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A new season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres Dec. 10 on Disney Plus. Before that, though, the fantasy series has landed in Fortnite, in the form of a new island based on the show. And while many of the promotional islands in Fortnite lack the kind of depth that makes them worth revisiting, Percy Jackson: Siege of Monsters offers a surprisingly robust game experience.
In the island, which released on Dec. 9, players join Camp Half-Blood and are assigned a godly parent. From there, you commence training in various powers and abilities, along with how to handle a variety of weapons. The game hinges on three boss battles, all of which are surprisingly fun with a group of friends.
Image: Epic Games
Truth be told, I know very little about the Percy Jackson franchise. I've only seen an episode of the series, and I haven't read the books. That said, Siege of Monsters does a great job at making the world of the show easy to understand. That's thanks to characters from the show popping up around the rather large map to offer bits of exposition about the story, as well as tips to improve your performance in the game. After all, if you're going to battle a minotaur in its underwear — a character on the show and in the game — you should know how to handle yourself.
While the setting, story, and characters heavily borrow from the Percy Jackson franchise, the gameplay is straight out of Fortnite. In battle, you have both melee and ranged weapons, the ability to upgrade them, and even shield potions and health packs to heal after battle. These are all purchased via drachmas, the in-game currency you earn by doing just about anything. The map is loaded with coins and chests that grant you drachmas as well, making it very easy to pile them up quickly and buy a bunch of unlockables.
Image: Epic Games
The new game also relies heavily on Fortnite's mantling mechanics in one mission. The climbing wall is a massive, fiery mountain often seen in the background of the series. For Siege of Monsters, the team behind the island brought it to life for the first time, and it’s a seriously scary climb, full of death-defying jumps, claustrophobic spaces, and a lake of lava waiting at the bottom, should you slip and fall — which will happen.
For fans of the franchise, there's far more to the game. The devs teased that there plenty of familiar faces throughout the game, well beyond the main characters you expect. And it all leads to a very cinematic final boss battle against Scylla and Charybdis, the seafaring monsters featured in season 2 of the series.
Image: Epic Games
The only drawback to this entire island is that none of the items featured are coming to the shop, at least not yet. It's unfortunate, as the skins of Percy and his friends are well done and could be a hit in Battle Royale. For now, though, head to Percy Jackson: Siege of Monsters to get your fill.
Percy Jackson: Siege of Monsters is available in per now. Use island code 9135-6797-0922.