Apex Legends

I don’t have a lot of love for Battle Royale games. While I respectfully believe that we should all give some love to PUBG for really starting/marketing the genre, as the entire concept of Battle Royale seemed like a one-trick pony beyond what PUBG could deliver, I just have never been able to get into them. I’ve tried about every popular version of them with the same result — boredom.

Here are a few of my experiences:

Fortnite — Sure Epic Games made it more marketable by offering up their version of the genre for free and making it less clunky than PUBG. It certainly propelled the genre into the public view, pushed it onto consoles, even the Nintendo Switch, and made it a ‘fun thing’ that PC owners could no longer monopolize. Epic even found a way to make their game balanced, while making loads of money on loot crates. The Fortnite experiences seem to have worked out for Epic, though honestly, it didn’t take long for me to become bored with their concept. The cartoon-y aspect of the game mixed with the constant cross-promotions of every living thing made it bigger than it deserved. It seemed bland at best, to me, but it worked for most.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 — Activision and Treyarch tried to market it, package it up with other bells/whistles, and push it mainstream to the public with a $59.99 price tag attached. It worked, but the longevity of this release in the series is the question, and so far it looks like it’s trailing off badly. The introduction to loot crates and the lack of reason for the price tag has certainly not brought the series into a new way of doing things. For me, Blackout was not as fun Fortnite. I like how Treyarch put all its best maps in one giant big one, but for the most part it seek/destroy on an uninspiring map. The game was far from balanced too, which made the experience even worse for me. It was a helluva concept from a game developer and publisher that knows how to make games, but the asking price for a game ‘in the works’ was something that threw me for a loop.

So this is the genre for the last few years with me, outside of a few stragglers in the PC realm. This is my experience, and it was never good, so I must ask — Where does the Battle Royale genre go from here? Could it ever win me over?

Sadly, yes.

I dream of a world where gamers experience some of the best gameplay design that has existed in the last 10 years with Titanfall 2. That was a game that Respawn Entertainment didn’t get enough love for, and a game that found its design sprinkled into its latest venture with their Battle Royale ‘hat in the ring’ game Apex Legends. That’s why we are here today, dear reader. Those folks at Respawn Entertainment know what a good first-person shooter should be, and it shows in this effort.

The gameplay design in Apex Legends has a lot of layers to it. Each one pairs perfectly with the other, which makes for an enjoyable overall experience. It’s not unusual for a Battle Royale game to have layers to it, but it is unusual to find that sweet spot of balance that most miss the boat on. Speaking of balanced layers, let’s start this review out with controls and movement.

One of the finest points of Apex Legends is how you can control and move your character through the levels, as well as how you can quickly access equipment. The movement of the game is truly specular as it is simplified. You run fast without weapons, you run well with them, you can move quickly across multi-tiered landscapes, you can climb up almost any wall (depending on height), and you can slide down large mountains quickly — almost all of it with the push of a button. This is essentially an extension of the Titanfall 2 gameplay movement, which is absolutely fine by me, where everything feels thoughtless (in a good way) in motion. You want that in a Battle Royale game, as you want your eyes doing the majority of the work instead of your head requesting what buttons you should be pushing. Reacting to gunfire, finding cover quickly, and moving through large landscapes without giving a moment’s thought to what you should pushing on the controller is what you want out of your Battle Royale game. It makes the game quick, intense, and, most importantly, it extends the longevity of the experience — and you want that in every aspect of your BR rounds. George Miller would be proud of Respawn for keeping the player’s attention on the action. It makes you feel like you’re in complete control of the experience, and if you die, then that is on you and you need to get better. This was my first initial reaction to Apex Legends, and it never really let up, which I was grateful for because prior to this game, if you didn’t get the memo at the beginning of this review, I hated Battle Royale games.

The design gets deeper, though, folks.

The level design is yet another extension from Titanfall 2. If you had the pleasure of diving into Titanfall 2, then you get what I’m saying. The levels make sense, they are fun, they have choke points, but they’re big enough to allow for non-linear gameplay. All of this combined means you have well thought out level design. Apex Legends follows suit. The levels are huge, meaning you have plenty of places to go when you initially start the game. There is mountainous terrain everywhere in the game, which leads to either mechanical military complexes, with nooks and crannies to duck into, or you’re on/in peaks/valleys that contain villages and homes to find equipment. Regardless, the levels have a multi-tier range around them, which can give you a vantage point or make you available for a bullet to the skull. You’ll find abandoned equipment around you, which can be used as cover, as well as escape routes that turn into choke points. There are just so many beautiful things that make up the landscape that it’s really hard to find something to complain about in Apex Legends.

In short, it feels like there was a lot of thought put into the design. Each design brings its own pros/cons, depending on what type of gamer you are in a Battle Royale game. If you’re more cautious, you’re going to find plenty of places to hide. If you’re aggressive, then you’re going to find some great places to find those hiding out in, but also discover how incredibly vulnerable you are in the game. The design is essentially made for all types of gamers, so you’re not going to lose if you swing one way or another. That’s the non-linear aspect of the design and something that is almost perfected with Apex Legends.

