Over the weekend, a new game by Respawn Entertainment, developers of the Titanfall series, was teased. The game is a free-to-play battle royale set in the Titanfall universe. Today, Apex Legends was officially revealed and it is a very different type of battle royale game, bringing in new gameplay mechanics to the popular genre.
Apex Legends is a tactical, squad-based battle royale that lets players choose from 8 legends which are the playable characters in the game. Each legend is very distinct from one another and each come with different abilities.
Gibraltar is a tank character, equipped with a shield and can drop a heavy payload of ordinance on other teams. Mirage can deploy decoys of himself. Bloodhound can track enemy players and uses that to his advantage to hunt down teams in his vicinity. Wraith can phase through objects, which can be used to flank enemies. She also has the ability to create portals that she and her team could use. Bangalore is a weapons expert and offensive powerhouse.
Lifeline is a combat medic who has a drone that can help heal teammates or provides cover when she is healing someone. She can also drop a payload that has supplies that can be used by her team. Pathfinder comes equipped with a grappling hook and zipline and is used to scout an area. Caustic can throw out a toxic grenade that effects enemies who are in it.
There are some new gameplay mechanics that help differentiate Apex Legends from other battle royale titles. The game has a ping system which allows players to share information with their squad at the push of a button. You can tag weapons, ammo, and equipment as well as enemies. There are also options to share if an area has been looted or not, and to suggest where you think the team should go next.
The other big mechanic is a respawn system that allows you to bring back a fallen teammate. You will have 90 seconds to revive a downed teammate. If you don’t make it, you can take their banner card and deliver it to a respawn beacon. The downed teammate will re-enter the match; however, they will have no gear when they come back.
Respawn Entertainment plans to continue to support the game. They will have new content and events with seasons. Season 1 will begin in March, Season 2 is in June, Season 3 will be in September, and Season 4 is in December. Each season will bring in a new battle pass, new legends, new weapons, and loot. All real currency spending in the game is for cosmetics only, which means new character skins, animations, or weapon skins. Apex Legends is available now for free on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.