Apex Legends, published by Respawn Entertainment – a subsidiary under the big gaming company Electronic Arts, is a free-to-play Battle Royale game in which legendary players compete for glory, prestige and fortune. Many traits have been introduced to the game,  which makes gamers more engaged in each match. Therefore, it can be said that Apex Legends is a more welcoming and engrossing take on battle-royale. 

  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
  • Game genres: Battle-royale, FPS

Apex Legends: Squad Play

apex legends

What makes it different from the original genre is the focus on squad play. Teams of three players fight to be the last team standing out of 20 squads.

Team-based mode in Apex Legends is interesting because dying in Apex Legends is not the end of the game. A recovery mode lets the team get more involved with each other. You are able to revive your teammate if he/she gets badly injured.

Even a dead player can be brought back if their remains are recovered within 90 seconds and subsequently brought to a respawn station. That method offers a great motivation to stay with your teammates rather than leaving after your character’s death to join another match.

Each squad in Apex Legends consists of three different “legends” – each heroic character has their own unique skills. These characters are sorted into classes, depending on their unique abilities, which can be defensive or offensive in nature. For instance, the aptly-named Lifeline character is a medic with the ability to restore the health of teammates.

These abilities cannot be used all the time as they are on a timer. Therefore, it is crucial for a game player to pick the right moment to use them, especially the powerful Ultimate ability, such as a mortar strike on a fixed location.

Moreover, some combinations of abilities also work better together than others, which require applying subtle tactics in squad composition.

Apex Legends gameplay
Apex Legends gameplay

Not only does each Legend have its own powers, but each of whom also does have a temperament. In terms of supporting character, for example, Gibraltar has the ability to protect teammates by calling in mortars. He can be easily recognized with his happy attitude.

Teammates Always Stay Together

Another point making Apex Legends apart from PUBG or Fortnite when you play with your teammates is the “jumpmaster”.

apex legends team

At the beginning, a person will be automatically appointed as a “jumpmaster”. That person has the right to decide the meeting point for himself and his teammates. Of course, you can also freely land in other areas, but the system will set up the team always close to each other.

“Ping” System

When playing in squads, there is a need to speak into a microphone to facilitate teamwork with complete strangers; however, this can make your teammates confused in some scenarios because of unwanted noise.

It is easier for teammates to communicate in Apex Legends without requiring everyone to use voice chat due to an excellent “ping” system that intelligently adapts to the context.

Even though the in-game communication system cannot completely replace the voice chat, it does reduce people yelling at each other.

For instance, point (ping) an item to tell the team to pick it up. Ping an enemy in the distance to warn teammates. Ping a location in the map to suggest the team head to that area.

This voiceless setup evolves into a beautiful, seamless, and unspoken tango among teams. Certainly, the precision of an on-screen ping will also be better at insisting you in conveying information more quickly compared to speaking.

There Is No Chance To Temporize

The development team has designed the map in a way that it is not easy to “hide” or to camp. In PUBG, you can hide somewhere, wearing the same color as the trees in order to avoid conflicts.

Apex Legends emphasizes on aiming, moving, proficient use of skills of the characters, and teamwork to win in each small fighting phase.

Uniform Color Coding System

Respawn Entertainment has designed an intelligent and eye-catching color coding system. Each weapon and its bullets have the same color when being fired, which help you identify what you need to loot easily and not have to check your inventory so many times. As a result, unexpected kills would be prevented.

Apex Legends Tips

Tips for Landing And Looting

1. You Do Not Have To Be The Leader During A Drop

The third person opting a Legend is always assigned as the Jumpmaster. During the countdown right after the character selection screen, you can give up the position by hitting the prompted button if you’re given the task but don’t want to take that responsibility.

apex legends items

Nonetheless, provided that you let the game select your Legend automatically coupled with you being the third one to choose the Legend, the Jumpmaster position will direct to the second person picking character.

2. Consider Far Landing

Try staying in the drop ship longer and landing on the outskirts of the map if you do not feel comfortable landing right in the action, which gives you the chance to land near one or two other squads, and you may have more time to look over loot to learn what they are doing.

apex legend tips for jumping
Jumping and Landing

3. You Could Know The Place Where The Supply Ship Would Land

The supply ship has many valuable things to loot. Higher return is definitely associated with greater probability of higher risk; therefore this is a high risk area.

