Why Apex Legends is Better than Fortnite

If you’re a fan of Battle Royale multiplayer games or games in general for that matter, you will probably be aware of the constant battle for supremacy that is happening right now within the battle royale genre.

For the longest time, only Fortnite and PUBG were in competition with each other. However, since the genre took off in terms of popularity, it was only a matter of time before big-name companies began throwing their resources into becoming the next battle royale craze. Since then we have had Hyperscape, COD: Warzone, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

Our pick of the bunch is Apex Legends.

This free-to-play battle royale title launched by EA caused a huge storm when it hit the digital shelves. It was a much more refined, adult and engrossing experience than anything we had seen previously. Plus, it took all the best aspects of great FPS titles of the time, such as Call of Duty and Overwatch.

This was a title that was made specifically to push Fortnite off its perch and become the defining battle royale of a generation! Although in terms of numbers, the game hasn’t managed to curb Fortnite’s success, EA still managed to create a stunning game well worth your time and, we would argue, the best battle royale gaming experience around!

If you’re not nodding your head to the rhythm of the above paragraph, then we shall state our case and show you exactly why Apex Legends could be the battle royale you’ve been sleeping on all this time!

So here are our reasons why Apex Legends is much better than Fortnite:

A Mature Experience

Firstly, let’s talk about the overall tonal shift between Fortnite and Apex Legends.

While Fortnite has found a younger audience through its vibrant colours and cartoonish aesthetic, Apex Legends offers a much more adult and authentic shooter experience, with its mechanics and movements based firmly within the confines of reality. You won’t be able to build structures in seconds flat for cover, you aren’t able to use trampolines to catapult one hundred feet in the air and quite frankly, the game is better for the admission.

Instead, you have an experience that relies on controlled, tactical gunplay and the use of your character’s special abilities to succeed. Plus, in terms of the visual and cosmetic aspects of this game, you’ll find that these are much more subdued. The apparel is more combat-oriented and the general environments are areas that balance realism and fantasy perfectly.

So, in short, no dabbing assailants in banana suits to be found here.

Genuine FPS Gameplay

While Fortnite and PUBG found success offering their players a behind-the-character, third-person camera angle. Apex decided to offer a typical boots on the ground shooter experience, not unlike predecessors like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor and Battlefield. This was the first battle royale to really embrace this approach and the developers will likely be thrilled that they did, because it set them apart from the crowd.

The gunplay is as mechanically tight as you are likely to find in any modern FPS title today. The weapon variety is spectacular as well, with a wide range of classes to suit players with different play styles. Plus, with the wide range of attachments and the small details such as tactical slides to find cover, you begin to see just how much tactical options you have within this title. The gunplay is a real strongpoint of Apex and one that is leaps and bounds ahead of Fortnite’s.

If It Ain’t Broke…

If this was a contest relating to how many gimmicks each title had, Fortnite would win comfortably. Fortnite has introduced thousands of skins, seemingly mindless game modes, and a flurry of invasive mechanics.

For those who maybe played Fortnite a few years ago and wanted to pop back in to catch up on things, we would say “good luck, you’ll need it!” because it’s not the same game that you remember! The experience is littered with side quests, exploration rewards, team missions and each of these culminate to provide an experience that is derivative of the game we all enjoyed before.

Thankfully, with Apex Legends, you don’t have to worry about massive changes. If you want to jump into a game on a whim, you can. If you want to take a few weeks away and come back later, the game won’t alienate you when you return. The experience remains the same quintessential Apex one that we all love, with only minor changes to adapt to.

So, you get peace of mind that the game won’t move on without you and you’ll always have a game in your library you can pop into whenever for a stress-free game. The same can’t be said about Fortnite…

The Personal Touch

In Fortnite, the player doesn’t choose a character as such. Instead, the player kits out a default model with skins and cosmetics to make their ‘character’ their own. However, no matter what you do, you’ll still be playing with the same base model as the rest of the other players.

