First, and foremost, I think it is important to note that I had never really gotten into Apex Legends before being given the opportunity to check out the Season 9 update. That being said, I was pretty much learning to play as I went. However, I was able to pick it up quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed what I experienced coming to Legacy.

Now that I have been able to play some more Apex Legends, it has to be one of the most interesting and most enjoyable battle royales that I have played. Though I had not been real fond of the genre before, Season 9 has me wanting to hop right back in. Legacy will be bringing us plenty of awesome new content. These include a new Legend, weapon, and game mode.

Check out the new goodies here:

A New Legend Has Landed

Valkyrie takes to the skies with the release of Legacy. Daughter of the pilot Viper, a well-known character in Titanfall 2, Valkyrie used parts from her father’s old Titan to create her signature jetpack. Being able to travel long distances in a short amount of time, Valkyrie is changing up the game. Now it is important to keep an eye on both land and sky.

I had the opportunity to play as Valkyrie in a preview last week. She quickly became one of my favorite Legends. The ability to make a quick exit and flank the enemy from the sky absolutely fits my playstyle. However, jetpacks are not the quietest form of transport. A stealthy approach is not always possible with the jet engine strapped to Valkyrie’s back.

While you are in the sky, trying to get the drop on the enemy, there is also a slight delay between releasing your jetpack thrust and drawing your weapon. As annoying as this can be while playing Valkyrie, especially when wanting to get the drop on your opponent, it does offer a nice balance to the character. But her abilities help make up for this.

Valkyrie’s tactical ability allows you to barrage your adversary with missiles disorienting them. This can also be used while you are in the air. When used correctly, this can provide perfect cover for a tactical retreat or covering fire to get in close to finish the job.

Valkyrie’s ultimate ability allows you and your squad to take to the skies. This gives you the chance to get out of a sticky situation or reposition your squad on the map. There is some decent thrust behind the jetpack, and you will be able to cover a good bit of ground with your crew.

Enter the Arena

Legacy is bringing another wonderful addition to Apex Legends: arenas. Arenas is a 3v3 mode where you face off against another squad on a smaller map. These matches are quite snappy as there are no respawns. And if your crews stick together, it makes for an incredibly intense fire-fight where there is only one victor.

When entering this mode, you are greeted with a loadout screen. You have to use materials to purchase weapons, healing items, abilities, etc. Your funds are limited, and better weapons will naturally cost more. However, your performance in each match provides you with more materials so you can buy more equipment. Materials are also found in drops scattered about the map.

Arenas brings two new maps that are exclusive to this mode: Party Crasher and Phase Runner. Party Crasher is a map where Mirage’s ship has crashed. This caused some damage making for some interesting terrain with plenty of places to hide. Phase Runner, on the other hand, is a little more open. However, it has gates on the edge of the map that allow for quick travel toward your foes.

Every match of Arenas that I played was an absolute blast. The rounds were quick, and the fights were fierce. And even though I am, by no means, a good Apex player, there was great fun to be had.

Other Updates

Season 9 of Apex Legends also brings about some more fun updates, namely the Bocek as well as an update to the Olympus map. Both of these bring some new spice to the game.

The Bocek (pronounced bo-check), is a new powerful bow. Though it can be difficult to learn to use, the power behind a well-placed shot more than makes up for it. And this isn’t any typical bow. There are two hop-up slots. The Deadeye’s Tempo hop-up allows you to fire at a faster rate. The Shatter Caps hop-up turns your arrow into a dangerous, shotgun-like scattershot.

Another perk to the Bocek is that the arrows are retrievable. If you miss your target, you can go out and get your arrow back. However, if you stick it into another player, you will have to make sure that you finish the job. Only then will you be able to retrieve that precious ammo.

The other major update comes to Olympus. Some mysterious ships have made their way to the planet. One of which is The Icarus. This ship has brought with it some dangerous flora that has grown out of control. Surrounding the ship are some corpses of scientists. Some of these bodies will have key cards on them. These will grant you access to The Icarus, where some top-tier loot is said to be kept.

The new updates coming in Legacy are phenomenal. The opportunity to play it early was wonderful and makes me want to get back into the game some more. I think there is going to be a lot of new content that will bring in new players. Especially with the addition of Arenas. I’m excited to see what everyone else thinks when the Legacy update drops on May 4.