We think a Fortnite parent review is now necessary, what with just how many children appear to be playing the game. While its cartoon visuals may make it look all innocent and harmless, there are a few things parents should know before letting their children play the game, especially the Battle Royale component.
Fortnite Parent Review: Age Rating
A quick-and-easy Fortnite parent review would be to point you towards a Fortnite age rating. The ESRB labels the game as appropriate for those aged 13 and above, with the following rating summary:
This is an action game in which players build forts, gather resources, craft weapons, and battle hordes of monsters in frenetic combat. From a third-person perspective, players use guns, swords, and grenades to fight skeleton-like monsters (husks) in ranged and melee-style combat. Players can also defeat enemies by using various traps (e.g., electric, spikes, poisonous gas). Battles are highlighted by frequent gunfire, explosions, and cries of pain.
It should be noted, however, that this does not take online interactions into consideration.
Fortnite Parent Review: Online Interactions
Fortnite prides itself on being an immersive online game. The title’s Battle Royale mode pits 100 players against one another. This is an incredibly intense scenario, as players can’t respawn. This intensity is what makes the game so compelling, but it can also lead to frustration and anger. It’s not uncommon to come across players who swear and shout through their microphones.
If you do decide to let your young child play Fortnite with other people, we’d advise carefully monitoring what is being said to them. You can also disable voice chat through the game settings.
Fortnite Parent Review: Other Potential Issues
Though its graphics are similar to cartoons and the gameplay is wacky, Fortnite does use real-life weapons as inspiration for its guns. Instead of defeating enemies with “bubble rifles” or whatever, players pick up guns that fire bullets.