At the start of the game, you can easily realize the supply ship by its white icon flying around the map and finally, it lands shortly after the match begins with it changing to blue color indicating where it lands. Gliding in, you can forecast its direction. Feel free to catch a weapon of high rank since no fall damage would appear during the game.

4. Pay Attention To Supply Bins

Supply Bins are large cylinders in white, which usually consists of various items that are worth seeking after, such as arms, accessories, ammunition, and even armor.

Since there are many people wishing to own such highly desired items besides you, you are warned to be careful and to keep an eye on the nearby teams during finding these bins.

5. Slow Down, There’s No Rush

Apex Legends has a much slower style of play compared to other battle royale games. The typical rush for weapons and gear is not what the game mainly concentrates on.

Although nearby areas are ensured to be properly scouted for looting, game developers, instead, would rather spend their time constructing a decent inventory of weapons and gear.

apex legends gameplay
Apex Legends gameplay

Instead, game producers would much rather players spend their time building up a decent inventory of weapons and gear, while also ensuring that nearby areas are scouted properly for loot.

6. Learn Item Colors

Learning colors for item rarity and ammo will help you pick up corresponding ammo for the weapons you have chosen as well as easily prioritize grabbing higher rarity attachments, which make you move through buildings faster. A short guide on color is as follows:

Item Colors

  • Grey mean Common items
  • Blue indicates Rare ones
  • Purple implies Epic things 
  • Gold or Yellow reveals Legendary items 

Ammunition Colors

  • Light Brown/Orange: Light Rounds 
  • Lime Green: Energy Ammo 
  • Teal/Blue: Heavy Rounds
  • Burgundy/Red: Shotgun Shells

7. Use The Ping System To Communicate

It is more useful for you to use the Apex Legends ping system to communicate with your squad rather than using a microphone. You can easily notice your teammates of gear, locations, threats and more. 

8. Move Faster By Holstering Your Weapon

While you are making an effort to flee from a battle, holstering your weapon will help increase your speed, protecting your life. Holding Y on Xbox One, Triangle on PS4, or pressing number 3 on PC to holster your weapon.

9. Glide Redeploying Should Work

Pay attention to red hot air balloons connected by a zip line scattered around the map when you are trying to escape from the ring. If you go up to one of these air balloons, your legend will scale up the zip line, allowing you to glide to a new area quickly.

10. Managing Your Inventory Is Key

Because of limited space in your starting inventory, it is advised that you use the room wisely by switching out weapons of lesser quality. This is supported by the colored box system. Additionally, Apex would preclude you from picking up an older-version attachment as opposed to what you have already had.

Finding more backpacks will insist you in supplement your inventory, which provide you with larger room to store things depending on their level and color:

  • White level I – two more items
  • Blue level II – four more items
  • Purple level III – six more items

Combat And Strategy Tips

1. Understand Your Legend

Two same characters would not appear in one squad; therefore, it is critical that you spend time learning the strengths of each Legend in order to choose a character contributing to create a synergy in your team.

Apex Legends character selection
Character selection

Besides understanding your character, learning how to best use their fighting abilities is also important. You can potentially become vulnerable by using your skills during superfluous combat as well as at inappropriate moment.

2. Don’t Take A Fight Until You Have Armor

Before engaging in a fight, you had better recharg body armor. In case you have not had an armor with you in a shootout, try to move side by side with your teammates who have armor.

By letting your teammate become a hero like this, they might shield you effectively.

3. Escape From A Bad Situation

In case you have to play with random people, try to choose a character you are familiar with or one that can escape a bad situation easily.

Bangalore, for example, is able to help you zip out or zoom in a hot spot to support your teammates from her pack, which seems to be more appropriate for aggressive play.  

4. Some Weapons Have Alternate Firing Modes

Weapons that have single and auto firing modes:

  • R-301 Carbine
  • VK-47 Flatline (AR)
  • Hemlok Burst AR 

5. Prepare A Shotgun

When competing with another team in close distance, you might really need a shotgun. In this case, SMGs could be fantastic.

Make sure your other weapon has decent range so that you can contribute in those mid- and long-range firefights.

