So I have a problem with Apex Legends. The game has a severe learning curve and is extremely difficult to pick up at first. I have a few matches under my belt now, and by matches I mean surviving for a brief moment until I get killed by someone who actually knows what they’re doing. So my problem with Apex Legends is this: why is there no solo matchmaking at all?
As one experienced in the art of team sports, I understand what Apex Legends is doing and I appreciate their idea of promoting the team over the individual. However, I find it hard to be able to experiment with the game and get comfortable with it when I have a team that is relying on me at all times. As someone who is currently not very skilled at the game, I would like a mode that would let me explore the map and all of the weapons and little gameplay nuances without the pressure of teammates. It gives me too much anxiety.
In games like Fortnite or Call of Duty, you have the option to play by yourself. This gives you the freedom to try things out and discover your style of play and what works for you. With Apex, I feel like you’re thrown out into the battlefield without any understanding of what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to do it. Back in the Modern Warfare 2 days, I was a big fan of going for the tactical nuke. But before jumping into a domination match or ground war, I would roll up into a free-for-all match to get warmed up and make sure I was ready to take on the competition. It’s like a sport; you need to check in with yourself and see where you’re at that day and analyze how you’re feeling. I feel like Apex throws you right into the middle of the Super Bowl, without any training or sense of belonging on that stage in the first place. It’s a very isolating feeling honestly.
I still don’t even know which guns are good and what the effects are of the random items I pick up. I think that if there was a solo mode, I would feel more inclined to mess around and see what all I was capable of. I would be less risk-averse and feel more at free to explore the game and fail. With the squads of three though, I feel that I am more indebted to my teammates. I don’t want to be seen as a bad teammate and want to assist them in our quest for victory, but ultimately don’t feel the same sense of experimentation as I would in solo matchmaking.
The squad gameplay seems more like a game-type scenario, whereas a solo mode is more like practice. Sure, I can go off on my own and desert my squad in a match, but I don’t think I’ll last long with teams of three ganging up on me left and right. If I could only play a few rounds solo with no squads, I feel like I could pick up the game more quickly. Even if I could roam around the map a few times by myself, I think I would be in a better position. I find it incredibly frustrating that there is no form of solo matchmaking, but apparently, there is a reason behind it. I respect that decision, but wish and wonder why there isn’t a solo online mode. Maybe it’s because deep down I’m a lone wolf who likes to call his own shots or maybe others feel this way as well. I have no clue, but at this rate, being an Apex Legend seems like a distant star that I will never reach.
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