When the Fortnite Star Wars season dropped, players were aware a ton of new loot items were on the way. What they didn’t anticipate (or want, I suppose) was the return of the lightsabers once more.
At this point, lightsabers in Fortnite feel less like a cool thing that happens and more like that one party guest that just won’t leave. Cool the first time, possibly even the second, but now? Many players are rolling their eyes.
What’s Actually Wrong With Lightsabers in Fortnite?
The problem isn’t that lightsabers are back. It’s how they play. They are flashy but not exactly practical.
As a result, the gameplay complaints are more than that. Many players feel that Epic still hasn’t managed to make melee combat feel right. “It’s more of a frustration with Epic’s complete cluelessness with regards to melee combat,” one comment read in a rising Reddit post.
And even when lightsabers are tied to Force powers, they’re not as plug-and-play as some would hope. You have to discover a portal and do a bit of training just to unlock the good stuff like double jumps and infinite sprint. Planning to take a lightsaber from a fallen enemy? Sorry, no powers for you. It’s all to do with who trained, not who is holding it.
Do the Lightsaber Powers Make It Worth the Effort?
To some, the power and movement buffs still justify the whole system. One player noted that when used properly, especially with slap splashes, sabers can be a huge advantage. Deflecting bullets, moving around, and interfering in fights with Force Push… there’s a learning curve there. But not everyone is inclined to climb it.
They are weak if you depend on them. They’re OP if used right,” one Redditor said. That sounds fair. But come on, most players don’t want to be Yoda. They want to wield a sick weapon and not get immediately killed by a shotgun.
And that is what happens to a lot of people. “Had lightsabers from Vader & Palpatine and both times when I try to use it in close combat, I get shot down,” someone joked through the hurt.
Final Words
Of course, there are still loyal fans who are glad to see the Sabers return.
But where does that leave us? Lightsabers are here, again. Some people love them, some can’t stand them and most are somewhere in the middle, using them when it’s applicable, not when it isn’t.
Epic is clearly a fan of the Star Wars crossovers. But if they are going to keep reusing lightsabers, maybe it’s time to update the melee mechanics to match the rest of Fortnite’s gameplay. Because at the moment, for a lot of players, it’s the same old “shing shing” and not in a good way.
