Apex Legends

Apex Legends - The Continued Evolution of a Surprise Hit

Season 8 – Mayhem: Combat, Mayhem, and Teamwork

The Dark Horse Candidate

Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Apex Legends is a popular shooter for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via EA and Steam). Released in 2020, it's fair to say that Apex Legends is one of those games that no one saw coming. It is technically an entry into the battle royale genre, but it eschews an awful lot of the usual trappings to create something new and different. Rather than following the lead of games like PUBG or Fortnite, Apex Legends puts a premium on teamwork - a factor that sets it apart from a genre that is usually all about individual performance. Its longevity may be a little surprising to haters, but it's easy to see why the game has become so successful if you're willing to look at its parts.

Battle Royale Evolved 

If you've been following Apex Legends, you probably already have a fair idea of the game's concept. Taking place in the same universe as Titanfall, the game's essentially a battle royale that mandates teamwork. Instead of having the option of truly going at it alone, you'll always find yourself working with other characters. This means that communication and tactics become a much bigger part of the game.

Conceptually, Season 8 is just more of the same. It gets high points for its concepts because it seems like a rare battle royale that prizes giving new players an easy entry point into a long-running game. By adding a very accessible new character and updating a map that's already fairly friendly, Apex Legends has managed to give newer players a very useful 'in'.

Concept Rating: 4/5

A Next-Gen Look 

Apex Legends is, without a doubt, a very good-looking game. It's not quite as computer-friendly as some of the other battle royales out there, but that's a sacrifice that seems like it was made in favour of ensuring that game continues to look good even as it ages. It's hard to say that it's necessarily competitive with all of the upcoming next-gen games, but it is easily one of the best-looking competitive shooters on the market right now.

The sound design is also fairly solid. You're going to get used to a very specific ping when you start to play with others, but you'll also come to recognize the sound of everything from specific character powers to individual guns. It's hard to overstate how important this is in the world of competitive gaming, so it's nice to know that the development team didn't put all of their resources into the visual basket.

Graphics & Audio Rating: 4/5

Team Work Makes the Dream Work 

Apex Legends' gameplay hasn't changed all that much in Season 8, which is largely a good thing. This is a game that's managed to carve out a niche for itself largely based on how it is played differently from other battle royale titles, so any major changes would have hurt the game's unique identity.

The game's biggest change probably comes with its new Legend.

Fuse is the kind of game-changer that you want to see in a game like this. He's a kind of area control character, one that is unique in that he's good at keeping enemies in place rather than pushing them away. This is a unique enough skill that it adds a new wrinkle to the game for long-time players while giving established players a bit of kit that will help them get used to the rest of the game.

Gameplay Rating: 4/5

More Mayhem 

Apex Legends Season 8 – Mayhem isn't perfect, mostly due to bugs. With that said, it's still one of the better seasons of the game, building off of everything that Season 7 did correctly and adding enough new content that it can keep long-time players engaged. Season 8 is the first season in a long time that feels like it's geared toward giving newer players an entry point, but it does manage to do so in a way that doesn't bore more established players. So, if you're looking for a good time to try out Apex Legends or to return to the game, this is the season to check out.

Replayability: 4/5

TL;DR

Apex Legends Season 8 - Mayhem is a fantastic, newbie-friendly update to an already-great game.