THE STORM IS COMING

By KELLY TOM

An extremely popular trend that has not escaped the students at Washingtonville High School is a video game called Fortnite.  According to Wikipedia, Fortnite is a “survival game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly.” 

The initial release date of the highly sought after game was July 23, 2017 and it is now a global phenomenon with over “3.4 million players concurrently,” according to pcgames.com.  The game can be played using the platforms of Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Macintosh Operating Systems. 

Tom Cudmore, a senior at WHS and avid Fortnite player, explained that it is a “100 player battle royal style video game.”  The objective of the game, according to senior Miguel Dela Cruz, is “to eliminate everyone on the map and survive, so basically it’s like the Hunger Games.  You win when you’re the last alive.”  

KELLY TOM FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY 

There are many different ways to play Fortnite.  One can participate by “playing solo, duo, or in squad matches where you try to eliminate as many people as possible,” stated Matt Dickson, also a senior at WHS.

The game that has captivated millions is as fun as it is addicting.  Miguel Dela Cruz, admits,  “I’m just addicted because I love to play with my friends and it’s hilarious when we scream and win. I play at least 5 hours a day.”  Matt Dickson also states that he’s addicted because, “Once you win, you just want to keep winning and, to do that, you need to play a lot.”

One aspect of the game is known by players as ‘The Storm’.  Senior John West describes it as, “The barrier that pushes all 10o players in the game towards each other where they can fight it out and, if you get caught outside the storm, you get eliminated.” There are many different areas on the map as well like the Tilted Towers, Lonely Lodge, Wailing Woods, Tomato Town, Loot Lake, Salty Springs, Dusty Depot, Flush Factory and so many more,  according to senior Emily Nagle.

Students are not the only ones addicted to this trend; many teachers are also obsessed.  Mr. Clough, a social studies teacher at WHS, loves the game and says that he plays because “it’s fun.  There’s a lot of strategy in the game, and it’s always different so it’s never the same game which makes it fun.”  Mr. Cutney, also a social studies teacher and Mr. Clough’s partner in crime, excitedly exclaimed that it is “the best game of all time.”

Not only is Fortnite a fun game, but it is also a learning experience.  As Dela Cruz stated,  he has learned “patience, strategy and his thumbs get quite the workout.”