Apex Legends Is The Social Game I Didn't Know I Needed

As I’ve written before, I didn’t fall in love with the battle royale genre until Hyper Scape, a game that looks to be rebuilding itself.

Sure, I’ve been an Apex Champion, had a Victory Royale, and enjoyed a Chicken Dinner or two, but something about an entire match making me feel tense, stressed, and a little sweaty just didn’t engage me for any longer than a week or two.

All of that changed last week. It finally clicked for me.

Read More: Apex Legends Season 8 'Mayhem' LEAKS: Release Date, New Character, Trailer, Patch Notes, Battle Pass Skins, Map Changes, Countdown And Everything We Know

New Thrill Leader

In the last few months, I’ve been playing a lot of Rainbow Six: Siege with some friends, but we decided to find another shooter to try. With the idea being that we’d find a free game for three-players, we hopped into Apex Legends.

Now, the last time I played Apex Legends, it must have been around Season 4 (seriously, I contributed to a book about it). And yet, somehow, it all just felt… right.

Kings Canyon is gone, but the satisfying shooting, character abilities (Bangalore is my main) and squad-focused gameplay just fit together perfectly for my trio of friends.

Smells Like Victory

Perhaps most surprisingly, I find Apex Legends almost… soothing. I know that when the shooting starts, my character’s abilities and looted armour give me a chance to reposition and fight back – certainly more-so than perhaps Warzone or PUBG.

With that in mind, we chat. With no way of seeing each other in these COVID-filled times, it’s as good an excuse as any. Sure, when the shooting starts, we take cover, but it’s been a lovely experience just playing a battle Royale at our own pace.

Bring On Season 8

Now that Apex Legends has become part of our regular gaming rotation, Season 8 might just make me pick up the battle pass.

Whereas before I’d play one battle Royale match at a time, I’m now playing six or seven in a row. Smaller player counts make it feel less frantic, but I like that.

Anyway, I’ll see you all in the arena. We’ll be the squad yammering away until it’s go-time. "Tap, rack, and clear. I'm ready."

What game has become your social meeting place? Let us know in the comments!