Losing [reblog]
What I find interesting however about the Battle Royale genre and in-turn Apex Legends, is how much they combat the idea that players need to win in-order to be enjoying themselves.
By the very nature of Battle Royale games, where 60+ people jump into an arena, and only three are left standing (in the case of Apex Legends), the overwhelming majority of people are not going to be victorious in the overwhelming majority of games they play. Good players could potentially not have enough loot, be boxed in by a third party, or be lacking the experience with a character, area, or weapon not generally used.
It's not like Halo where matches are generally 4v4 with the same weapons, spawns, and chokepoints. Matchmaking in-games like these are often made with the goal of matching people closely so they're never going for too long with lost matches, and even that spawns its own controversy online.
People love to pub-stomp, they love dominating, and companies have been known to encourage certain behaviors. Activision most of all was caught red-handed with a patent made to put those who spent money on more powerful weapons, against those who did not.
I bring all of this up, because it makes me ask the question, why then have I been binging Apex Legends despite not winning a single game since returning to it? I've come close multiple times, and have won in the past, but just haven't seemed to secure that Champion screen.
Yet it doesn't bother me, if it did, I don't think I'd keep playing.
There's two components I believe. For one thing, there's enough skill-based gameplay in Apex to feel like matches are in your reach, yet random enough, to dodge crippling responsibility.
In Quake, when you lose, it's not because an unknown third-party jumped in when you were weak, or your experimenting with a different character, or your team just didn't click, it's because you're worse. Period. Not to mention the differences between an average player and a good player has the gap of an Ocean. The same-way Halo 1's a nightmare for anybody who doesn't know to immediately switch to the Pistol on spawn.
Meanwhile, Apex, and other Battle Royals, give you the agency to engage through its mechanics, but not so much that loses fall entirely on your shoulders.
Where Apex differs however (especially from PUBG) is its personality. There's top-level music during the initial phases, likable characters unique in-design, a gorgeous art-style straddling the line between plausible sci-fi and military shooter, heaps of endearing yet useful quips during gameplay.
It's enough heart to charm you even when you're the first squad to bite the dust, and that's the task very few games have overcome.
Entertain even during its lowest gameplay points.
