Summary
- The Water Levels Wrap in Fortnite adds an innovative diegetic display for in-game info, setting a new standard for weapon skins.
- Future Fortnite weapon skins should be more reactive to player actions, offering creative features like changing appearance based on kill count.
- Epic Games can balance creativity and functionality in weapon skins to enhance gameplay without giving unfair advantages.
Although its over-the-top action and fast-paced gunplay get the bulk of the credit for the game's ongoing success, Epic Games’ Fortnite also relies on another, equally appealing feature to keep players coming back year after year. From colorful character skins to weapon wraps based on some of gaming and pop culture’s biggest properties, the wide assortment of cosmetic customizations available to Fortnite fans has consistently been one of the Battle Royale title’s biggest draws. One new item in particular, the rare Water Levels Wrap, has introduced one of Fortnite’s most creative cosmetic options yet and raised the bar for the game’s weapon skins going forward.
Fortnite fans are familiar with unlocking weapon skins offering everything from unique color combos to impressive animated designs, but the Water Levels Wrap takes things to new heights by introducing a diegetic display for in-game info. A first for Epic’s online shooter, this rare wrap’s unique functionality shows that there’s room for Fortnite to add some truly creative cosmetics moving forward. By following this same formula for future skins, Fortnite could even ensure that an altered appearance is only part of the appeal of trying out a new weapon wrap.
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Fortnite’s Water Levels Wrap Raises the Bar
Introduced as one of Fortnite’s All Sweat Summer event rewards in early July, the Water Levels wrap not only sports some impressive animation, it also has an easily overlooked hidden feature. While it's hard to miss the animated water of the gun’s skin splashing around realistically as players move about the map, eagle-eyed players noticed that the Water Levels Wrap also dynamically adjusts the amount of liquid present based on a gun’s ammo count. Though subtle, this ingenious addition makes the Water Levels Wrap one of the game’s most impressive cosmetics to date.
While the Water Levels Wrap is far from the first Fortnite cosmetic with custom animation, its unique functionality puts the splashy skin in a class by itself. Though most players are unlikely to give up glancing at a gun’s ammo counter and solely rely on reading the water level when using the rare wrap, its addition shows that weapon skins can offer far more than just a new look. Epic should expand on this concept moving forward and provide players with more cosmetics that dynamically react to the in-game action in creative and surprising ways.
New Fortnite Weapon Skins Should Double Down on Creativity
Instead of simply serving as a way for players to showcase their unique sense of style, future Fortnite weapon skins should follow the Water Levels Wrap’s lead and be more reactive to a player’s actions on the battlefield. One creative possibility would be introducing reactive weapon skins that change appearance based on kill count in a round. Rather than keeping a running tally of kills, functionality already found in some rare Fortnite Back Blings, the skin could cause a player’s gun barrel to grow brighter with each successive elimination.
Of course, Epic would have to ensure that any in-game insights gained through the use of new weapon skins don’t give players an unfair advantage. For example, some players have already expressed concern that the Water Levels Wrap could give eagle-eyed opponents an edge in a firefight. For this reason, future Fortnite skins that follow its lead will need to walk a fine line between introducing creative new functionality and upsetting the overall balance of the game.
The diegetic ammo display on the Water Levels Wrap is undeniably impressive, but it illustrates just one of the many ways that Epic can make the weapons in Fortnite more reactive to the world around them. By following this formula and adding more cosmetics that seamlessly blend creativity and functionality in novel ways, Fortnite could ensure that future weapon skins will be sought after by players not just for how they look, but also for what they can do to help them up their game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- September 26, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 players (certain modes)
