Summary
LEGO Fortniteis shockingly in-depth, serving as a game within a game for Epic’s hugely successful free-to-play title. WhileRocket Racingis a simple-but-addictive competitive mode, andFortnite Festivalis a terrific way to relive the memories of games likeGuitar Heroor jam out with friends,LEGO Fortnitehas been a gigantic draw. Players need to keep themselves from getting too hot or warm, build structures to avoid dangerous weather, and regularly fight off enemies. As is the case with many games that have survival elements,LEGO Fortnitewill ask players to interact with some non-threatening animals for some necessary resources. Unlike those other games, however, violence is not a must.
To be clear, there is nothing inherently wrong with hunting mechanics in video games, as they can add to the immersion of titles likeRed Dead Redemption 2. However, some players are uncomfortable with the idea of killing a big cat for a resource pouch inFar Cry, butchering a farm of animals inMinecraft, or hearing wolves and dogs squeal when attacked in a number of games. Fortunately for those who have this issue,LEGO Fortnitedoes not ask players to kill non-hostile animals for their resources, and it is an approach that other games should start to consider.
LEGO Fortnite’s Approach to Animals is a Great Alternative
In LEGO Fortnite, Petting Can Be Just as Viable as Killing
While players can certainly kill friendly animals like Cows, Chickens, and Sheep for some extra meat to keep theirLEGO FortniteMinifigurefed and energized, they do not need to. Not only are there other sources of meat, like the terrifying wolf creatures and crabs, but the other resources can be obtained simply by petting the animals.LEGO Fortnite’s Cows are adorable, so petting them for milk is a good way to acquire that resource. Similarly, instead of scaring or killing a Chicken, players just pet them for wool. The same goes for Sheep, as their wool is acquired via pets as opposed to killing or sheers like inMinecraft.
Considering thatLEGO Fortniteis a survival game aimed at all ages, the petting mechanic was likely introduced to help the game maintain its E10+ rating. However, it has the added benefit of letting players get around hurting harmless animals, as players can experience everything in the game without killing any Chickens, Cows, or Sheep. With no crafting recipes demanding the deaths of these three animal types, either, players are given no incentive to kill them if they do not want to. Given how well the petting mechanic works, other games should consider taking inspiration from it, especially those with realistic art styles or titles that are aimed at a similarly young audience.
LEGO Fortniteplayers who want to avoid violence even against hostile animals can do so, as players can eat fruit, bread, and vegetables instead to keep themselves alive. They would miss out on some necessaryLEGO Fortnitecrafting materials, however.
Alternative Animal Resource Mechanics Could Be The Way Forward
To be clear, there are some games where violence against animals serves a narrative purpose, like realizing Ellie killed Abby’s dog inThe Last of Us 2after they had been treated like just another enemy type for hours. Additionally, hunting is almost a necessity in certain games and should not be eliminated entirely. Still, there are at least some games that could benefit from something likeLEGO Fortnite’s animal petting.Minecraftinstantly comes to mind, as there is no reason that players could not just enable a setting that allows meat to drop from the animals whenever they are pet. Similarly, an optional setting inFar Crycould let players get pouch upgrades by petting, scanning, or feeding wildlife instead of killing it. So long as the kill-free mechanics are optional and not on by default, there would be no downsides, and animal lovers would find themselves in uncomfortable situations less often.
LEGO Fortnite Odyssey
WHERE TO PLAY
Explore vast, open worlds where the magic of LEGO® building and Fortnite collide.Collect food and resources, craft items, build shelter and battle enemies solo or team up with up to seven friends.Get creative in building and customizing your ultimate home base using LEGO® elements collected from the world around you, then recruit villagers to gather materials and help survive the night. Gear up and drop into deep caves in search of rare resources and hidden areas.
