On April 25, the Apex Legends YouTube channel released the trailer for the upcoming season of Apex Legends. After an eventful season 12 with the introduction of Maggie and rotating control maps, season 13 looks to promise the same with a familiar new hero not in the assault class. This newest hero makes 21 legends total in the free-to-play online battle royal game, for those counting along at home. After watching the trailer several times, I’ve broken down some important story and gameplay features hinted at or outright confirmed. Let’s get into it!
Tension confirmed
The first 35 seconds of the trailer give us so much. The story starts as a retirement party for Bangalore and Revenant. First of all, good for them. Following the supposed death of her brother, Bangalore is just in the games to earn enough money to join a family that probably doesn’t deserve her. Revenant just wants to die and knows nothing but the (200+ year) life of a mercenary, so maybe this retirement means he found peace? Rev stays on brand at the party by just popping balloons silently next to Bangalore. I want a balloon-popping emote with a deadpan expression from Rev, thank you very much.
After throwing shade at the mysterious new hero dancing with Mirage, she looks over at Loba and Valkyrie holding hands and sitting together. As Banglore turns away, Loba looks up and immediately goes to chat, with Valk trailing behind. While Apex Legends has hinted at a love triangle in the stories and with voice lines, this is the first onscreen confirmation.
Loba still wants to maintain a friendship with Bangalore, but between pre-Apex Games drama and Valk in the picture, this appears to be too much for our super-soldier. Though smitten with Loba and generally very cocky (she is a pilot, after all), Valk is uncomfortable, in her expression and body language, when she knows Banglore is upset.
Kaiju-like lobster changes Storm Point map
When the legends drop from the carrier (yes, that party took place in the launch carrier), we see the lush island filled with research stations and creepy wildlife. First introduced in season 11, Storm Point is the biggest Apex Legends map. It’s also been out of the rotation for competitive play the last few weeks. Some disturbance caused the Apex Games to want to eject the teams early, and when they landed, this disturbance triggered a defensive weapons hold. While the creature will likely just be added for decoration, the defensive structure will probably host some nice loot.
The battle with the giant lobster-like creature (which, I’m sure, is called something specific in Apex) is likely a tease for some physical changes like those that have resulted from previous trailers in the past. For example, Maggie’s entrance into the game featured a ship crashing near North Pad of Storm Point. It’s hard to tell where exactly this new change will occur on the map, but it’s likely along the southern border. If I had to guess, I’d say the fight in the trailer happened near Gale State or Fish Farms (but closer to land).
A new legend is coming soon
Once we learn that the new legend is Newcastle, a.k.a. Bangalore’s brother Jackson, a lot of the foreshadowing earlier in the trailer now seems so obvious, like the overlay closeups of Bangalore and Newcastle. Not going to lie, I think it’s weird that she didn’t recognize his voice, but I will suspend disbelief with the facial hair. After all, Clark Kent just wore glasses and had his curly loc a little off sometimes, and no one knew any better.
Unless those shields provide health, too (or the dragging away downed Pathfinder wasn’t just for cinematic effect), Newcastle appears to probably be in the defense category alongside Caustic, Wattson, Gibraltar, and my girl Rampart. Leading up to the reveal, we’re given a nice peek into Jackson’s powers. The wide shield move he uses against the monster could position a team in a massive fight. In the hero trailer coming April 28, we’ll likely see what makes his shields different in usage than, say, Rampart’s. Currently, hers are mobile and give a damage buff.
While his abilities look interesting, I’m not a massive fan of this default skin. but more so the helmet. It reminds me of Mirage’s Showstopper or Desert Skin (from season 11.) This also fits his chess-inspired name, “checkmate,” voice line, and pose. I hope the Apex team gives us some medieval-style skins. Please, I want tunics and capes without veering too far into the crusaders’ look.
(images: Respawn Entertainment)
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Published: Apr 26, 2022 03:38 pm