A New Legend: Running Down the Differences between Apex Legends and Apex Legends Mobile
Apex Legends has been a part of my life since the very start. I can vividly remember how amazing it felt playing and using the Wingman for the first time and the crackling sound echoing throughout Kings Canyon. Apex Legends originally caught my interest when Shroud, a famous Twitch streamer, started streaming the game unexpectedly alongside many other content creators. Surprisingly, there wasn't any preemptive announcement about the game. No build-up, no hype. Content creators just announced out of the blue that they were sponsored to play Apex Legends. And because it was such a quiet period wherein not many games were released, it was the perfect opportunity for something new to trend.
So with every famous gaming name out there having fun playing Apex Legends, the game exploded in popularity. Its impact on many players worldwide (including me) has helped Apex Legends spread across platforms, besides its PC and console origin. To date, Apex Legends has spread from PC to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and only a couple of days ago, Android and iOS.
In the shift to phones, Apex Legends Mobile has taken on some major differences compared to its counterparts. The original Apex Legends isn't the type of game to shy away from introducing game-breaking mechanics or systems that turn the seasonal meta upside down. But surprisingly, Apex Legends Mobile features an array of mechanics and systems unseen on any other platform before.
The most significant distinction between Apex Legends Mobile and its big sibling is that the former has launched with a new legend that is exclusive to the mobile version of the game. At almost the same time, Newcastle, another new legend, has brought the original game’s playable character count to twenty-one. Apex Legends Mobile also introduced an entirely new perk system with gameplay-affecting bonuses that extend abilities, boost stats, and even change ultimate skills. And these are only a few of Apex Legends Mobile's eye-catching alterations.
Image Credited to Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | EA
Let’s start with the new legend, Fade. This character utilizes the void to bombard enemies with damage and cancel their aggression. As stated above, Fade is currently available only on Apex Legends Mobile, which was a pleasant surprise. Nobody expected another legend to arrive for the next few months after the introduction of Newcastle in Apex Legends Season 13. Not only that, but fans have been left wondering if the void-user will ever transition to PC or console in the future.
Speaking of legends, another small but defining distinction between the mobile port and other platforms is how easily acquirable characters are in Apex Legends Mobile. Unlike other versions wherein you need to grind twelve thousand legend tokens to unlock characters, Apex Legends Mobile gives them all to you for free; all you have to do is level your account. The only actual character you need to grind is Fade. This alteration completely cuts the grind in half, meaning beginners get to hop in, play for a couple of hours, level up, and enjoy Apex to the fullest extent with their newly-acquired legends. Yes, all those months of grinding I have to go through to obtain my favorite legends are out the window if I play Apex Legends Mobile. I don't know if I should feel happy knowing Apex Legends Mobile is easier to play, or sad that I can't spend more time collecting legends across other platforms.
Fortunately for those that love the climb, Apex Legends Mobile also holds a few activities and goals that players can enjoy working towards. Perks, one of Apex Legends Mobile's newly-introduced game-changing systems, features an array of effects on legends’ stats and abilities. Perks are a revolutionary addition to the Apex Legends formula, one that doesn’t exist in the other versions of the game. Essentially, each legend has a tree with perks throughout it to level up. You can level every character's perks individually through tokens acquired by casual play. But tokens aren't interchangeable and function specifically for their respective character. This system means that if you want to deck out Bloodhound and upgrade his stats or extend his ultimate through perks, you will have to play him consistently across an extended span of time.
Image Credited to Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | EA
On your journey towards becoming an Apex champion, Apex Legends Mobile introduces another unique mechanic exclusive to the mobile port that gives you a more in-depth way to study weapons in the game. The weapon menu highlights every available gun and its statistical information, including damage output, accuracy, and recoil pattern. This feature also makes it easier to stay on the meta with what works and doesn't for close-quarter and ranged combat. And because I like to play prepared, I can learn how to spray guns accurately before matches start.
Though initially easy to miss, the weapon menu might be one of the more considerable differences for hardcore gamers. For players that attentatively watch video breakdowns and read update notes, learning about the difference in stats for weapons and mastering recoil patterns is vital for improving your gameplay. I know for a fact that if this mechanic were on PC and console platforms, beginners learning the game would have such an easier time, and Apex veterans would navigate seasonal balance updates more smoothly.
Image Credited to Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | EA
For those looking to bling out their roster, Apex Legends Mobile Season 1: Prime Time introduces its first battle pass,comprising two purchasable versions: a standard battle pass with all the rewards and a premium plus pass with extra bonuses. Unfortunately, Apex Legends Mobile's current battle pass only has fifty levels worth of rewards, unlike its PC and console port with 110 levels. Thankfully, the cosmetics within the battle pass and throughout the in-game shop are unique to its mobile counterpart, meaning you won't customize your legend with the same skins as your PC account.
Though it has many differences, Apex Legends Mobile does have one quite noticeable element in common with its PC and console counterparts. Out of every game across mobile that has been ported over from another more powerful platform, Apex Legends Mobile is one of the few games to have nearly replicated the visual quality of its big siblings. The game contains an intensive list of settings to configure and adjust to your liking, but the most surprising is how you can change the interface and graphics to resemble that of base Apex Legends. There are different levels from smooth (the lowest setting) to original (the highest and closest to replicating PC quality). Of course, you wouldn't put the game on the highest graphics settings knowing your mobile device couldn't handle it, but it's impressive to see how far Unreal Engine has taken Apex Legends Mobile.
Image Credited to Apex Legends | Respawn Entertainment | EA
As a long-time Apex Legends player, there are some obvious changes and additions to the game on mobile that I'd love to see implemented across PC and console platforms. I think having Fade on PC later down the line, maybe at the end of this season or in the next, would be thrilling. Also I can’t imagine how game-breaking perks would be on PC and console, especially for the esports scene. The perk system would completely change the way Apex Legends is played, both casually and professionally and I think that might be the main reason Respawn introduced that system on mobile first.
However, just because Apex Legends Mobile has some pretty cool features its other platforms don’t, that shouldnt disuade you from enjoying both versions of the game. Of course everything Apex Legends Mobile has going on right now is refreshing and exciting to experience, but they’re essentially the same game. Because its mobile port has a new system, legend, or whatever it may be, it doesn’t mean other platforms won’t receive something similar, if not the exact same mechanics or features, in the future. Who knows what may come to be of Apex Legends after Season 13; after all, the game’s known for its rapidly-changing environment, from maps to teleporting structures and now giant sea monsters emerging from the banks of Storm Point. Nothing’s impossible.
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