Surprise-released in February, Apex Legends has taken the world of online gaming by storm, attracting more than 50 million players within a month. But what is it about this Fortnite-style battle royale blaster that has made it such a huge success, and should parents be concerned?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Apex Legends?
Developed by Californian studio Respawn Entertainment, Apex Legends is the latest game in the battle royale genre of online multiplayer shooters, popularised by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fortnite. Up to 20 teams of three players are dropped on to a large island where they must scavenge for weapons and supplies before engaging in deadly combat with each other. The last squad alive wins.
Before a round begins players, must choose one of six characters, each with special skills. For example, Bloodhound can scan the area for enemies and mark their positions, Wraith can open up portals allowing for quick escapes, and Bangalore can call in a devastating airstrike. There are three extra characters which are locked from the outset, but can be accessed by earning experience points through play, or by spending money.
Unlike other battle royale games, players are able to revive downed teammates – this adds a tense new strategic element. Apex Legends also uses clever non-verbal communication that lets you highlight specific items on the map, such as weapons, health packs and enemy targets, thereby alerting your friends.
Reviews have praised the excellent balance, slick production, and highly tactical gameplay.
Where did it come from?
Developer Respawn Entertainment was founded by Vince Zampella and Jason West, who previously ran Infinity Ward, the studio behind groundbreaking multiplayer shooter Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Apex Legends is set in the same universe as the company’s Titanfall series of sci-fi shooters – as with those games, its environment combines hi-tech installations with swamps, villages and craggy mountain passes, though its trademark giant robot suits are absent. Respawn said it had tried adding these to Apex but they had unbalanced the game. It’s possible they will appear in a later update, though.
Why is it so popular?
As with Fortnite, Apex Legends is free to download on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, so it’s easy to get hold of. It has somewhat piggybacked the massive popularity of Fortnite, but removes that game’s construction element, which has divided audiences. Apex Legends also has a more gritty and mature aesthetic with interesting, diverse characters and stylish weapons and technologies; it is therefore perfectly targeted at gamers who feel they have outgrown the cartoonish look and feel of Fortnite, but aren’t yet ready for (or allowed to play) darker more militaristic shooters such as PUBG and Call of Duty.
What if my child has a different console than their friends?
Unlike Fortnite, Apex Legends has no crossplay facility, so your children will only be able to play against friends who have the same machine, whether that’s a PC, PS4 or Xbox One.
How much does it cost?
The game is free to download and play. As with Fortnite, there are in-game purchases available. Players can buy Apex Coins (1,000 coins cost £7.99), which then allow them to purchase locked characters, special weapon designs or Apex Packs, which cost 100 Apex Coins and contain three random items.
Apex Legends has just introduced a Fortnite-style “season” feature, which means every three months, a fresh season starts and new features and items are added. At the start of each season, players are able to buy a Battle Pass for 950 Apex Coins, which gives them gradual access to 100 exclusive weapon and character skins, unlocked by playing. Apex Legends season one is called Wild Frontier, and although it has added a new unlockable character, Octane, it looks much less expansive than the season updates in Fortnite, which tend to include major scenic changes.
Nothing you can buy with real money in the game will give you any sort of gameplay advantage – all the items except for the locked characters (which can also be accessed for free by playing the game and earning experience points) are cosmetic enhancements.
How do I limit how much they play?
If they’re playing on an Xbox or PlayStation you can use the parental controls to limit the length of gaming sessions (or ban them from the game entirely if you’re feeling despotic). It’s a good idea to set definite play sessions of, say, an hour or 90 minutes using some kind of timer (a stopwatch, an egg timer, or maybe ask Alexa for a countdown). You may need to have a Mastermind-style “I’ve started so I’ll finish” rule though: as with Fortnite, matches can last up to 20 minutes and if you demand they finish playing in the middle of a game, they’ll leave team-mates in the lurch and lose any points they’ve earned during that bout. That’s going to cause a lot of resentment.
How violent is it?
In the US, Apex Legends is rated T for Teen, recommended for ages 13 and over. In Europe, it has a Pegi age rating of 16+ due to its “sustained depictions of violence against human characters”. The game’s weapons, which include shotguns, submachine guns and sniper rifles, have much more visual and auditory authenticity than the weapons in Fortnite, and some feel the game’s use of a first-person view (contrasting with Fortnite’s third-person camera which shows the player character on the screen) creates a more intense experience. There are also blood splatters on screen when a character sustains damage.
Is there anything else I should know?
Unlike Fortnite, Apex Legends players can’t choose to play alone or in pairs – everyone has to join a squad of three people. If your child is not online with friends, the game will automatically put them into a squad with two random strangers. If those players have headsets they’ll be able to chat during play and, unless you have blocked voice comms, your child will be able to hear them. Also, if your child has a headset with a mic, they’ll be able to chat too.
