I started with Apex Legends shortly after it was released, and now I can hardly stop playing. This is mainly because I really go into each round feeling relaxed. Why is that?
Shooters are nerve-wracking and raise adrenaline levels. Accordingly, some ambitious gamers (like I am) can quickly become frustrated and ‘salty’ after a few defeats.
However, this never happened with Apex Legends. Something makes this battle royale shooter different from its genre counterparts. By now, I have invested well over 30 hours in Apex Legends, even though the game was only released on February 4.
What makes Apex Legends better than other BR games?
Apex Legends differs from other battle royales through some features. These are the reasons why I enjoy it so much, even though I actually don’t like battle royales.
I feel like I have more influence
The most important difference from most other BR shooters is that there are heroes to be controlled in Apex Legends. I don’t play “a soldier” or some captive, but a legend with unique abilities.
Especially the different skills contribute significantly to the game feeling. They stand out despite the same available weapons and cater to special playstyles or tactics that other BR shooters do not allow.
With the composition in a three-person team, new strategies also come into play. A nice change that I miss in some other games like PUBG or Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, although the latter even offers different characters in the blackout mode. There, everything always feels somehow the same – and dull.
Even though the skills make up only a small part of the actual gameplay, they contribute to making players feel special. Especially in tense situations, they can be the deciding factor.
When I win such a fight, I perceive it as a victory through my class and skill. On the other hand, if I lose, it could be because I underestimated an opponent’s skill. However, it was rarely ‘just luck’ and thus significantly less frustrating.
Better communication, even without voice
Another great feature is the ‘pings’ and especially the situational signals that players can give. If I see an item, I can highlight it for others, and if someone needs it, they can mark it for themselves with a ping as a response.
The various types of markings also help a team communicate better. It is possible to give various signals, such as:
- guard this area
- There was an enemy
- Enemy contact
- I’m going here
The signals are also supported by voice output from the characters themselves. This allows a team to communicate quickly and easily, even without using voice chat. In the heat of battle, it can happen that one makes mistakes or stumbles over words.
This cannot happen with the pings. They are always accurate. I have even experienced playing in a fixed team and still more communication occurred through the pings, as they are simply more precise.
Fewer players per map but more teamwork
Another significant advantage of Apex Legends is that fewer players play on a huge map. With only 20 squads of three people each, I usually have more time to equip myself.
The battles become more tactical because I often encounter better-equipped people, and it feels generally better to fight with good equipment. In the fight itself, it often happens that I can truly rely on my teammates.
In Apex Legends, there is no way to play alone or only with two players, even if that might be possible soon. Three players are always grouped together, and so far, I have only had a few games that really annoyed me.
Much more often, it happened that we work together towards victory. Playing against each other brings no advantages, and you often benefit from the skills of others as well. It simply feels like more teamwork.
There are also some disadvantages
Apex Legends is indeed very good, but that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect game. The abilities of one or the other legend could certainly be a bit weaker. At least they shouldn’t be exploitable, like Caustic’s gas traps.
However, significantly larger problems arise from some bugs that still haunt the game.
- Some errors prevent playing in a party and require a relog.
- Other bugs can simply kick players out of the game. (Apex Legends shuts down, or the error “Party leader has left the game” occurs)
- In rare cases, some weapons may simply become unusable.
All in all, the errors occur more individually and are more of a minor annoyance. What will be changed in the upcoming patches and with the upcoming seasons remains to be seen.
What do you think of Apex Legends?
Our author Jürgen shares my view. Even though he is a huge Fortnite fan, he enjoys Apex Legends even more:
