MULTIPLAYER MODES PUT
THROUGH THEIR PACES
online tests BY OUR TEAM OF EXPERTSwhat we’re
playing nowAPEX LEGENDS
Jess Kinghorn’s mad
for metals and Mirage
I’ve scored a bit of
in-game pocket change
just by playing as the free
Legends and levelling up.
But after bumping into a
few Mirages out in King’s
Canyon, I know exactly
what I want to spend it on.
What can I say? I’m completely
bamboozled! The more I play alongside
the pure evil Caustic, the more
tempted I am to buy the Legend for
myself... especially if it means using
my crafting metals to kit him and all
my mains out in flamingo-pink getups. I
do have to question the thinking behind
having not one, not two, but three
different in-game currencies, mind.MONSTER
HUNTER:
WORLD
Will Oscar Taylor-Kent
lay down the hammer?
With a few events hitting
the New World in recent
months I’ve been on the
grind, hoovering up
tickets and special items.
But a lot of these special
fights can be tough, and while the SOS
flare has brought plenty of hunters to
my aid, I feel my patchy play lets the
team down. So I’ve been looking for
ways I can support a bit better in my
own fashion. It’s time to rest my blast
hammer, and try with something
long-range – a heavy bowgun, perhaps?STAR WARS
BATTLEFRONT II
Ian Dean feels the
Force once again
Honestly, the fury around
Star Wars Battlefront II’s
lootboxes passed me by,
as I’m not a very
competitive person.
Occasionally I need a Star
Wars fix and few games
deliver that like DICE’s maligned
shooter. Playing the space battles is
an instant fix of nostalgia; just being
able to fly over a Star Destroyer or
through the wreckage of the Mon
Calamari Star Cruiser with the famous
sound effects in my headphones gives
me chills. Just don’t let the
Twittersphere know that behind the
outrage lurks one of gaming’s cosiest
trips into your childhood.100
review
INFO
FORMAT PS4
PUB ELECTRONIC ARTS
DEV RESPAWN ENTERTAINMENT
REVIEW N/AApex Legends
N
either its surprise release in
early February nor its lack of
mechs slowed down this new
battle royale from Respawn.
Around 60 players choose
from eight different Legends and drop
into Kings Canyon in squads of three.
From there you’re running and gunning,
scooping up loot, and hoping you can
outlast the competition so your squad
can become the Apex Champions.
The title’s strong focus on co-
operation is key to why we’re so
hooked. You can use voice chat, but the
versatile, context-specific ping system
tied to u is so good that it’s rarely
necessary. You’re also rewarded with
XP for aiding your comrades when they
get knocked down, and the ability to
respawn them if they’re completely
taken out further fosters collaboration.
The squad focus also keeps you on the
move and discourages cockroaching,
promising that you’ll see plenty of actionbefore the end of any
given match.
Each playable Legend
boasts a selection of
offensive and defensive
abilities, with even
professional soldier
Bangalore able to drop a
tactical smokescreen so
that her comrades can
make a quick getaway.
Combat medic Lifeline is
the go-to healer and one
of the easiest Legends to
start off with, especially
for battle royale newbies,
presentinganopportunity to be useful
to your team even when
you’re not the sharpest
shot. On top of appealing
designs and compelling
ability sets, what really
sells each Legend is the
stellar voicework.
Including only a single
game mode at the time
of writing, the squad-
based gameplay already
feels like a complete
package. It features two
progression systems
that complement each
other,withthenewlyDropping in to eliminate PUBG and Fortnite
THE STRONG FOCUS ON
CO-OPERATION AND TEAM
PLAY IS KEY TO WHY WE’RE
SO HOOKED.