BEST ONGOING 2021
APEX LEGENDS
Nat Clayton, features producer: Apex Legends has always been good. But for those first few years it felt like Respawn was still figuring out how to run an ongoing battle royale. But in 2021 the studio nailed it. Season 9 is the clear standout, bringing us not only a strong new character in Valkyrie, but a new Arenas game mode – a distinctly Respawn take on Counter-Strike that lets you immediately get into a fair fight. Arenas proved that Apex has legs beyond battle royale,cementing the game as not just a good BR, but one of the best team shooters around.
But it also feels like Apex is just so much more confident this year, both as a game and as a world. Respawn’s storytelling has gone into overdrive, bringing in community artists, and animators to help flesh out the world, while leaning fully into voice lines and BR downtime to bring the game’s cast to life. Apex is a soap opera now, and every new season escalates the drama between our sci-fi buds.
The game’s latest season, Escape, has only reinvigorated my excitement for the game after a somewhat lacklustre tenth season. Like Olympus, Storm Point is a gorgeous reimagining of what an Apex map can look like, and Ash is a strong initiator who managed to be more than mere Titanfall 2 nostalgia. But at the end of the day, Apex is still the best and only shooter for punting yourself down a hill at 400mph as a floating Scottish lass. What more could you ever ask for?
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