5 things Apex Legends does better than other battle royales in 2021

Apex Legends is no longer the new kid on the Battle Royale block, but is rather a grizzled vet with plenty of battle scars. Respawn Entertainment has broken into a relatively saturated market, making quite a bit of a ruckus and even dominate in periods.

Apex Legends has been a constantly growing battle royale experience. In 2021, the game managed to be as accessible as it was at launch - despite making no compromises in terms of gameplay complexity and depth.

It is truly a testament to just how dedicated Respawn is in responding to fan feedback and developing a solid title overall. Here, we take a look at 5 things in particular that make Apex Legends so special.

5 things Apex Legends does better than other battle royales in 2021

5) The Ping system

The ping system would not only be one of the most revolutionary additions to the battle royale genre, but one that seems almost puzzling that it wasn't there in the first place. Apex Legends' brilliant ping system allows players to communicate instructions and warnings without the use of a mic.

Pinging loot and their levels is so key to the Apex Legends gameplay loop that it is hard to imagine how battle royale games ever functioned without one. Over time, the ping system has evolved to include more information and provide tactile information to the rest of the squad.

4) Deep lore and characters

Perhaps what sets Apex Legends apart from the rest of the playing field in the battle royale genre is Respawn's dedication to lore and storytelling. Each character has a deep and rich backstory that humanizes them.

This way, players have attachment to their characters because of their abilities. For instance, Horizon's backstory easily made her one of the most beloved figures in Apex Legends, and it also helped that her character was brutal in the field.

3) Map variety

Currently, there are 2 maps in rotation - King's Canyon and Olympus - both of which are excellent in their own ways and offer a different experience entirely. There is also World's Edge, which is bound to come into rotation sooner rather than later.

However, the map doesn't stay the same as evidenced by the numerous bombings and catastrophes that have re-shaped King's Cayon multiple times. This means that although the basic structure and size of the map remains the same - a lot gets changed over time.

For instance, Skull Town in King's Canyon - a major hotspot in Apex Legends - was absolutely destroyed and removed from the map entirely. This sort of dynamic rotation and tweak of the map makes for a thoroughly enjoyable outing each time around in Apex Legends.

2) Signature Respawn shooting mechanics and traversal

Respawn Entertainment have proved it beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are one of the best AAA developers in town. With back-to-back successes in Titanfall and its masterful sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and now - Apex Legends.

It is no surprise that they are indeed EA's golden child at this point - and they have done it on the back of competent and inspired game design. Titanfall changed the game in many ways when it comes to first-person shooting with regards to mixing things up with traversal and fast-paced combat.

Apex Legends utilizes many of its tricks - as well as lore - as it is set in the Titanfall universe. Creative decisions such as removing fall damage entirely was a highly intuitive move that changed the way players experience the game.

Apex Legends is fast, fun, and thoroughly adrenaline-fueled - which is what the Respawn experience really is.

1) Squad dynamics

Hero shooters such as Overwatch and Valorant are slowly becoming all the rage now. Popular games like Rainbow Six are moving away from a tactical-shooter to a full-blown hero-shooter.

Apex Legends takes the concept of hero shooters from an arena to a battle royale setting, making for one hell of a chaotic experience. Apex Legends allows players to choose from 16 characters (with more on the way), which makes for some of the most interesting gameplay choices.

Players can choose to set up their squads differently as each player might have their own particularly favored skill-sets and abilities. This makes for certain squad arrangements to work better than others.

This adds a whole new layer of depth and complexity to a genre that is often devoid of such things.