Apex Legends Mobile Review: A Legendary Adaptation
Player-versus-player multiplayer games are kind of my thing. When it comes to popular multiplayer games, I'm known to indulge for hours without breaks, hoping to win just one more match...or maybe a few more. I can't get enough of the brutal competitiveness multiplayer games bring in my life. Whether it's first-person shooters like Call of Duty Mobile or battle arenas like League of Legends: Wild Rift, I've spent most of my life climbing ranked ladders, collecting overpriced cosmetics, and kicking some ass time after time. And you may ask, why does the genre keep me glued to my screen throughout my weekends? Because winning is a fantastic feeling. If you feel the same way as me, you'll probably also love Apex Legends Mobile, the new on-the-go counterpart to EA and Respawn Entertainment’s smash hit PC/console battle royale game.
Apex Legends Mobile is a free-to-play multiplayer battle royale hero shooter. It carries over many of the features from the PC and console version, but it also brings some additions of its own, such as a new perk and enhancement system for abilities and stats, an entirely fresh battle pass, and a new legend exclusive to the mobile version.
Image Credited to Apex Legends Mobile | Respawn Entertainment | EA
If you’ve played or even just watched or read about Apex Legends before, the Mobile version should feel more or less like what you’re expecting. Luckily for beginners venturing into Apex Legends for the first time, you don't need to worry about storylines or relationships between characters. I mean, you can watch the plentiful cinematics that Respawn Entertainment has produced for its game, but Apex Legends doesn't rely much on narrative or dialogue. This is not a story-driven experience. The only thing you need to know is that you're playing as a Legend—best-of-the-best across the galaxy fighter chosen by the arena hosts to battle others and become the Apex Legend.
The first thing you’ll do upon jumping into a match of Apex Legends Mobile is to choose from a pool of unlocked characters and assemble a squad of three. Unfortunately, you won't have every character available from the get-go, and you'll need to unlock different characters by leveling your account, collecting tokens, or purchasing them if you're impatient. That option to skip the line and just buy a legend will be especially tempting for the newest addition to the Apex Legends roster, Fade, a mobile-exclusive legend who uses space-warping abilities.
Once in a match, you'll need to drop down across the map called World's Edge. There are all kinds of fun places for you to discover across the map and many unique spots to touch down. I personally like Capitol City because it's a cool place and has so many climbable buildings.
Image Credited to Apex Legends Mobile | Respawn Entertainment | EA
After dropping in, you'll need to scurry around the map to find weapons, medkits, attachments, ammunition, and so on. You can create your own unique gameplay experience for each match by choosing across the various weapons acquired in-game to fill up your arsenal. I honestly can't get enough of the R301 Carbine and some classic 30-30 Repeater action; they both feel so smooth to use. But how you play is totally up to you. I'd still personally advise balancing your arsenal with one weapon for close-quarter flurries and another for long-distance exchanges.
You’ll also want to track down EVO shields and helmets, which protect you in so many ways and, over time, evolve based on the damage dealt against others. The last thing you really need to worry about in-game is the ring, which does damage. The ring is essentially a circle that closes into the map and is an area Legends need to stay inside to survive. The ring shrinks after time, with timed intervals stopping the ring, then shrinking it again to a smaller circle. You need to stay inside the ring to survive as it increases its subsequent damage—and if you're in a terrible spot when it closes or you’re outside the circle, you might die and lose the game.
Image Credited to Apex Legends Mobile | Respawn Entertainment | EA
Another excitingly new addition Apex Legends Mobile features is a new mechanic called perks to amp up your gameplay before matches. It's a great way to grind some pretty advantageous stats or effects for your favorite character before jumping off into World's Edge. There are three different tiers to upgrade that affect your character: perks, finishers, and ability. This perk system essentially buffs up either your chosen character’s stat, adds an additional effect to their skill, or enhances an abilities performance.
There are tons of new perks to upgrade and grind towards unlocking. To upgrade a character’s perk, you need tokens that are acquired by leveling the character through casual gameplay. Over time, these perks will cost more and more tokens, meaning you need to spend them wisely. Additionally, tokens from one Legend can’t be used on another and aren’t purchasable. I've found this new mechanic to be pretty game-changing. It does mean, however, that newer players down the line will have to farm their perks before ever reaching high ranks, which is a little annoying. For now, the impact the perk system has on the game’s balance is uncertain, but it helps lend Apex Legends Mobile its own identity despite being a port of a game that’s been around for years now.
Image Credited to Apex Legends Mobile | Respawn Entertainment | EA
The only real reason Apex Legends Mobile worries me is its new perk system. For now, it's great to dive into something new…something unseen and game-changing, especially since everyone's playing from a base level. But how will it affect players' experience in the future? It's difficult to say now, but from what it provides players, beginners will inevitably have to deal with unfair gameplay later on painstakingly. If your opponents all have different perks at particular levels, how will you win with those odds as a newer player? Even if you've played moderately, climbing ranked ladders would mean that the account with all their perks unlocked would have a higher chance of winning consistently.
With the game’s launch comes Apex Legends Mobile Season 1: Prime Time featuring a battle pass with unique cosmetics, items, and packs to open. The battle pass comprises two purchasable versions: a standard pass for $9.99 and the premium pass plus for $24.99 . Both versions comprise the same battle pass content, but the premium alternative contains extra rewards. If you’re a hardcore Apex gamer that loves collecting time-limited cosmetics, the pricier premium pass is the way to go. But for beginners just venturing into Apex Legends Mobile, I’d suggest only purchasing the standard pass if you’re really interested in playing as the battle pass content isn’t too mindblowing.
Image Credited to Apex Legends Mobile | Respawn Entertainment | EA
Having played Apex Legends during beta and now in the final version, I’m pleased to report that it’s exceptionally polished. Despite being a mobile game, the map is pretty much identical to that of its PC/console origin, and the graphics are fantastic. It also features a satisfying array of settings, allowing for customizing the visuals to run better on lower-end devices or even changing the HUD to more closely resemble the PC/console version.
My concerns about the future balance of Apex Legends Mobile for new players was the only thing I felt slightly uneasy about while playing. However, like most live service games, game-breaking patches, unpopular mechanics, and frustrating bugs are all temporary. Who knows what might happen in the game’s future? Maybe Respawn will create a whole new game mode focused on new players, or one that turns perks off altogether. Or maybe they have another solution in mind that we can’t envision.
What's certain is Apex Legends Mobile's global release is, for now, a huge success. I enjoyed the game thoroughly, and I'm glad Respawn Entertainment took the time to bring us a high-quality mobile version of Apex Legends.
SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
PLAY IF YOU LIKE:
• Call of Duty Mobile. If you love all the different abilities Call of Duty Mobile has across its operators; you'll adore the unique experience Apex Legends Mobile's characters bring to World's Edge. There are various Legends to choose from, having special skills that affect your mobility and defensive or offensive capabilities.
• Garena Free Fire. If you enjoy the rush towards being number one in this battle royale, Apex Legends Mobile is another game to dive deep into the arena and see if you can become an Apex Champion.
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