“We’re Home Boys”

The Rekindling Of A Chronic Addiction

T. G. George and B. N. Dent

[A take from chickenboyeeee (B Dent)]

WHY OH WHY DID EPIC GAMES DECIDE TO BRING BACK OG FORTNITE JUST AS MY EXAM BLOCK APPROACHES. As if I didn’t already have enough reasons to procrastinate a little longer. I mean, I’m already busy enough as it is trying to keep up to date with my intense mewing schedule and the baby Gronk gossip. Epic Games really needs to get better at doing their due diligence in ensuring that the schedules of the individuals within their target market are free for when major updates come out. 

Nevertheless, I can’t complain. The return of the OG Fort map and weapons has been simply beautiful. If the gaming industry was an empty canvas sitting in Florence during the early 16th century, then the resurgence of the OG map was the brush in Leonardo da Vinci’s hand, ready to create a masterpiece. 

In addition to providing some much needed nostalgia and enjoyment, OG Fort has answered some questions which many of us have been thinking about for some time. Over the past few years, we’ve had to witness Fortnite slowly die like a wilting flower in the scorching sun. A once delightful game was corrupted by unnecessary updates and greasy sweats (good players), which ruined the fun. It really highlighted the old adage of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Regardless, our deteriorating perception of this game spurred on the question of whether the game had outgrown us, or if we had simply outgrown the game. And I think the return of OG Fort has answered this question once and for all. Sure, I have seen a couple of insta reels here and there that say that the game is just not the same as it once was, but the majority of us have been transported back in time and our passion has not only been rekindled, but set on fire, burning harder than ever. 

The average bloke after undergoing a grease metamorphosis induced by OG Fort.

Now The G-Factor (T George), for his take. 

Quite insightful Braden. I’ll unpack this more, but first, let me take you on a journey through space and time. 

April 27, 2018. 6:39 pm on a Friday night, but there was no place I’d rather be than hunched over in the spare bedroom. My new PS4 is wired up to the TV, the singular earpiece slipping out of my ear while I navigate a red haired default through Shifty Shafts on 30 FPS. The infamous ZestyMamba999 (H Richards) leads the squad’s rampage. But looming over the hill, stands the ominous Tilted Towers. With a total of two kills to my name, this journey has nonetheless taken its toll. I shake vigorously, and sweat creeps down my forehead. I flinch at the gunshots. I panic build, with my stairs edited sideways. “KNOCKED ONE”… “KNOCKED TWO”… “THE LAST GUY IS IN FRONT OF YOU”. I get lost in my inventory, then stuck on my builds, finally finding myself on the trusty pump shotty. BANG. Game over. #1 Victory Royale. I yell for my parents. I shed a tear. My hands tremble as I take a photo. I feel my body transcend into euphoria. 

That’s what it feels like. Every single time. The feeling never gets old. It may be hard to comprehend, but it is that same transfixion that has surged among the state’s teens. Even if the Year 7s were in the womb when I was cranking 90s in Salty Springs, OG Fort has no bounds. It has touched the lives of everyone. 

Expert in the field, dmoneyy (D Ivanhoe), sums up the craze nicely.

“To say Fortnite is a fundamental necessity would be a gross understatement. In essence, it’s just so much more than that. With a cumulative 1172 hours of my life devoted to this game since Chapter 1 Season 3, and a broad array of fond memories from all throughout the map, Fortnite has become a literal lifestyle. A lifestyle victim to a slow, yet purposeful erasure with age, which has now made its ultimate return. We are home.”

But if that is not enough, let’s take a look into the profound and wonderful impact Fortnite can have on someone’s life. We call upon a man who needs no introduction, but here is one anyway.  Eggs-With-Legs (J Cambridge). 2088 hours committed. 307 wins secured. $3500 was spent on V-Bucks (to which he states was “worth every cent”.) Countless memories. He runs a tight schedule, but when he could fit us in, we were gifted with his insight. Put simply, “The game has had a cultural impact… you get a HUGE hit of dopamine from not only every win but every kill… I guess those are the reasons why we love Fortnite”.

With all the questions we have answered, one still remains. Where are we droppin boys?