The examples listed above are but a few of the scandals from 2019, and in each case, it was always a lack of communication or of intention that sparked trouble. The issue with the reaction from a player base is that it is most often a small minority of highly-vocal users, and there is little to be done about that, but it remains true that they will bang the drums the loudest if not content with how developers treat their games. With careful planning in how news is announced, developers can avoid almost all controversy, or like Respawn, they can choose to insult their players, resulting in the CEO needing to make a public, and embarrassing apol

It was no doubt a unique challenge for a writer. During the time period in which Respawn started planning Apex Legends , the two major battle royale releases were Fortnite : Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Neither of these games put the story front and center. Eventually, Activision and Treyarch added Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 : Blackout to the mix. That game leveraged the franchise’s history of interesting stories, but the result was a sort of a hodgepodge of elements from the Black Ops series meshed into a battle royale for

In film and television, a certain class of films and shows qualify as character studies, in which the characters themselves are more important than the overall plot. Certainly, American Psycho isn’t much of a story without Patrick Bateman at the h

While the gameplay of Apex Legends allows players to approach vast battlefields in a wide variety of stealthy means, Revenant is built to stalk foes without fancy mechanics. Players who love crouch-based surprises in their FPS gameplay would immediately love Revenant on the get-go, with his silencing and extra life mechanics simply offering icing to the cake. Stealth lovers who feel inclined to play Revenant should consider the following things before choosing this charac

After reading this chapter, I changed a bunch of in-game settings. I reduced my controller sensitivity from 3 to 2. I also changed my field of view from 110 to 70. Ultimately, my aim became more accurate, even if my actual movements were slower and weir

In worst-case scenarios in an apex legends alter Legends match, Revenant can deploy a Death Totem (Ultimate) in an area that allows him to get a "second life." Any teammate who activates the Totem gets a "shadow mode" that gives them a free revive in the Death Totem’s location after death. In clutch moments, even Apex Legends Pistols can help Revenant’s team provided they’re in Shadow M

It’s proof of excellence that the Respawn team addresses these challenges head-on. Not only did the team manage to build strong characters within the context of a battle royale, but they managed to bring it all together without making it feel forced. The story lives in places like loading screens, lore pieces shared via social media, cinemagraphs, Easter eggs and other environmental aspects of the game its

He offers suggestions on how to act on stream, which essentially amounts to a heightened version of oneself: "Smile a little bigger, be a little louder, wave your arms a little wider." He highlights building a community, something I’ve inadvertently been doing anyway through my obsession with this g

Cloud-based silencing: When Silence hits an enemy, it deals a small amount of damage. It’s because its debuff happens after it explodes on contact. When the projectile explodes, it bursts into a cloud that lingers for 10 seconds. Getting hit by the cloud or walking into it triggers the silenc

August brought the highly anticipated Iron Crown event to Apex Legends , but players became frustrated almost immediately thanks to the greedy structure put in place for obtaining new cosmetic items. Of all the events launched in the game, this was the priciest and least accessible when it came to acquire each item, and it would cost over $154 to acquire everyth

Kaleb Cross was considered one of the best assassins of the Mercenary Syndicate, courtesy of his laser-eyed focus on his targets. However, he soon discovered a harrowing reality: he was in fact a Simulacrum, with his consciousness integrated within a steel body courtesy of Hammond Robotics. What he saw as "himself" in the mirror was just an illusion. The real Kaleb Cross was truly dead, with the Syndicate and Hammond continuously reviving him after death and erasing his memories after his missi

But what’s interesting is how Apex Legends is able to present itself as both a character showcase and a plot-driven narrative, using the battle royale concept as the story framework. Keep in mind how impressive this is in an era where some question whether games should bother to include narrative at

Respawn changed what a battle royale game could be. Gameplay details only added to the allure. The decision to include respawn beacons gave players additional in-game play time, which created new opportunities to bond with characters. The three-player format forces players to use character abilities in tandem with one another. A ping system lets these fictitious personalities communicate via voice lines, which further fosters player relationships with the lege