I’m a Star Wars cynic these days. Like so many Star Wars fans of a similar vintage, episodes seven through nine of the main movie series, followed by a decidedly hit and miss run of TV shows, have left me rather disinterested in The Mandalorian and Grogu. I was all ready to let it pass me by. But then I played Fortnite.
Looking to continue testing the Steam Controller in as many games as possible following my Steam Controller review, I jumped into Fortnite, intrigued by whether a competitive shooter with just slightly less of a focus on twitch reactions – as compared to, say, CS2 – and that runs outside of the Steam closed garden, would work well with the Steam Controller’s unique set of input options. I didn’t even realise the Mando tie-in was taking place.
Cue my intrigue when I jumped into the game and was greeted by its Mandalorian and Grogu-themed intro, and saw the option of a watch party that would give a sneak peek at ten minutes of the movie. I might be a cynic these days, but I wasn’t about to pass up that option.
Immediately upon jumping into the Star Wars-esque spaceship (sorry, I didn’t catch which type it was), complete with multiple fellow Fortniters already adorned in full Mando regalia, I was drawn back into the magic that is the Star Wars universe. Following an emergency drop pod escape, it was right into the thick of the action, fighting off Stormtroopers on the planet Nevarro.
The action didn’t last long before having the opportunity to take a seat in the local amphitheater and watch the short section of the movie that’s projected onto the in-game screen. I won’t spoil the section of the movie, but it’s thoroughly action-packed, has AT-AT-like walkers, and a lot of shooting and explosions. If you wanted to see more of Din Djarin simply being a badass bounty hunter, this section of the movie delivers.
Of course, the Mandalorian and Grogu reviews are already out and showing it to be a bit of a mixed bag, and there were some signs of that in the clip I watched – it’s definitely more childish than some Star Wars fare (despite the large number of onscreen deaths in just this short sequence) – so it remains to be seen whether it is more “solidy enjoyable Star Wars fun” or “slightly forgettable Star Wars fluff.” But, I’m at least a little bit tempted now to go give it a watch.
As for playing Fortnite with a Steam Controller. Eh, not so much. The trackpads work, but the gyro function doesn’t by default, and a lot of the button mapping isn’t correct. Plus, even with custom mappings, ultimately I’d be inclined to just use the thumbsticks and aim assist, rather than try to compete with the trackpads or gyro aiming. In which case, any old controller will do. The Steam Controller is fantastic for opening up new ways to play many games, but you don’t have to use all its features all the time.
