Players were experiencing a slightly dry spell towards the end of the previous season, leaving the community eager for new content. Luckily, Respawn took control, literally, and added a new exciting LTM and Legend that brings new ways to play.
Apex Legends Season 12 has officially arrived, giving players the chance to dig their teeth into all the new content.
Coming off the back of a massive season which brought a whole new map, Season 12 definitely feels like a less major update than its predecessor. However, one mode has definitely managed to steal the show among the chaos of a new fiery Legend and Olympus map update.
Apex Legends Season 12 review
Maggie brings the madness
Respawn Entertainment have brought yet another great addition to the Legend roster in Mad Maggie. With a fiery attitude, this Legend brings yet another aggressive playstyle to the game, as her kit is built for destruction.
Maggie has come into the game and almost immediately changed the way players engage in combat when she’s around. Her Tactical, Riot Drill, is arguably the best thing about her kit, as the ability to damage players through objects and walls is extremely strong.
Not only does she offer a viable counter to Gibraltar’s Dome Shield, but her Ultimate gives her and the team an edge of mobility, which is very powerful in a game like Apex.
Maggie’s Passive is also a slight buff for Shotguns, as anyone who uses the Legend will have increased mobility as well. Maggie comes in strong, but not overpowered. This is similar to Ash’s arrival, as it seems the devs have cracked adding balanced Legends to the game.
Refreshing updates
Apex Legends Season 12 also brought some refreshing updates to the beloved Olympus map. As well as two brand new POIs, the update also stretched the map out, drawing attention away from the hectic Hammond Labs location.
Having said that, there are still areas of the map which do feel like they need some work. For example, the area around Power Grid and Rift definitely could do with some improvements, as fighting in those areas isn’t as satisfying as other POIs and chokes.
Warm and cold
The overall changes for Legends were solid, with Crypto getting a much-needed rework that has no doubt made him feel much stronger and more competitive. Caustic’s Gas Traps nerf has also worked out nicely, as they haven’t made the Legend feel less efficient at slowing fights down, but it has made it feel fairer to push a team with a Caustic.
One issue that now seems to be apparent, however, is that Heavy weapons definitely don’t feel as strong without the Flatline in the floor loot pool. Since moving to the Replicator, the R-301 is pretty much the only reliable Assault Rifle currently in the game, especially now that the Volt is in the Care Package, which despite being an SMG, was also a reliable mid-range weapon.
Further, the fact that we didn’t get a new weapon this season is slightly disappointing, and the nerfs to the Triple Take do feel slightly unwarranted.
New LTM Control steals the show
Regardless of the disappointing weapon changes, Olympus map update, and new Legend, the Control LTM is by far the stand-out addition to Apex Legends in Season 12. Although it is only available for the first three weeks of the season, players are already calling for Control to become a permanent mode in the game, and the devs have confirmed its return.
Control offers a completely new way to play Apex Legends that players have not experienced before. The huge teams of nine-versus-nine and objective-based gameplay work extremely well within the Apex format.
The Rating system in the mode gives players motivation to play for the team and win the objective, while also focussing on individual performance. We could definitely see the mode with its own Ranked playlist, which is a testament to how great the mode plays.
The only thing that is missing from this mode is its own personalized, exclusive maps, much like what they have for the 3v3 Arenas mode. There also needs to be a mechanic in place to punish leavers as well, as this can ruin a match if one of the team is handicapped by the amount players.
Control among the madness
In conclusion, the brand new LTM Control definitely feels like the best addition in this update. Considering the fact that Season 12 didn’t bring a new weapon, map, or significant Legend changes, the update does a great job at refreshing the game, especially after such a huge Season 11.
Having said that, many are upset over Respawn’s focus on getting money out of its players with new Collection Events and Prestige Skins. Hopefully, Respawn can right this wrong and fulfill their promise of fair monetization.
Despite not feeling like a major update, Control and Mad Maggie has given Apex Legends’ players brand new ways to play the game, which is a testament to the BR’s increasing success.
Verdict: 7/10
For more on Apex Legends, check out all the ranked changes in Season 12.
Image Credits: Respawn Entertainment
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