The Apex Legends Unshackled Event brought back the fan-favorite limited-time mode Flashpoint, and with it a reminder of how versatile and vibrant this game is. Whether you're looking for a traditional battle royale experience, a small-sided Team Deathmatch-style match, or an exciting spin on a classic formula, Apex Legends has something for you. That I repeatedly take breaks from Apex Legends and return for new events just to be wholly consumed by it yet again is a testament to the game's depth and diversity of experience.
The Flashpoint
Flashpoint is a great way to jump back into Apex Legends after a brief break. Set on a traditional battle royale map, the respawn beacons have been replaced with Flashpoint zones, and all healing items are removed from the loot pool. The Flashpoint zones are the only way to restore your lost health (unless you have a few specific Legends on your team), but they're also always incredibly hot zones full of enemies who are looking to do the same thing. And the storm is set to 'Always Be Closing' so you'll need to constantly move towards a Flashpoint zone within a safe area or suffer the spicy consequences.
As a result, Flashpoint games are over pretty quickly and feel more casual than your average battle royale match. I don't feel as much pressure dropping into a few Flashpoint games because the nature of them is so chaotic and fast-paced. Instead of worrying about staying alive, I can focus on getting my wits about me after weeks of playing Elden Ring. I can remember the gunplay, fiddle with my settings, and be reminded once more that I have a very real crush on Valkyrie.
Flashpoint's unique healing mechanics invites players to revisit Legends they may have stopped playing in recent seasons. You won't find a Flashpoint trio without a Lifeline or a Wattson (both of whom can heal their entire teams), and the smartest squads post up just outside a Flashpoint zone with heals in their back pocket, shooting all of the other players like fish in a barrel.
Variety is the spice of life
Flashpoint is fantastic, but its true brilliance lies in how it adds to the depth of Apex Legends' matchmaking pool. Rotating LTMs like Control and Flashpoint offer unique ways to jump into battle that deviate from the permanent playlists: Arenas and the traditional battle royale. Casual players can easily jump into a game of Flashpoint and mess about in a mode that feels less high stakes, while veterans can continue to grind matches to try and become the Apex Legend. Ranked playlists in both Arenas and Battle Royale add another layer of competitiveness, separating the playerbase into three tiers: casual, competitive, and hyper-competitive.
That's a difficult balance to strike in a live-service game whose core IP is a large-scale battle royale. When Fortnite removed building, a mechanic that many casual players feel is too difficult to master, it split the community in two. Games like Warzone and PUBG have notoriously high skill ceilings that may feel unapproachable to casual gamers, with the former's alternate game modes still requiring some serious skill. Warzone's Rebirth Resurgence is the closest you'll get to casual gameplay, and even that can feel overwhelming.
But Apex Legends feels like it hits that "just right" sweet spot, with a variety of experiences available that feels like a lovely little tasting menu. I can drop into Flashpoint and lose a few rounds brilliantly and in rapid succession, hop over to the traditional battle royale to settle in a bit more, and then swap to Ranked Arenas to really test my gunplay abilities. As long as Respawn keeps an LTM in the rotation, Apex Legends will remain my favorite battle royale.
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