I have played quite a few battle royale games and Apex Legends is by far the best one on launch. Through strategic marketing and fantastic gameplay, Apex Legends broke the one million player mark within eight hours of release, breaking multiple records. The game feels a lot like Titanfall, and many of the weapons are taken from it. Apex Legends deserves all the attention it is getting.

Although it is similar to other battle royale games, Apex Legends is unique. Currently there aren’t many class-based battle royale games on the market, as creating class-based games can be tricky. Class-based use characters or classes with set and unchangeable equipment. Often times one class can become too powerful, creating an unbalanced playing experience for players. Respawn Entertainment, the company behind Apex, was careful in making sure that each class suited different playstyles and were balanced. Every class has its own strengths and weaknesses. These strengths can be the deciding factor in team fights. Some would call this an issue, however, I think the opposite. Giving worse players opportunities to win fights against better players is key to providing balance and keeping all skill level players involved.

Another thing Apex Legends does right is keeping weapons balanced and even. Apex has done a great job creating a sense of balance in the game. Although some weapons perform better than others in different situations, the overall sense of balance is very defined. Unlike most battle royale games, Apex Legends doesn’t use a rarity system for weapons. All weapons are the same rarity, common, except two. Those two weapons, the Kraber and Mastiff are very good, but they can only be found in supply drops. This means the number of legendary weapons on the playing field at one time is limited, and not decided by a random number generator.

Currently, most people congregate to the Peacekeeper, the R-301 or the R-99, because of their damage output. These weapons are common just like the other weapons, but their DPS (damage per second) is much higher than the other weapons. The R-301 and R-99 are fully automatic, meaning they output a lot of damage rapidly before reloading. If enough shots hit, these are some of the only guns that can eliminate players using only one magazine. The other fan-favorite weapon is the Peacekeeper. This weapon is a high damage shotgun that can shoot several times quickly given it has an epic shotgun bolt attached.

The rarity system Respawn Entertainment put in place only applies to attachments and armor. Some would claim this system makes the game less balanced, however, I think the opposite. You can’t make a balanced game without some luck involved. A good game caters to both ends of the skill spectrum. The luck involved allows worse players to be effective and have fun, and the balanced weapons allow better players to outplay their enemies. The body armor and helmets come in three varieties: common, rare and epic. As you might think, the higher rarities provide more protection. The other item subject to the rarity system are attachments. Each attachment provides a different increase to your weapon’s stats. For example, the barrel stabilizer attachment decreases recoil. Overall, the system in place for weapons is very well done and shows Respawn Entertainment knows what they are doing.

Overall, Apex Legends is a phenomenal game. Although it isn’t perfect, Apex is at the beginning of its life cycle and has lots of time to improve. Even though this game is so new, it’s one of the best games early on that I’ve ever seen. Apex Legends gets a ten out of ten and a glowing recommendation from me.

Image Citation:

Electronic Arts. “Apex Legends – The Next Evolution of Battle Royale – Free on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.” Electronic Arts Home Page – Official EA Site, Electronic Arts, 15 Mar. 2019, www.ea.com/games/apex-legends.