Can you remember all the way back to the wasteland of 2011, when Epic Games was still on top of the world with a Gears of War 3 release looming? Amidst all the excitement for the closing chapter of their flagship trilogy, Cliff Bleszinski and co. also announced a smaller title to look forward to: Fortnite. Although it disappeared from people’s radars after no word was heard for years, Epic decided to surprise us with a recent Game Informer cover and an even more recent brand new gameplay trailer.
Tasking players with scavenging for supplies, crafting forts and protecting said structures from hordes of nocturnal monsters, Fortnite closely resembles both Orcs Must Die! and Sanctum in gameplay style. However, giving players the ability to also build their own structures to protect may give it just enough edge to become infinitely more replayable. It’s even more appealing knowing that the game will be free-to-play, because free is always the best price.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on Epic’s latest project then head on over to their official website and sign up for a chance to be included in their alpha. While the alpha won’t begin until much later in the year, Fortnite won’t see release until 2015, with no more specific release date pinned down yet.
Drawing help from the recently acquired Epic Games Poland (previously known as People Can Fly), Epic’s first foray into the free-to-play realm could be an exciting title, carving it’s own niche in the free-to-play realm. Despite that, Fortnite has been in development for three years, and by the time it’s finally released in 2015 (most likely late 2015), who’s to say if it’ll still be as fun or original as it looked in 2011?
Check out that gameplay trailer below and see if the long, long wait looks like it will be worth it, and be sure to apply for the alpha if you’re interested.
