Building on the resounding success of Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and other great shooters that made the leap to mobile, Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment’s popular battle royale, will also see the light of day on Android and iOS devices . . Although it was only a matter of time, it wasn’t until last year that we found out we were going to have a mobile version of the game. Over the past few weeks, EA, Respawn, and Tencent have pushed the promotional campaign for the title to the point where it was officially announced last week that it will launch globally on May 17th (tomorrow!). We realize that many of you are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get your hands on this new edition. In my case, I was lucky enough to try out Apex Legends Mobile Early Access, and having immersed myself in battle royale and multiplayer modes for the last few weeks, I’m pretty sure it will be a success. But let me tell you why.
First of all, Apex Legends lovers will be pleased to know that not much has changed in this edition. It’s true that there are currently fewer Legends and the graphics aren’t as impressive as on PC or next-gen consoles, but the gaming experience is really similar. You can use loads of weapons with different archetypes, be it the R-99 SMG, the Havoc Assault Rifle, the 30-30 Repeater Rifle or weapons as mythical as the Kraber Sniper, the list is endless. In addition, the gameplay is also movement-oriented, so you can run, slide, cover and climb. If we combine this with the selection of Legends available (at the moment there are 10 characters, including Fade, the new Legend exclusive to the mobile version), each with their skill pack – the same as in Apex Legends – and a system movement control Shooter designed from the ground up to adapt to touchscreen controls, we get a complete shooter experience.
But that’s not what makes me look at Apex Legends Mobile with good eyes. After all, given the success of Apex Legends, one would expect these areas to be well covered. What makes this edition compelling is the fact that EA, Respawn, and Tencent recognize that in times of crossplay and inclusivity, mobile devices often lag behind other platforms. To handle this, Apex Legends Mobile is offered as a standalone product. It’s similar to Apex Legends in many ways, but development doesn’t follow the same roadmap and won’t have the same updates as the original game. Instead, in this version, players have their own tailored content plan that makes the game unique. The seasons will not match those of the main title, the game’s balance will not work in the same way, and as I already expected, there will be new exclusive characters dedicated to mobile devices. at least for a while.
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Currently, the exclusive character category consists of Fade, a Legend specializing in phasing technology who can teleport to previous locations and send his enemies into the void with his ultimate ability. While his kit may seem simple, he’s fun to use, and for fans of the Apex story arc, Fade has his own story that you can read about in-game.
In short, Respawn has created a free-to-play game exclusively for mobile gamers that has tremendous potential for the future – be it by adding new characters, seasons or events – to ensure players don’t get bored No time. And that’s something very interesting, since Apex Legends itself has become one of the most supported continuous service battle royales out there, and it looks like this mobile version is going to follow the same path.
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Of course, this only works if the game is good, but from my experience I can say that the fans will love it. There will only be one battle royale map at launch, World’s End. Kings Canyon will not launch as it still needs some fixes before it can make its debut, but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy multiplayer. Apex Legends Mobile includes arenas and a few team deathmatch modes, but as if that wasn’t enough, it also has ranked and special battle royale modes to add even more flavor. The thing is, it’s not just a battle royale. So if you want to play some games on your commute, this game might be just what you need.
However, it’s not a perfect shooter. Shooting is not easy like in most touch shooters. The game includes a fix for this as you can play in third person if you prefer, which makes things a bit easier. Likewise, it takes up a lot of space on your device and consumes a lot of battery. My iPhone 11 Pro battery – which also doesn’t have the best battery out there – dropped to almost 50% in 45 minutes of playtime when playing with HD graphics (I don’t want to know how much it uses in UltraHD or ExtremeHD) and with the frame rate set to normal (lowest option). I’m sure this isn’t such a big issue on other newer devices, but it’s something to keep in mind as my phone was on fire after long gaming sessions. Still, one has to admit that the game looks great even on the lowest graphics settings.
In terms of connectivity and servers, they are also top notch. Whether on home Wi-Fi or using 3G or 4G (5G is an exclusive luxury where I live), when I’m sitting in the back of a bar, the game runs smoothly and enemies and allies don’t seem to have any connection issues or lag at all.
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As a final note, there are microtransactions in the game, which is a given given the nature of Apex Legends’ F2P monetization and both being free-to-play games. You can buy skins and other accessories with the premium currency, as well as Battle Passes, but all of this is purely aesthetic and will not affect the game at any time.
All in all, I think Respawn has done a very good job with Apex Legends Mobile. Whether you’re a fan of Apex Legends or not, I recommend giving it a try as it’s fun, well-made, and very easy to learn and improve as you play. Also, the future is very bright, so there is no better time to start. It seems Apex Legends Mobile is here to stay.