6. Take Advantage of Jump Towers, Hot Zones, and Populated Zones

If you want to win the game you, it is necessary that you know how to make the Kings Canyon’s main areas be your advantage.

Most of the key areas, such as Jump Towers, Hot Zones, and Respawn Beacons, are essential aspects of gameplay and are frequently occupied by players.

Most players usually head to these locations for a specific reason such as seeking after rare items in Hot Zones, using the Jump Towers to escape from sticky situations, simply trying to get fallen players back through Respawn Beacons. However, many still fail to properly examine their surroundings.

As a result, many often forget to check their surroundings properly.

7. Recovering Teammates Banners

If a player is disqualified from battle, it is not the end as the game offers a special recovery mechanism in which you have a chance to get to the loot box of your vanquished teammate and retrieve their flag within 90 seconds. Then, you carry this banner to one of the reviving centers marked on the map by green ships to revive your teammate.

The revived character will be deployed by a drop ship in the respawn center.

If there is no loot around, you might need to share some of your equipment with your teammates. Remember that each team can only use every respawn center once.

8. Try To Grab A Knockdown Shield

You can catch a knockdown shield from the ground loot or the dead enemies. Use it once you have been knocked down to help you stay alive for long enough to be rescued afterwards by your teammates.

You can press the fire button (LMB on PC, R2 on PS4, and RT on Xbox One) to  activate the shield in a down state, and it is extremely useful if you are left exposed or stuck in the middle of a fight. 

9. Damage Number Colors

Each Legend has a base total of 100 HP. There are four segments of armor health that equate to 25 HP per segment. This means there can be a max of 200 HP.

Whenever you hit a player, a colored damage number will pop up. Understanding these numbers effectively shows you how much of a threat an enemy is.

Every Legend has an average base of 100 HP. There are four armor health segments equaling to 25 HP per segment, which means it can have a limit of 200 HP. A colored damage number will show up each time you hit a player. These numbers would tell you the threat level of an enemy.

Red numbers indicate there is no armor, then it is a good idea to go after them. You might want to hang back if you see purple numbers showing legendary armor.

The following list indicates the colors of damage level

  • Red numbers indicates no armor 
  • White numbers implies level I armor
  • Blue numbers show level II armor
  • Purple numbers means level III armor 
  • Yellow numbers show a headshot level

10. Color Of Enemy Boxes

Players will drop their loot in a box once eliminated like other kinds of Battle Royales,. Certainly, such boxes have different colors, defining loot rarity level that the beaten Legend had in Apex Legends.

11. Stop An Enemies’ Finisher

In case your team member is beaten by a killer who is also a finisher, shooting, hitting or punching that killer will help you to preclude the attack. It takes a few seconds for each finisher to perform, so there is still a chance to stop it.

12. Earn Additional XP By Killing The Champion

Those who ranked high in their previous game will be the Champion of a match. If you succeed in killing the champion during the match, you will earn an additional 500 XP as a bonus for your victory, you can use which to buy cosmetic items.

Customization Tips

1. Crafting Metals

By completing missions in the game, you can use crafting metals to buy Special character and unique weapon skins. As long as you own enough crafting metals, just head to the Legends/Armory menu, you can buy unique skins with Crafting Metals by selecting a character, a gun, skin or wrap you want and then press Square/X/right click to unlock it.

2. Use Apex Packs To Unlock In-Game Skins

Gamers will gain a total of 45 free Apex Packs from level 1 to level 100 (the level limit) according to Respawn.

Apex Packs are highly desired boxes with each pack containing three different cosmetics. These three cosmetic items can include any of the following types:

  • Weapon Skins
  • Legend Skins
  • Legend Finishers
  • Banner Frames
  • Banner Poses
  • Banner Stat Trackers
  • Intro Quips
  • Kill Quips
  • Crafting Metals

In brief, what makes Apex Legends stand out of the Battle Royale red ocean is not only because the gaming mechanism is fun, but also because the built-in communication system allows players to communicate with teammates efficiently without saying a word. Why don’t you check out to see whether it is worth playing or not right now?

More Gameplay Screenshots From Apex Legends

Apex Legends gameplay
Apex Legends ameplay

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