Apex Legends Mobile First Impressions: Time to ditch Garena Free Fire Max, BGMI

Apex Legends Mobile is finally here! After months of wait, the mobile port of the popular battle royale game on PC and console is here, and it seems to be off a good start. Developers by Lightspeed & Quantum Studios and Respawn Entertainment, the game brings the same basic experience as Apex Legends title on PC but with all the optimisations to make it “mobile friendly”. And now that it is here and ready to download, we have it a try and here is everything we have found about it so far.

Apex Legends Mobile joins the ranks of BGMI, Garena Free Fire Max, New State Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile as a free-to-lay online multiplayer game. It is exactly a replica of the 2019 release Apex Legends on PC but with all the modes you must have seen on the PC version. Other than the Battle Royale mode, the game also brings the TDM mode as well as 3v3 Arena mode, along with most of the Legends and weapons.

We tried the game on Android on a Xiaomi 12 Pro, and on iOS with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The early release of the game has room for refinement, which is why you may not have the most polished experiences.

Apex Legends Mobile Gameplay: What’s different

As someone who hasn’t had much experience with the PC version of the game, Apex Legends Mobile comes across a s completely refreshing take on the usual Battle Royale games that have served us for years. The underlying concept is the same behind this one — you participate in a multiplayer match wherein your squad has to be the last one standing. And to do that, you will have weapons at your disposal along with the Legends (the characters) and their special abilities. These Legends include Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Wraith, Octane, Bangalore, Caustic, Mirage, Pathfinder and fade. You might need some time to learn the terminologies but the core concept remains the same.

Once you join a squad for the Battle Royale match, your duty remains similar — stay inside the ring, and as it shrinks, the fight becomes tighter. While this happens, you have to look out for yourself and you squamates. Depending on the character phone, you can either fight your way to the victory, or help your squad go along. You pick up weapons inside building, or from crates, and if you eliminate an enemy, you can help yourself with their kit.

Additionally, Apex Legends Mobile also lets you choose your POV — you can either have the proper First Person View, or Third-person view, The Third person view is easier on the yes but takes away the fin of the game; it is the FPP mode that offers the most thrills.

While in a combat, it is easy to switch weapon load outs, and even tuck them away to sprint faster. Spot and enemy and you have to aim and hit them — if the hit is successful, you score points. If you die in the BR mode, you will need to wait for your squamate to revive, who needs to collect your tag and reach the nearest respawn point. When logging off or the first time, a tutorial is there to explain everything.

Health is protected by a shield, which needs to be fortified after getting enemy hits. If the shield is down, you need to run for your life. You can have med kits to replenish yourself, or recharge the health shield. Some Legends can also summon Care packages to get their own supply of protection.

The combat is easy and believable, with some of the familiar Apex Legends moves. From sniper rifles to laser guns, there’s a lot of stuff to play with. You cannot move around the maps in vehicles, unlike some other BR games — you are left with foot movements.

Now there’s a TDM mode and a 3V3 mode, both which are currently out of reach — they will unlock after reaching a certain level. There’s a Free Practice mode to hone you skills and get accustomed to the game.

When you are not playing, you can get several custom skins and weapons to amp up your experience. There’s also a Battle Pass available that players can invest in to gain additional rewards.

Apex Legends Mobile Graphics: Is it console quality?

Umm, No! But it is on par with Call of Duty: Mobile, which has the best looking visual of any mobile multiplayer game. On high-end smartphone such as the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Xiaomi 12 Pro, the game looks great, especially with its colourful worlds and superb special effects.

New players will find the copious use of lasers, neon lights, and more interesting to look at. The game is also optimised to run on older phones, which is why you can dial down the graphics and frame rates to obtain better performance.

Apex Legends Mobile First Impressions

Apex Legends Mobile comes in at a time when the market for mobile multiplayer games is full of the same stale options, with everyone wanting to be PUBG Mobile. With new gameplay concept and some interesting characters to play, Apex Legends Mobile seems like a breath of fresh air, wherein there is a lot to enjoy. It is more than just a simple PC port, and every parameter has been designed keeping the mobile gamers in mind.

Battle Royale fans will be familiar with the gameplay style but the presentation and execution seems enjoyable — at least for someone who gave up on the conventional Battle Royale games years ago. Will this take the mobile gaming market by storm? That is something only time can tell.