will explain the in-game currency in a bit, but basically, Epic Games releases different looks every 24 hours or so and people have the opportunity to purchase them. But don’t worry, if something disappears from the store before it can be bought, it will show back up in several weeks.

Harvesting tool, glider, emotes, and more

In addition to outfits, players can customize their Fortnite avatar’s appearance by changing the look of their harvesting tool, glider, contrail, and more. Also like outfits, players can unlock or purchase different designs and styles.

Lastly, one of the most popular aspects of the game is the emotes. Whether someone is celebrating a kill or just messing around, users can launch into a dance or action.

In-game purchases

To purchase all of these customization options, users have to use a virtual currency called V-Bucks. Throughout the game, users gain experience points which then progresses them to higher levels. Every once in a while, one of the rewards for advancement is 100 V-Bucks. The problem with this is that everything in Fortnite’s virtual store costs at least 500 V-Bucks and can go up to at least 2,000 V-Bucks.

So if players want a new outfit, emote, or whatever, the only real option is to buy the virtual currency with real money. The exchange rate is roughly $1 to every 100 V-Bucks. To motivate players to spend even more money, Fortnite gives “bonus” V-Bucks when they buy large sums of the currency.

Related: Fortnite might not come to the Play Store, and that’s a horrible idea

I’ve broken down the different tiers for the in-game currency:

Fortnite On Android Free

• Wingman Starter Pack + 500 v-bucks + 100 bonus = $4.99
• 1,000 V-bucks = $9.99
• 2,500 (+300 bonus) = $24.99
• 6,000 (+1,500 bonus) = $59.99
• 10,000 (+3,500 bonus) = $99.99

Remember, Fortnite is a free-to-play game which means users technically never have to spend a single dollar to play it. By buying V-Bucks and then exchanging those for character customizations, those gamers aren’t getting any advantage while playing. Having the different outfits and accessories is more of a social experience than anything else.

Seasons

To make Fortnite more enjoyable, and make it more than just a game about killing other characters, Epic Games includes weekly challenges that players can complete to level up faster and unlock new outfits, accessories, and more. Each season consists of 10 weeks and each weekly challenge tests a player’s skills.

Battle Pass

Ofcourse, Fortnite wants to try to make money off of its free game. So in addition to buying customization features for avatars, users can purchase 25,000 V-Bucks and unlock the Battle Pass.

When buying this upgrade, players are unlocking more weekly challenges and gain access to more free items while leveling up. Again, there’s no in-game benefit gained by spending $25 every 10 weeks, but it helps users level up faster and get “free” stuff.

Controls

Just like many other mobile video games, all of the controls to navigate the virtual world are at your fingertips. There are two gesture areas in the lower two corners that are used to move the character around. User’s left thumb will be used to walk or run forward, backward, or left or right. The right thumb is what allows the player to look around.

Shooting, jumping, switching guns, interacting with items, and more

But as Fortnite is much more than just running around, there are a lot more buttons placed around the screen. Two easy-to-reach buttons near each navigation area let the user either swing the harvesting tool or to shoot a gun. Having the two buttons in an easy-reach location makes it so users can quickly react when they see opposing players or want to collect materials.

As this transition isn’t always the fastest when in a combat situation, the mobile game has a setting that can be turned on that automatically has the character shoot its weapon when an opponent is in their crosshairs. I found this extremely useful because it lets the player focus their attention on keeping the enemy directly in front of them instead of having to move and shoot at the same time.

Two other static buttons are for crouching and jumping. These are strategically placed above the right thumb so that they can easily be tapped on while running or moving around.

Picking up weapons and supplies is easier on mobile when compared to other platforms. Instead of hitting a particular button, players have to run over the item and it will be collected.

If the gamer’s inventory is full, they will then have to tap on the item and it was be exchanged for whichever weapon is selected in their inventory.

Building

One significant part of Fortnite that separates it from other battle royale games like PUBG is the ability to build structures. Using the material that was farmed utilizing the harvesting tool, players can build simple walls, or they can practice and end up making a skyscraper.

I will say that this is much easier to do on other platforms. On mobile, while trying to move and avoid enemies, users have to lift one of their hands off the screen, press a button to switch into building mode, select the desired material and desired structure type (walls, floors, stairs, or roofs), and then hit build. This process can be extremely cumbersome on mobile, and I found myself not even bothering with the effort while playing.

On-screen audio indicators

Fortnite is a very audio-focused game. By this, I mean that a lot of the strategy while playing comes from listening for other players and chests. But in this case, when users are playing on mobile, they might not have the best speakers on their phones/tablet or be able to have the sound on at all. To help with this problem, Epic Games includes on-screen indicators to help direct or alert players about nearby sounds.

Coming from the PC, I found these indicators to be handy. Even though Fortnite does an excellent job at pinpointing where a sound is coming from audibly while wearing headphones, it can still be challenging to judge it accurately. These indicators fix this problem on mobile.

Conclusion

For people like myself who have been playing Fortnite for months on a different platform, it’s nice to have the game available while on the go. Unfortunately, the experience just isn’t great with the Android version yet.

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Keep in mind this is still a beta, so a few updates could change everything. For now, you’re likely better off waiting or sticking to the game on another platform.

So that’s it for our first look review of Fortnite for Android. We’ll be sure to revisit when the game gets a few updates under its belt. What do you think of the game, have you had the same performance issues? Let us know in the comments.

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