Forget about 'Fortnite' ' the new 'Call of Duty' makes 6 brilliant changes to the Battle Royale formula

For the first time in years, the new "Call of Duty" has something truly new: a Battle Royale mode, along the lines of "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds."It's still got traditional multiplayer modes like Control and Deathmatch, and the fan-favorite "Zombies" mode, but the big addition in "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" is the Battle Royale mode: Blackout.In a surprising twist, the "Call of Duty" version of the insanely popular Battle Royale game type is a fresh, innovative take on Battle Royale ' rather than the copycat mode that many were expecting. It's so good, in fact, that "Fortnite" and the rest of the Battle Royale competition could take a few cues from Blackout.SEE ALSO:The new 'Call of Duty' has a surprisingly fantastic Battle Royale mode aimed directly at 'Fortnite'1. The Blackout map is still huge, but it's small enough to easily traverse the entire thing in a match.The vast stretches of open world you'll find in games like "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" ("PUBG") don't really exist in the "Call of Duty" Blackout mode.Instead, it's pretty easy to run from major area to major area while stopping on the way for supplies in various abandoned houses and gas stations.Blackout's one map is a collage of major "Call of Duty" multiplayer maps, all stitched together:The speed at which you can run from one area to the other means less time spent running in terror in the wide open, hoping against the odds that no one's spotted you through the lens of a sniper rifle.2. The vehicles, especially the ATV, are far better and easier to drive than in any other Battle Royale game.There are two main land-based vehicles in "Blackout": the ATV seen above, and a large-ish flatbed truck. Both are delightful in their own ways.The ATV is incredibly fast and versatile. Sure, you're out in the open, but you're going to so fast (and able to hop off just as quickly) that the risk if well worth the reward. And if you're playing in duos' Your buddy can hop on the back and fire at fools while careening over yet another hill.In the case of the truck, it's like driving a mobile bunker. Pull up to a house, hop out of the driver's seat and into the flatbed: Voila! Instant cover!In both cases, vehicles are able to traverse vast swaths of the map. No gas required (like "PUBG") and no wonky driving physics (also like "PUBG"); no friend required to push the shopping cart (like "Fortnite").3. The "Quick Equip" function is a game changer for Battle Royale on consoles.One of the worst things about "Fortnite" is how needlessly complicated its controls are. Just swapping between weapons is needlessly complex, to say nothing of learning how to drop items and build.Blackout smartly streamlines those systems into a simple "Quick Equip" menu.At any time, simply tap up on the d-pad and you'll see a quick and easy way to access your entire inventory.From here, you can quickly add attachments to weapons, switch consumable items out for other consumable items, and use perks (I'll get those in a moment).And, given that we're talking about a Battle Royale game, inventory rapidly expands throughout each matchthus, having the Quick Equip function is a real game changer. You don't have to be a pro to quickly swap grenade types! Hooray!See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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