After weeks of teasers unveiling the arrival of Godzilla and Kong in Warzone, expectations surrounding the latest limited-time event (LTE) were extremely high. The previous event involving Krampus the Christmas devil gained notoriety for its annoyance rather than the spectacle and despite the best efforts of Raven Software, the presence of a huge dinosaur and gorilla doesn’t live up to the hype.
The idea of a spectacular in-game event stems from Fortnite launching huge events that spark fundamental changes to the current state of the game. Whether it’s a flossing robot slaying a huge amphibious creature to mark the end of a season or Travis Scott hosting a virtual concert, Warzone events often fall short of this high standard.
Operation Monarch teased some kind of showdown between the two titans but as players continue to drop into Caldera, there are minimal opportunities to battle against the monsters diminishing any chance of an all-out war taking place on the Pacific island.
Another Underwhelming Spectacle
Despite the lack of interaction with Godzilla and Kong, their presence on the map is certainly intimidating. Kong often leaps incredible distances over the course of a match while Godzilla patrols the coastline. If you stand too close to either of the two titans, it’s an instant elimination but if it wasn’t for the Titan Frenzy events that take place, there’s no point in attempting to defeat them.
During the Titan Frenzy, players have the option to stand their ground or flee from the action. With the potential of harnessing the power of Godzilla’s heat ray or Kong’s ability to throw boulders anywhere on the map, running and hiding doesn’t make a lot of sense. Although Godzilla and Kong make me feel minuscule, the fear subsides soon after I realise they won’t attack or even change the aesthetics of the map.
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+ 2A Missed Opportunity
The cinematic trailers leading up to the start of Operation Monarch all but confirmed some kind of battle between two behemoths but with Godzilla seemingly stranded in shallow water and Kong vaulting over the top of Peak every few minutes, the potential for conflict couldn’t be further away. The Battle of Verdansk event promoting the launch of Call of Duty Vanguard did a better job at making me feel like something major was happening. The roaring planes overhead combined with the bombs decimating the map made the event a spectacle.
Rather than 15 teams playing a typical Quads match in the shadows of Kong and Godzilla, perhaps players should join forces to save Caldera from total annihilation instead of playing what feels like a standard dose of Warzone action. A Quads mode with the elements of Operation Monarch still works but it’s a stretch from players watching hoping to watch the monsters apply widespread changes to the map.
click to enlarge + 2Lots to Learn
With a high chance of Operation Monarch being the Pacific era’s one and only LTE, there’s plenty to learn following a mixed reception from fans. The idea of an in-game event often involves some kind of show or something that’s hugely different from what the base game offers. While the presence of Godzilla and Kong does deliver that in some capacity, the lack of final showdown between the two takes the edge off of what should’ve been an event capable of living up to what Fortnite has to offer.
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