Fortnite: Save the World

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Fortnite: Save the World (short version)

Fortnite: Save the World is a cooperative survival game by Epic Games. It’s the original PvE part of Fortnite and mixes loot-driven progression with tower-defense elements. You play in a third-person view with up to four players who work together to fight zombie-like creatures called husks, defend bases, and build defenses.

How it’s played
- Team up with up to three other players to defend against waves of husks.
- Explore maps to gather resources, craft weapons and traps, and build fortifications to protect objectives.
- Each mission has goals like defending a base, rescuing survivors, or surviving waves of husks, with day/night cycles and storms affecting enemy behavior and rewards.
- You can play with others online to increase rewards and tackle tougher missions.

Progression and gear
- You collect three types of characters: heroes (the main fighters), defenders (support for defense), and survivors (non-playable allies who give bonuses).
- Earn experience points to level up heroes and unlock new abilities, gadgets, and upgrades for your base.
- Craft weapons, traps, and upgrades using resources and schematics. You can upgrade your power level to take on harder missions.
- Your inventory holds weapons, traps, and resources. You can retire or transform items for rewards and free up space.
- The game has a cosmetic shop (V-Bucks are the in-game currency), loot llamas, and a collection book for rewards. Some cosmetics aren’t usable in Save the World.

World and modes
- The game features four main locations for missions and special Storm Shield Defense (SSD) missions. SSD maps stay persistent, letting you expand and strengthen your base over time.
- Completing SSD missions unlocks Endurance Mode, an endless siege to test your builds and skills.
- Fortnite: Save the World blends sandbox, lite RPG, tower defense, and co-op play with procedurally generated maps and an AI director that adjusts challenges based on your progress.

Story and setting
- A sudden storm erases most people and brings husks to attack the remaining survivors. Survivors band together behind storm shields to defend bases, gather resources, and find a way to restore Earth.

Development and history (easy overview)
- Fortnite began as a PC-exclusive project using Unreal Engine 4, developed with help from People Can Fly and others. It was shown in the early 2010s and went through a long development, with multiple delays.
- It launched as a paid early-access title in 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. A separate mode, Fortnite Battle Royale, released in 2017 as a free-to-play game and became extremely popular.
- Save the World remained a separate, paid mode and, in 2020, Epic ended its early-access phase and released it as a premium title, separating shared items from Battle Royale. Since then, updates have been less frequent than BR, though Epic continues to add Ventures and events to Save the World.

Reception and notes
- Save the World has a dedicated fan base, but many players feel it gets fewer updates than Battle Royale.
- There has been controversy over exclusive STW items appearing in BR.
- The loot-box system led to legal issues, which Epic settled in 2021 by awarding V-Bucks and refunds to players.

Bottom line
Fortnite: Save the World is a cooperative, base-building, zombie-survival game set in the Fortnite universe. It emphasizes teamwork, resource gathering, crafting, and fort defense, offering a deep progression system separate from the Battle Royale mode.