Five things we want from Apex Legends mobile
Apex Legends is coming to mobile, but needs these things to be a success
Apex Legends is my personal favourite battle royale. I know, I know, it's not on mobile quite yet, but all signs point to the game being ported in the near future for the Chinese market, and with any luck, it'll go international and we'll be playing it soon.
Apex Legends is fast, frantic, plays great, well balanced, features smart map design and engaging gunplay, and a mobile version is most certainly welcome in my life. But they need to get it right. Translating Apex Legends' high pace action to a mobile device will be difficult, and to make it play the way fans want, we will need a few creature comforts.
So here is a fresh list of five things we're looking for from Apex Legends Mobile, and if EA and Respawn manage to tick all of these boxes, then I can see Apex Legends taking up even more of my time when I'm away from home.
Just as a side-note Respawn, I would also really appreciate a Nintendo Switch port, thank you.
I've already put more hours into Apex Legends than I'd like to admit, and racked levels upon levels for all three of the battle passes thus far, and I'm sure there are many people who have done the exact same. So don't make us start from the beginning.
Many games already do this well, such as Fortnite and Overwatch's recent Nintendo Switch port. But while we're here, let's go a step further and add the option of crossplay.
It would be great to be able to join in with players on multiple systems, and if there's controller parity, then it could be a truly great experience. As mentioned, Fortnite already does this incredibly well, and if Apex Legends wants to keep up this is a necessity.
1
Controller support
Yes, as mentioned, we need controller parity for crossplay - but even without crossplay, controller support is a must. Apex Legends is a much faster paced battle royale than Fortnite or PUBG Mobile, and as such it needs controls that reflect that.
Sure, make controller-only playlists so touch screen players don't get drowned out, but some sort of controller support really feels like a necessity.
Without it, I can't imagine myself opting to play Apex Legends on mobile against one of the battle royale games which are built for that form factor from the start.
2
60FPS?
Call of Duty Mobile made waves recently with a game that plays great, looks great, and just impresses on all fronts, all made better by a smooth performance of up to 60FPS.
60FPS is natural for most shooters, and for Apex Legends to stand out in the mobile market, it feels like 60FPS would really help. It's not strictly a necessity, but it's certainly important, especially for that crossplay support…
Apex Legends does run on the well-optimised Source engine after all, even if it is a heavily modified version of it. It seems possible, in theory, but we will have to wait and see.
3
More recon or support characters
With many people playing mobile, touch screens are more likely to be used, and the full variety of Apex Legends' movement will be unavailable, or difficult to achieve. So let's give them characters which suit a slower paced game.
Characters like Lifeline, Gibraltar, Caustic, and the new Crypto all offer ways to assist teammates even if you're not a skilled player yourself - Crypto especially, who seems to emphasise a more passive, supportive role.
More characters like this would make players on mobile feel like they can still contribute to wins without having to be on the frontlines.
4
Spectator mode
Fans have been asking for this for ages, and mobile is the perfect place to implement it. Give us replays, let us swing the camera around the map as the game happens, and let us use mobile to watch our friends.
Now admittedly, having a free-flying camera in a game which is currently being played can be abused, so that's a bad idea. Keep spectating perspectives to teammates for games in progress, but in replays let us freely look all around that map and see what's happening.
Go on, let me play Apex Legends on my PS4, and then check my progress and review my matches on the move on mobile.