The only knock I can see with the game is that finding people, regardless of style, can be a bit of a chore. I’m fine with a quiet, empty world of a BR. I’m okay not being forced into gunfire unless it is by a ring (I wish someone would change this up a bit, but whatever). It is difficult to find people in this game, at least at the get-go. That knock isn’t as big as it sounds, but it’s a knock. The lack of people immediately does cast an uneasy feeling on the environment. It does make you want to cover all exits and entrances, but the games I played rarely brought anyone into battle with my squad for the first 5-6 minutes. The ring did that, which is what it should do, more often than not. It is a minor complaint from a foolish Battle Royale reviewer, but it is my complaint. I certainly don’t want Apex Legends ever to go the Blackout or PUBG route, where the gunfire is a plenty, but a bit more action quickly would be nice. I’m not sure many would agree with that sentiment, but just a notch up to 7 on the knob would make things a bit more entertaining.

That said, I’m just a reviewer trying to find a weak spot right now. This game is near perfect, but it’s not perfect. It can’t be. It’s a Battle Royale game!!!! Right? Hmm. Maybe. Let’s move on.

Outside of the map, the movement, and the style of gameplay, what about under the hood? To say that Apex Legends is balanced would be an understatement. The folks at Respawn Entertainment know their shit. Again, I have to reference Titanfall 2 as proof. They know how to tighten up and balance a game, online/offline, so it’s not really surprising that they hit the nail on the head with this one. Their resume prior to Titanfall 2 speaks for itself, but Titanfall 2 was about as balanced as you get with a major release.

The character variety and balance in the game are insane. Each character functions (button-wise) the same way as the next, but each also brings a variety of gameplay unique to the table. You have the Wraith, Pathfinder, Lifeline, Gibraltar, Mirage, Caustic, Bloodhound, and Bangalore at your disposal. For the majority of this review, I played Bloodhound, which looks like something that should be in Borderlands. This character basically seeks out enemies with his power. The L1 button, when Bloodhounds feature is charged, lets out a pulse that seeks out enemies and shows them to your squad. The combination of L1/R1 lets out a super, which slows down time, pinpoints enemies in red while turning the environment to gray. It’s a great super that works well at the end of a match that might be closer than most people want. Anyway, each character brings their own super and power to the table. Each one compliments the other so that one character isn’t more powerful than the next — they are just different. It’s a great balance of powers, and it is implemented beautifully by only allowing each gamer in a squad to pick one choice from the character list. What this means is that two people can’t choose Bloodhound in the same squad. If one chooses Bloodhound, then the other gamer has to choose another class. It disallows a squad of Bloodhounds or Wraiths or whatever. It keeps things even and gives all squads the same chance. This is something that is so simple that it’s crazy to think how well it works. It’s also something that Bungie should take note of for Destiny 3. It also makes squad versus squad a little bit more even to handle, which makes for a fun experience in a Battle Royale game.

On the loot crate side of things, those are not a factor quite yet. While I’m not for certain those won’t be a factor in the near future, I am certain they make no difference other than to add style to your characters. This is a smart route to go, and credit should be given to Epic Games for coming up with the concept of style and not substance. That’s not to say that you won’t want to purchase that rainbow skin you always wanted to for that robot Pathfinder, but it does say that by doing so it won’t make a lick of difference in terms of gameplay success. Rock on Respawn Entertainment for that decision, as they could have made a lot of money off their game right out of the gates, but also would have driven it into the ground quickly. Gamers no longer put up with that shitty gameplay design. The gamble will ultimately pay off for Respawn in the long run.

The guns, gear, and gimmicks are damn good during gameplay. As you land, you pick up gear, something that isn’t lost on the Battle Royale genre. Parts are color-coded in the familiar style of power — white is the weakest, blue is the next, purple is after that, and gold is where you want to be. You will find containers lying everywhere in the game, gear lying inside of complexes, and airdrops available to players — regardless if you called them or not (you can take someone else’s efforts). The gear comes in the form of shields (which are rechargeable), guns, handhelds (dangerous or otherwise), and gun parts. You can also pick up medkits and different assistant devices to help you survive longer. There’s a lot here and all of it does not equal out to success, rather the success of the game with gear is based on your strategy. If you want to be that sniper that waits for the kill, you have that gun option, but you better be good. If you enjoy up close and personal experiences, then shotguns are there for you, but you better aim and protect yourself. If you just want your fists to do the talking…well, you’re going to die horribly, but that’s your choice and really bad strategy. It’s a dumbass choice, but it’s a choice nonetheless. All of the gear is balanced and your success with it is based on your plan of attack.

This made the game that much better in my opinion.

Let’s recap here:

– Beautiful gameplay design.
– Gorgeous level design.
– Balanced characters.
– Balanced gameplay with those characters.
– Everyone works the same way on the controller but is different in function.
– Character choices are one-offs with your squad, so only one player can be one type of character.
– Gear is balanced, its success is determined by your strategy.

Apex Legends is one of the more entertaining, beautifully balanced, and gorgeous games in the Battle Royale genre. The fact that it is free is delightful, and a good move by Respawn Entertainment. I hope they continue this trend with future updates. I may yet stay in this genre for a while because of this game.