Apex Legends has raised some eyebrows with its latest event, ‘The Iron Crown’. Is the EA title gone for good? Find out in this Apex Legends opinion.
Updated: Apex Legends developer insults players on Reddit due to Iron Crown event complaints. Read more here.
In case you didn’t know, Apex Legends had an update recently that added a new limited time event called Iron Crown. Sounds good, right? Well, yes and, at the same time, a very huge, massive, gigantic NO! The event has added a new game mode which players (like myself) have wanted for a very long time. However, it has also added a nasty loot box system that has gone completely in the wrong direction. Has Apex lost what made it good? Let’s have a look in this Apex Legends opinion.
The good
Firstly, let’s focus on the good stuff. The new update added a Solo game mode which is fantastic! It makes the game super fast and fully injects paranoia as you run around checking each and every corner. Your legend choice is key (proven by the number of pathfinders you’ll find) as you want the legends that will get you in and out of trouble quick. Legends like Octane, Wraith, and Pathfinder are a must due to their gadgets and abilities. With this added speed comes a surprising learning curve as you most certainly cannot play this like a typical squad match. Engagements have to be strategic, quick as the sound of gunfire is like a light to moths as soon you’ll be swarmed by players looking for action. Landing zones are even more important due to the decreased circle time, the minimized circle and the fact that most players drop at popular destinations making getting geared harder than ever. But if you’re an action person don’t worry, Skull town is even more of a nightmare.
There is a new location called the “Gauntlet” that shows a little bit into Octanes’ life and it’s one of the most popular destinations on the map. This new location adds a fun element of charm that can’t really be explained. It doesn’t matter what legend you are, you feel like Octane as you run around like a mad chicken, jump through this awesome ring of fire in the center and rack dem kills up!
There is an added kill screen that let’s you see what weapon killed you and a brief overview of the most recent exchange of bullets showing your damage and theirs. I just find this makes me madder as I can see how much damage I suffered by a Mozambique while my kitted out R-301 did nothing. On a serious note though it’s a welcome change as it makes the game feel more up to date with the other battle royal shooters out there like Call of Duty Blackout and Fortnite. However, these glorious changes are overshadowed by one massive issue…
The bad… And the ugly
Even after the big EA loot box madness that was Battlefront 2, you would have thought that of all people, Respawn would not have followed suit. Well dear oh dear they most certainly have and it has blown my mind. The Legendary Hunt event was leagues above what we have now. It offered exciting but rewarding challenges giving you legendary exclusive skins, backgrounds, badges and it wasn’t a chore to do. I, unfortunately, missed out and for me anyway, I really regret not taking part. This Iron Crown event, however, does not fuss me in the slightest. It is a money scam. Period. The event is simply against the player, in my opinion, by making things just unnecessarily awkward and expensive.
With this update came 25 new and exclusive items you can purchase. From really cool and detailed legend skins (Pathfinder being my favorite) to weapon skins and a new melee weapon skin for Bloodhound. Thought was definitely put into each of these items which makes this even more painful to say. Do not buy ANY of these items. They milk the idea of this game being free to play by charging ungodly amounts of credits for the loot packs.
1 single loot pack is 700 apex credits which in real money is £7.99. For 1 pack! Wanna buy a pack of 10? £58, please!?! Still not convinced? It works out that if you want everything, including the hatchet skin for Bloodhound, it totals to an eye-watering £150!! You might be thinking “well Zac, I can just buy the skins individually, it doesn’t matter”. Well, my scrub slaying friend… you can’t. Items in this event are loot pack only, meaning you have to spend money to get all 24 items. Don’t forget it’s also RNG on what you can get! They help you a little bit by letting you grind for only 2 free crates that could give you absolutely anything!
In addition to that, they have a new currency called Crowns that you can earn through challenges and also when opening a loot pack. There is a separate store section that offers a few rewards from a music option to a really nice wingman skin. Once again though we have an issue as the challenges are so grindy it’s a joke and to top it off, my dad who has completed 2 of the 5 challenges and done 2 sections of another only has 60 crowns. After a good 20-30 hours of playing. 60 crowns? The elite skin is 360! What I don’t understand is why you cannot earn these coins through leveling up for the limited time, maybe you can find currency on the bodies of people you kill, how about getting a reward for how high you finish? There were so many other ways Respawn could have done this. Instead, they have left me and many other legends scratching our heads and leaving me reluctant to even continue.
I really hope a patch comes out soon to fix this microtransaction mess or at least add more ways to make these sweet skins obtainable other than having a massive wallet. What do you think about this system? How do you think Respawn could have made it better? Let me know in the comments and have an awesome day, legend!
