Apex Legends

GENRE: Battle royale

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Duos or Trios

RATING: Age rating of 16

PRICE: Free

AVAILABLE ON:

• PlayStation 4 and 5

• Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S

• Nintendo Switch

• PC via Origin and Steam

SUMMARY:

Apex Legends is largely regarded as one of the best battle royale games, building off of the games that came before it to create a more accessible and enjoyable experience. In the original game mode, teams of three drop onto a map where they face 20 different squads and fight to remain the last team standing. There’s also a Duos mode where teams of two compete against 30 other squads and a mode called Ranked Leagues which follows the rules of Trios but with the addition of rank based matchmaking to even out the skill level more across arenas. Recently, a new game mode called Arenas was also added which is a 3v3 round-based game mode where you can pick your loadouts beforehand.

Each game starts with your squad dropping onto one of five different maps. Scattered across each map is various loot that will help you fight other teams and remain the last players standing. As the battle progresses, a ring around the map continually closes in, making the area of play smaller and forcing collisions between teams. Before dropping, you can select one of 17 different characters called legends, each with unique abilities to aid you and your team. While the graphics aren’t particularly striking or unique, the highly personalized characters help the game stand out. Each legend has a passive, tactical, and ultimate ability which charges overtime. While these abilities can be useful, they aren’t as important as abilities in other games such as Overwatch, meaning that Apex still relies heavily on your own skill. Every legend also has their own lore stemming from the Titanfall series which we encourage you to check out more if you're interested in the backstory as well as the gameplay.

Apex offers a wide variety of guns that can be found across the map including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and snipers so every player will find one that works best for them. Players can also pick up different gun attachments which will improve your weapons. Armor is another important loot item, and there are four different tiers of Evo Shields. White provides the lowest level of protection, followed by blue, purple, and finally red. What makes Apex’s armor system unique is that while you can find the first three tiers throughout the match, you then have to level up your shields by doing damage.

In order to help communicate with teammates, Apex provides both text and voice chat. However, perhaps the most important method of communication is the intricate ping system. This allows you to communicate important information like nearby teams, useful items, or where your team should go next all with one button. This easy and effective way of communicating in game also makes Apex easier for those who might be hesitant to talk to their teammates.

The game can be a bit frustrating at times when you spend the whole first part of the game looting only to get wiped out by the first team you encounter in a matter of seconds. There is definitely a steep learning curve for new players, however Apex Legends is one of the best battle royals and continues to get even better.