Two years from its hugely popular release, the latest season update of Apex Legends includes a new character, weapon and map alterations among more minor tweaks. Is it still the smash hit that had the other big hitters stealing ideas from it?
As with all season and character updates we are introduced with a video. They always prove well put together and root you back into the lore of the world you are about to spend time in. One of the assets that Apex has capitalised on is its characterisations, from the witty quips to the unique feel of their playstyle, character choice has not felt this impactful for me since Street Fighter. Enter Screen right, Fuse, a bombastic Australian with a penchant for explosives. He is a deliberate creation for catering to new players and old players wanting a less technical playstyle. Throwing out massive damage and countering enemy movement makes for a fun, satisfying and easier way to play. His Knuckle Cluster seems more of a distraction than a serious threat right now, possibly something that might get tweaked over time. The main bombardment however is a real killer when used right, trapping panicked players and setting them alight it allows the team time to transition and take advantage without counter. Passively carrying 2x the number of grenades with increased accuracy and distance is almost Fuse’s most powerful advantage, raining further damage from safety he becomes as much of an immediate danger as leaving Lifeline un-knocked.
Another season update is the King’s Canyon alterations which brings new life to the old but gold map and will be a welcome return for many players. While I think Skull Town is still a loss to the map the new Spotted Lakes/Crash Site and rotations out from it make for a great addition. Good looking and with a lot of technical elevation changes and loot groupings it supports a large number of teams to have protracted battles in the early or late game. Featuring manual deployment sniper posts like the blast walls from World’s Edge these feel very satisfying to use effectively. The new loot cabins which can be cracked open at the cost of a grenade are great, with the new gold magazines guaranteed these are great areas to pick up some shopping on the way to the action.
A new heavy weapon has been added to the rotation in the form of the 30-30 repeater. This new gun plays like an extended barrelled wingman, it does not have the tap fire potential of the G7 or Hemlock but does open an engagement with enough extra damage to be dangerous. Personally, I have not found the sweet spot with it consistently but it is definitely going to be part of the season meta for most people. The gold magazines I mentioned earlier are also going to be a key find in matches, the clip refill while holstered is going to help a lot of new and experienced players. There is nothing worse than switching guns for that one shot knock to find a dry chamber as the other player vanishes from sight.
Overall, I think the new changes strengthen what Apex Legends has to offer. There is plenty to attract newer players. The new playstyle and significant changes to King’s Canyon map work well, autoloading mags are a luxury and the repeater is a very rewarding gun to master. The cost of the battle pass is still within the credit given by the previous pass which gives a good incentive to stay engaged and the ranked matchmaking certainly seems better balanced these days. If you were looking for a time to jump back in the state of play is good right now.
Author: Joe, Bath store
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