Conversely, if we look at Apex Legends, we see a system that is reminiscent of Overwatch. The player is granted the choice of which main they want to play as, each with their own skills and weaknesses. This means that no game is ever the same.

Teams will be made up of various character combinations, and to take them down, you’ll have to consider who is most effective, plus what skills of your own you can use to your advantage. It adds an extra layer of nuance to each game, allowing the player to mix up gameplay if things become stale, and essentially develop a variety of FPS skills that are transferable to other popular titles. All things that Fortnite can’t claim to offer.

However, you might argue that Fortnite wins on the personalization front. Considering the huge variety of skins, some of which include famous movies and pop culture, it’s no surprise if someone prefers Fortnite simply because his favorite actor is in it! (Let’s not delve into intellectual property, shall we? It’s not for this article, after all.)

We would beg to differ though. Apex still offers great custom options that are tailored to each character with varying degrees of rarity. Meaning that there is still a means of making your main look classy on the field of play. So on all fronts, Apex provides the goods.

Map Variety

Fortnite has made an effort in the last few seasons to design large scale changes to the map, and admittedly, the map you can access now doesn’t look anything like the original. So, in that respect, we have to commend Fortnite. However, even with the changes accounted for, there is still only one map for players to access at any one time. Which doesn’t exactly cater to a player that likes variety and a diverse set of playing environments.

Apex Legends doesn’t have this same issue. As of season seven, players have had access to three expansive maps which they can choose between any time. These are, of course, Kings Canyon, World’s Edge and Olympus. Each of these maps offers a similar base experience, but include different scenery, points of interest, lucrative areas to explore and certain maps definitely favor different play styles. So, if you want variety, Apex trumps Fortnite every time.

Communication is Key

Another aspect of this title that Fortnite simply can’t communicate with, is the environmental communication that Apex offers. While Fortnite still allows players to communicate via party chats and other conventional means, when compared to Apex Legends, this falls short in comparison.

Apex Legends not only allows players to communicate via a headset, the player can also do so without any apparatus at all. You’ll be able to ping items to tell your teammates where luxury items are. You’ll be able to do the same with enemies to warn them of their whereabouts. Plus, there is a ton of tactical set phrases that allow any player to plan their next move without even saying a word. Sure, you won’t be able to do the dance from Scrubs, but that’s a fair trade-off in our opinion.

Something Special

We touched on them briefly but we would like to focus fully on the special skills that each character has.

Depending on the character you choose, you’ll have access to a powerful move which has the ability to change the tide in any battle. This might be the revival shield from Lifeline that can help players get back in the game. It might be the decoy skill which can offer stealth and offensive options. Or alternatively, it could be the ability to create portals which you can use to your advantage for a quick escape or a tactical flank.

The number of options and team combinations is plentiful, meaning that no matter how up against the competition you are in a matchup, you’ll always have the potential to escape, put up a good fight or completely turn the tables, leading to a comfortable win. So, be sure to study each character well and understand what works best for you.

Visually Outstanding

Then, lastly, we will focus on the graphical detail of this title. While PUBG’s presentation is novel and Fortnite offers a cartoon, cel-shaded style, neither of these games can match the AAA standard of visuals that Apex Legends offers in abundance. The lush environments, detailed character models, the intricate weapon models and the smooth animations all come together to provide what is arguably the most beautiful battle royale experience on the market.

We admit that looks don’t necessarily make a great game on their own. However, when you are running around the map with lots of ground to cover to get to the safe zone, it’s always good to have something nice to look at while you make your way into the warzone.

The True Royalty

Apex Legends is just about the only battle royale that feels like a genuine next-gen game. As for the rest, they feel a little dated in comparison.

So that’s our rundown on why Apex Legends is much better than rival battle royale title, Fortnite. What do you think of these points? Do you agree with our statements or do you think we are well off base? What battle royale title would you say deserves the crown? Let us know in the comments below and as always, thanks for reading.