While the battle royale genre is associated with PUBG and Fortnite, FIFA and Battlefield developer EA wants to make dent in the area with Apex Legends. Established by Respawn Entertainment whose previous credits consist of the exceptional Titanfall series, Apex Legends is set in the same universe. It features an assortment of characters, an emphasis on teamwork, and a sci-fi setting that, while familiar to fans of Titanfall, is more cartoonish than its source material. Apex Legends’ release is not a surprise when you think about the tremendous success of fight royale video games like PUBG, Fortnite, and even Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode. How does Apex Legends fare? We inform you.

Pinnacle Legends is set 30 years after the occasions of Titanfall 2 and has warriors– or legends, as the game calls them– partaking in a futuristic take on fight royale. You’ll skydive onto a sprawling map and scavenge for guns and gear all while trying to stay alive, fending off other gamers. The video game map shrinks every couple of minutes, requiring you to transfer to a brand-new location, and damaging you till you do. Stopping working to enter a new safe zone leads to death.

While the fundamental gameplay loop is not too different to Fortnite and PUBG, where Apex Legends varies is with its characters. There are eight different ones to choose from each with their own unique abilities. These include Mirage, who can utilize decoys to distract opponents and Pathfinder, who can establish ziplines to cover huge distances. Their abilities aren’t exactly meant to turn the tide of fight like they are in hero shooters like Overwatch. Rather, they augment your shooting expertise to make kills a bit easier. Respawn does little to keep you invested in them as they’re not exactly brimming with character. None of them truly stick out and you’ll wind up making your option to complement your squad rather than any individual preferences.

Speaking of team effort, Apex Legends varies from other fight royale video games due to the lack of a solo mode. Rather, you’ll be paired with 2 other players to make a group of three and matches have 20 groups for an overall of 60 players. This makes coordination necessary. To this end, Respawn has actually implemented what’s described as a Ping System. Merely tapping the right bumper on your controller lets you call out items in the environment such as armour and weapons or even opponents all without needing to resort to using a mic. It’s a welcome addition that makes survival easier and we will not be surprised to see other games copy it in the months to come.

As for the minute to moment gameplay, Apex Legends feels sluggish for a game established by Respawn; Titanfall and Titanfall 2 felt blisteringly quickly in contrast. Plus, it lacks some niceties Titanfall fans have concerned anticipate like double leaping and wall running. Perhaps the greatest omission, in spite of being set in the Titanfall universe, is the lack of titans– giant robotics you could summon onto the battleground.

Granted the developer has actually discussed why titans aren’t in Apex Legends, mentioning that they would destroy the video game’s balance, however these omissions make Apex Legends’ gameplay feel generic with little to separate from other titles.

That said, using Apex Legends’ limited variety of weapons is pleasing. Shotguns feel punchy while holdovers from Titanfall and Titanfall 2 like the Hemlock Assault Rifle are a treat to use also. Though the most significant improvement over other battle royale games is how Apex Legends is hellbent on keeping you in-game rather than dealing with the tedium of handling what you discover on the map. You can equip gear without needing to search through your stock and have fast access to recovery items. You never feel over encumbered or slowed down by menus especially towards the middle or end of a match when you’ve stockpiled a lots of items, allowing you to focus on winning rather.

Where Apex Legends fails though is its map. Although it has variety with markets, airbases, and ghost towns, each location feels uncreative, like they’ve been removed from Titanfall wholesale and pieced together on one huge battle royale map. It does not have the variety we’ve seen in Fortnite or Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout, and is simply the one map versus PUBG’s 4.

And like Fortnite, Apex Legends is totally free to play and lets gamers purchase a slew of cosmetic products through loot boxes or a yet to be released fight pass. You can buy 2 of the video game’s characters or open them as you keep playing. It’s surprisingly reasonable when you think about how badly executed monetisation remained in another EA title, Star Wars Battlefront 2.

All in all, Apex Legends has some fascinating developments like the Ping System while its weapons are enjoyable to utilize. However, its lacklustre characters and dull traversal avoid it from being a should play title in the genre.

Pros

• Ping System works well
• Streamlined stock management
• Great gunplay

Cons

• Map does not have variety
• Characters are lacklustre
• Does not take advantage of the Titanfall universe

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