Thursday Game Review: Apex Legends

Image Credit: Prototypr

Welcome to the first ever game review at Fly Like The Time! This is somewhat different from the usual fare here, but with so many college students being gamers, it makes sense that video games play some role in time management for a large part of our target demographic. These reviews will be posted every Thursday. If you are looking for more information pertaining specifically to time management, be sure to check out Craig Jarrow's blog, Time Management Ninja.

My family introduced me to video games at the age of three, and I was immediately fascinated by them. They remained a part of my life all the way through school and into my adult life, and I made it a point to make my gaming library as expansive and diverse as possible. However, balancing my playtime with my obligations was never an easy task, and got even harder as I got older. Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that if I wanted to keep pursuing my admittedly time-consuming hobby, I would have to be more selective about which games deserved my time.

Given that this is one of my personal hobbies that I have struggled to balance in the past, and that it is a hobby that many of my readers share, I believe that a weekly game review to help you decide what you should be playing is entirely appropriate. Without further ado, this week’s game is Apex Legends: the latest and greatest new free-to-play title from Respawn Entertainment.

Set in the universe of Respawn Entertainment’s flagship series, Titanfall, Apex Legends belongs to a genre of games known as battle royale. Battle royale games are characterized by their overarching goal: to land on a map with a large number of other players and be the last person (or squad) left alive. This is accomplished by gathering equipment to defend oneself against other players, all while staying within a play area that gets smaller as the each match progresses.

Given that battle royale titles have become quite popular over the past couple of years with the releases of games like PUBG, Fortnite, and Call of Duty: Blackout, games like Apex Legends are not so hard to come by. However, Apex Legends introduces some more mechanics to the battle royale formula that make for an intriguing, fun, and unique experience.

Gameplay Analysis

Image Credit: NDTV Gadgets

As far as a general gameplay loop goes, Apex Legends does not deviate from the traditional battle royale formula. Players drop into a map in squads of three, collect weapons and supplies, and defend themselves from other squads in an attempt to be the last squad standing. While the key battle royale components are present and aid in forming a cohesive and familiar gameplay loop, it is what Apex Legends adds to this loop that makes it so special.

The most obvious and impactful of these additions is the inclusion of character classes. At the start of every match, each player chooses from a roster of a characters called legends (all eight of which are pictured above) that have unique abilities that enable them to play different roles in a squad. For example, I mostly play as a legend called Bloodhound, who can track enemy squads, see through walls and other obstructions, and move at super-fast speeds. This makes them ideal for scouting ahead and getting the drop on enemies.

Finding legends whose abilities synergize well together is a joy and adds a welcome layer of complexity to the game. My regular squad has found that using Bloodhound alongside legends Bangalore and Lifeline is an effective strategy. Bangalore can blanket the battlefield in a thick smoke, Bloodhound can use their abilities to see through the smoke, and Lifeline (as her name would imply) keeps the team alive and stocked up on supplies.

Another interesting and unique addition to Apex Legends is its ping system. In order to call out anything on the map; whether it be a location, weapon, item, enemy, or what have you; one simply needs to press a single button to mark it with a “ping”. This can also be used to ping empty slots in your inventory to let your squad know what you are looking for. This makes effectively communicating without mics a breeze, which I can honestly say is not something that I have ever experienced in any other game.

For the time being, the game is only playable in squads of three. However, this is almost guaranteed to change over time as the game receives updates. We are likely to see squads of four or more people, as well as duos. Many players also hope to see a solo mode added in a future update, but I would not be surprised if this never happens. With the in-depth ping system and class synergies, it is clear that Apex Legends was intended for squad play.

Is it worth your time?

Apex Legends is perfect for people like me, who do not have as much time as they would like to play video games. Being a battle royale, Apex is played in matches, which usually only last for about 10-20 minutes, depending on how long a squad survives. This makes it ideal for playing during homework breaks, or before bed after a long day of school or work.

It is worth mentioning, however, that one should not go into Apex Legends expecting wins to come easily. For those unfamiliar with battle royale games, being the last squad alive out of such a large group is no easy feat. This makes wins few and far between. Sometimes skill is the reason for winning or losing, while other times it comes down luck (finding the right weapons, being at the right place at the right time, etc.). Either way, one needs to understand that truly enjoying a battle royale requires some patience and understanding.

With that being said, nobody should be afraid to take a look at Apex Legends. After all, the game is free, with microtransactions being limited to optional cosmetics, so there is no financial investment necessary. The only thing to invest here is time. Just how much is at one’s own discretion, but with matches being relatively short and the game itself being free and showing loads of potential for the future, Apex Legends is absolutely worth your time.