The live-service double-edged sword is sharper than ever, but when a game is good, it can be really good, and that’s certainly the case withFortnite. Having released almost six years ago, it’s truly remarkable thatFortnitehas managed to remain so popular, and a lot of that is due to the game’s continuous updates. Every few weeks or so,Fortnitegets some kind of new content, and every few months, a major seasonal update drops, adding POIs, vehicles, skins, and of course, weapons to the game.
Fortnite’s last Season brought a slew of new weapons to the game, one of which became an instant hit. Namedthe Shockwave Hammer, this melee weapon not only let players smash their opponents into the sky, but also let them bounce across the map with ease. The Shockwave Hammer became a must-have for any inventory, and Epic Games had a tough time trying to ensure that it remained balanced. However, a weapon has just been added toFortnitethat may not be quite as powerful, but is certainly more fun to use.
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Fortnite’s Kinetic Blade Is a Lot of Fun to Use
Thelatest Season ofFortnite, titled “Mega,” has given the new map a cyberpunk overhaul. Along with its neon-soaked, grind-rail-filled hub of Mega City,Fortnite’s island has also been filled with an array of Japan-inspired buildings, ranging from watchtowers to houses to ancient castles. In these ancient castles and dotted around the rest of the map, players can find this Season’s brand-new melee weapon, the Kinetic Blade.
Picking up this sleek,futuristic swordwill give players two distinct abilities, functioning similarly to the Shockwave Hammer. By pressing in the right trigger, the player engages in a two-hit strike, with the first just delivering standard damage and the second strike causing the target to be knocked back by a wave of kinetic energy. While this standard strike is solid at close ranges, it’s the sword’s secondary ability that’s the real show-stopper. By pressing the left trigger in, players charge up the blade for a second and dash forward, horizontally slicing anything in the way.
While neither of these attacks are quite as powerful as the Shockwave Hammer’s overhead strike, to many fans, the Kinetic Blade is simply much more fun to use. Where the Hammer felt weighty, the Blade offers a faster and more responsive form of traversal, allowing players to zip across chasms, dash out of the way of oncoming attacks, and speed toward unsuspecting enemies within a flash. The Kinetic Blade also feels a lot fairer to use than the Shockwave Hammer. While just any old player could pick up the Hammer and press the right trigger to send enemies flying,the Kinetic Bladerequires a bit more skill, with the player needing to carefully time their strikes and keep their target in sight. Therefore, when a player is inevitably killed by someone wielding the Blade, it feels a little less infuriating, as the opposing player clearly wasn’t just mashing buttons to win.
Naturally, the abundance of Kinetic Blades can lead to some pretty frantic duels inFortnite’s latest Season, with multiple players all engaging each other with high-speed charges and narrow escapes. This wholeFortniteMega Seasonfeels a lot more fast-paced than previous iterations of the battle royale, and the Kinetic Blade and its abilities really help to encourage and reward that style of gameplay.
Fortniteis available now on mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
