Apex Legends is considered one of the best takes on the battle royale genre. With more returning users than the widely popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (h/t Gamstat), Respawn’s 2019 battle royale nears the end of its fifth season with innovative gameplay and diverse legends. So if you’ve hesitated to get in the action, here are some reasons why you should give it another look.
This battle royale isn’t going anywhere
Apex Legends developers have confirmed their team is hard at work on future seasons. As design director Jason McCord stated on Twitter back in April 2020: “We are literally testing content for Season 5, 6, 7 and 8 regularly. We have LOTS coming, and aren’t going anywhere.”
Currently nearing Season Five’s end, fans are anxiously awaiting Season Six news. The addition of quests and bunkers have some looking for clues of upcoming content hidden within the game.
Quests are the newest addition to Season 5. These PvE events are released each week and deliver new loot and artifact pieces upon completion. Players are taken through a text-based story that uncovers secrets regarding a mysterious artifact Loba (S5’s new legend) is trying to build. Quests are a unique addition to a combat-based game, setting it apart from top competitors like Fortnite.
Innovative gameplay
One of the most original aspects of Apex Legends is its non-verbal communication system. The ping system allows players to highlight specific loot, suggest destinations, and relay valuable information such as open doors or spotted enemies. By selecting the more detailed pie wheel, players can ask for specific items like healing, ammo, or shields. While some complain this communication style has made voice chat useless, many mic-shy players find it a welcome addition to a team-based game.
In the same vein, contextual dialogue makes communication even more accessible. If a team member is under attack, the legend automatically states that they are under fire. Legends will also announce when an enemy squad is defeated. This insight saves mental energy and allows players without mics to communicate effectively and with limited toxicity.
Encourages mobility, not camping
Although not the first battle royale game to use the pressure of an enclosing storm to keep squads moving, Apex Legends encourages movement via looting. Teams are motivated to seek out unsearched areas, vaults, and bunkers. Randomized care packages continuously spawn, prompting squads to venture from safety for the prospect of high tier loot. “Hot Drops” are also selected at the beginning of each match, luring a large number of teams to the location. These strategies result in games that are action-packed with minimal camping.
Legends, not loadouts
Perhaps evident by its name, Apex Legends’ focus is on the legends as opposed to fussing over customized weapon loadouts. Because of each legends’ unique abilities, discovering new combinations of characters on a team keeps gameplay fresh and competitive. Unlike other battle royale titles with characters that are the same, Apex further distinguishes itself by utilizing legend “classes” such as offense, support, defense, and healing.
Conclusion
Apex Legends is a fierce competitor in the battle royale space. Developers are conscious of player suggestions and consistently put out new legends, map updates, and lore. The Battle Pass (which requires a purchase) rewards returning players with unique cosmetic features and game currency.
Overall, Apex is a detailed, exciting game for fans of first-person shooters. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? No wonder over 70 million players tried it as of September 2019.
