Fortnite Chapter 7 Hands-On Preview: Dude, Where's My Battle Bus?

Fortnite Chapter 7 is another epic evolution for the ever-popular online battle royale game.

Epic Games has always endeavoured to push the envelope when it comes to new content, keeping its ongoing multiplayer game fresh and inventive for its players.

I went hands-on with the new-and-improved Fortnite experience and I have a lot to say about it, like what did they do to the Battle Bus?!

For starters, there are some enormous changes coming for those who remain active and up-to-date with the story so far. After the Zero Hour event, a new dawn breaks for the island giving it a glorious makeover based on real-life California and Hollywood legends.

During my matches, I got to explore the star-studded streets of Battlewood, the amusing Wonkeeland theme park, and even a Las Vegas knock-off monitored by the Fortnite version of the Las Vegas Sphere. With Fallout Season 2 on the way in December, I’m more than expecting the latter area to embrace some New Vegas flair to celebrate the show’s continuation.

Epic Games

While there’s a varied mix of locations to make up the new island, the overall vibe is what struck me the most. There’s a fun factor unlike any previous season I’ve played, and I think that’s owed to its new theme of Hollywood thrills and excitement. Even the beginning of the match has changed, as instead of the Battle Bus dropping you off, players surf an enormous wave before catapulting up into air; it's very groovy.

To kick off the season, players will be treated to the lost chapter of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill story, Yuki’s Revenge, made entirely through Fortnite and Unreal Engine 5 by capturing a real-life performance from Uma Thurman. Kill Bill’s protagonist, The Bride, also features as a new skin, and a new Mythic will see players wield one of the legendary Hanzo blades from the film.

The Bride isn’t the only Hollywood legend to make their Fortnite debut either, as Marty McFly and the DeLorean from Back To The Future are also joining the battle. The Bride and Marty are just the latest additions to Fortnite’s iconic character roster, and this new season promises many, many more.

As for the actual battle royale, my matches were against bots, so my experience wasn’t as riveting as it would have been if there were actual players. That said, the AI pushovers did provide ample opportunity to play with all of Fortnite’s new toys, such as the Kill Bill Mythic I spoke of earlier. Much of the sandbox will feel familiar to returning players with mainstays like assault rifles and sniper rifles being present. However, the loot pool now offers dual shotguns, an electromagnetic cannon, and actual grenades instead of the Shockwave variety.

Another sweet addition is the wing-suit, an incredibly fun movement tool that can take you leaps and bounds across the map if you maintain your updraft.

Epic Games

The only part of the new Fortnite season I didn’t quite vibe with are the new Medallions. Whilst rewarding players with stat-buffs and marking them on the map for other players, the Medallions also morph your character into the NPC you eliminated to grab it. Maybe I’m just nit-picking, but when I’m playing on my own account, I’d rather win the game with one of the skins I’ve earned or paid for rather than an original Fortnite character I’m not all that fond of. Throughout my preview session though, that was the only bit I found myself not convinced by.

All in all, Fortnite Chapter 7 feels fresh and fun, and is a promising start to what could be a very lucrative season depending on which IPs are in-line to get a skin/collaboration next.

Fortnite Chapter 7 launches on 30 November after the Zero Hour live-event, and I’m excited to see what players make of it.