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"The Division 2": The never-ending search for the best loot has never been more fun
by Philipp Rüegg
digitec plays "Apex Legends": The new top dog
13.2.2019
Translation: machine translated
Support: Simon Balissat
"Apex Legends" came out of nowhere and hit like a bomb. The latest addition to the battle royale genre focuses on hero classes, fast-paced action and countless improvements to the tried-and-tested formula. Simon and I jump into the fray on Thursday at 12:00 noon.
"Ooohh that's not going to work". As soon as I land, I can see that at least three teams are on the ground in front of me. In a battle royale game where you start without weapons and equipment, this is usually the deciding factor in the match. I storm into the nearest building, where two players are already fist-fighting. A third player is about to perform a finishing move on a battered opponent. This move renders him defenceless for several seconds. I seize the opportunity and give him two Bud Spencer mouthcuffs. Before I can get in a damaging finisher, someone shoots a load of buckshot into my back. And because my useless team-mates have fared no better, the round has already ended. Anyway: Quit, ready, next attempt.
"Apex Legends" is the new battle royale game from the developers of "Titanfall". Like the Titans in "Titanfall", it came practically out of nowhere and landed with a bang. There was a short teaser, a trailer and some gameplay and then it was said: So now it's your turn. The free-to-play game has been available for around a week and has already broken several records. Current tally: 2 million concurrent players and over 25 million active players. "Apex" has made a sensational start and there are several reasons for this.
Countless clever improvements
"PUBG" kicked off the battle royale trend and each subsequent game has taken the formula a little further. "Fortnite" added its own twist with the tree mechanic and "Call of Duty Blackout" found a winning formula with a mix of CoD fast-paced action and AAA polish. "Apex" not only has the best features of the competition, it also scores with a number of its own innovations.
- Classes: "Apex" combines Battle Royale with the hero system from "Overwatch". Although there are only eight so-called legends, they already provide a breath of fresh air. Each legend has one passive and two active abilities. Lifeline can heal, Pathfinder shoots grappling hooks, Bloodhound tracks down enemies, Wraith can open portals and so on. As there are always three different legends per team, this results in exciting dynamics.
- Group Compulsion: "Apex" can currently only be played in a team of three. This may sound daunting, but it fits perfectly with the eight legends. As each class can only be selected once per team, this results in interesting combinations. Thanks to the fantastic ping system (more on this below), you don't even necessarily need voice chat.
The team spirit starts right from the start. In typical Battle Royale fashion, the game begins with a jump from an aeroplane. One team member is always the Jumpmaster. They decide where you fly. However, everyone can make suggestions as to where you should go. You can also disconnect if you don't want to fly to the same place. The mechanic simply ensures that the team tends to stay together.
- Lootsystem: In "PUBG" or "Fortnite", there are certain areas that contain better loot. This means that the action is initially concentrated in the same places. In "Apex", the high-loot zone is marked with a blue light column and changes from game to game. This makes for much more variety. There is also a flying supply ship, which also guarantees big loot. But you have to be able to land on it first.
- Resurrection: In most battle royale games, there's little reason to keep watching the rest of the team after your own demise. "Apex" changes this by allowing your comrades to scan your corpse and bring you back into battle at the next resurrection point - unfortunately without weapons and armour. Spawn points like this are of course also a real treat for enemies who want to ambush you.
- Inventory Management: The loot system is marvellously done. Weapon mods are automatically equipped and better mods automatically replace worse ones. If you pick up a new weapon, the old mods are also automatically carried over. You can also see directly when looting whether a mod fits one of your weapons.
- Weapons and mods: The armoury of shooting irons is well mixed and the weapons differ significantly from one another. Even though many players already have clear preferences, each revolver and assault rifle has clear advantages and disadvantages. There are various mods for weapons (magazine size etc.), some of which add new shooting modes. The mods are colour-coded and therefore easy to distinguish from one another.
- Movement: Developer Respawn hasn't forgotten its "Call of Duty" roots. That's why the gameplay in "Titanfall" already felt fast and action-packed. "Apex" is the natural progression. Even without Titans, Double Jump and Wallruns, the controls feel precise and fast. Sliding from a sprint is also extremely satisfying.
- Balloons: Balloons are dotted all over the pitch and are attached with a rope. They serve as a flight ramp if you want to get somewhere quickly. However: you are an easy victim when climbing up.
The highlight is the ping system
One of the most ingenious things that Respawn delivers with "Apex" is the ping system. By clicking the middle mouse button or one of the shoulder buttons on the controller, you can "ping" things. If you click on weapons or equipment lying around on the ground, your character announces: "Hey, there's weapon x". At the same time, it is marked on the map and displayed in the chat. If you ping a loot box, your character calls out, "Hey, there's loot here". You can also ping enemies or a place you want to go. If you stay on the button, a context menu opens with further options such as: There were enemies here, I'm going to loot there etc. The ping system is very intuitive and a small revolution in terms of team communication. Even without voice chat, you can communicate with your mates. It doesn't completely replace Discord, but it helps enormously, especially if you're not playing with friends.
Lootboxes and still fair
"Apex" is free to play and contains microtransactions and lootboxes. There are three currencies: Crafting Material, Legend Tokens and Apex Coins. You earn the first two by levelling up. With Crafting Material, you can build cosmetic items such as weapon skins. Legend Tokens are used to unlock the two additional legends. Finally, Apex Coins are the premium currency that can only be bought for real money. You can use them to buy specific skins or loot boxes, known as Apex Packs. You can otherwise only get these when you level up. A Battle Pass has already been announced, which will allow you to unlock additional items. As all legends and skins can be earned and you are rewarded with new items at regular intervals, there is nothing to criticise about the system so far.
Read less, game more
What are you still reading here? Get it and try it out. It's hard to estimate how long the flame of "Apex" will burn, but it's definitely the hottest fire in the Battle Royale jungle at the moment. For me, it's the most perfect blend of the Battle Royale formula yet. "Apex" brings countless brilliant improvements to details and I can't wait to see what Respawn delivers in the coming months.
So, I have to stop. My desire to continue playing grows with every new sentence. Why is the end of the day still so far away? Simon and I will show you whether my addiction and my skills correlate in our Let's Play. Be warned: it's guaranteed to be loud ;)
"Apex Legends" is available free of charge for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
This is how we stream
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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