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3K View2022-09-16

My Apex Legends review

Those who drop together, become champions together

Since the battle royale sub-genre broke into the mainstream with PUBG, many studios have attempted their own take on it, from borrowing elements such as crafting and building mechanics straight out of survival games to just simply copying PUBG and hoping for the best.

Mechanically, Apex Legends isn’t necessarily all that original. Much like many other takes on the battle royale genre, it borrows from the best on offer while also refining things and adding intuitive mechanics. However, Apex spices things up further with a unique cast of heroes known as “legends” that include a variety of abilities. It’s in this hero shooter approach to battle royale and its squad-focused gameplay that it truly separates itself from its peers.

Apex matches consist of sixty players, divided into three-person squads. Once loaded into a match, each squad member is randomly ordered and chooses a legend. Squads, however, can’t use multiple of the same legend. So, if you do favor a particular legend and it’s already been picked, you’ll have no choice but to select another one. There can be some obvious frustration in those moments, but at the same time, I do think it encourages experimentation.

In my time with Apex, I managed to squeeze in numerous matches with every legend on the roster, whether I’m bamboozling enemies with holograms as Mirage or slipping in and out of reality itself with Wraith. Every legend has a notable use or function within a squad and experimenting with a variety of squad selections tended to always result in an interesting combination of abilities that could potentially change up strategies from match-to-match.

It’s the little things, like throwing a shield over Lifeline as Gibraltar while she picks up another teammate, to more interesting combinations such as throwing down a smoke grenade with Bangalore while Bloodhound uses their tactical abilities to reveal enemies (while still concealed in the smoke).

As nitpicky as it is to complain about paywall elements in a free-to-play game, I do have concerns about how this approach could potentially give those willing to pay for newly released legends a brief, but a very distinct edge.

Will those hypothetical legends still be behind the same grind and paywall? If so, just imagine being a new player and only having access to those six original characters. Meanwhile, veterans or those simply willing to pay for them will have an edge in terms of legend selection over newcomers. Of course, as I’ve said, this is all hypothetical. But it is something I hope Respawn can avoid by making once-premium legends freely available in later seasons (if they choose to introduce more with the same system).

Legends aside, Apex without a doubt has the best gunplay in any battle royale game I’ve played yet. The wide variety of weapons all have their own unique quirks and uses, all of which can also be upgraded with a number of attachments found throughout the map. These range from optics and sights to different barrels and stocks. But, most importantly, the weapons all feel and sound very satisfying to use. Shotguns have a solid range to them and the Prowler sub-machine gun in particular with a select-fire receiver and a good extended magazine became my go-to weapon of choice.

Smart mechanics such as the pinging system only help strengthen all of this, making teamwork with random players or those without a microphone completely viable. Whether you’re spotting enemies or simply trying to navigate, your squad will be immediately aware of what you’re pointing out. I suspect the pinging system will become the new standard in any future battle royale games — it’s too smart of an idea to not incorporate in nearly anything with squad-based multiplayer.

Ultimately, I’m excited to see Respawn’s plans for the future. Although Apex Legends is fairly light on content at the moment, after having played it for over a week now, it’s become my new favorite battle royale game. Matches are quick enough that I never feel burned by a sudden loss and jumping back in with a different legend makes it more addictive than any battle royale I’ve played so far.

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