Apex Legends Emergence is an engaging update with a strong set of additions, but the overtuned kit of the new Legend Seer dampened the otherwise excellent launch.
Despite releasing all the way back in 2019, Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale title Apex Legends is more popular than ever. With the game even drawing in content creators from Warzone, it’s easy to see why there’s been so much excitement around the latest Season 10 update.
While Emergence certainly added a strong set of additions to the game including a new weapon, map changes, Ranked Arenas, and a fresh battle pass, it’s the new Legend Seer that’s been the glaring issue for a lot of players at the beginning of Season 10.
Apex Legends Emergence Key Details
- Price: Free
- Developer: Respawn Entertainment
- Release Date: August 3, 2021
- Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Apex Legends Emergence trailer
Seer – An unbalanced entrance to The Outlands
While Fuse was relatively underpowered when he was introduced in Season 8, and Valkyrie was spot on when it came to balancing, Seer’s kit definitely arrived overturned, and players have made their voices heard on the topic. With a Passive ability that provides a permanent heartbeat sensor and a Tactical that just does absolutely everything, the Ambush Master established himself as a top-tier Legend as soon as he was released into the game.
Despite this, there’s no denying how fun Seer is to play while taking out competitors in any of the BR maps. With crisp futuristic animations and incredible sound design on every single one of his abilities, as always, Respawn has knocked it out of the park when comes to creating an engaging gameplay experience.
However, the crux of the issue with Seer is that it’s incredibly frustrating for anyone playing against the Legend. The combination of a 75-meter range interrupt with an in-built heartbeat sensor makes retreating for a heal almost impossible. Not only that, the Ambush Master’s Ultimate is yet another ability that provides invaluable information to him and his teammates, locating and highlighting any moving enemies within the radius.
As expressed by Apex Legends pro player ImperialHal, it’s going to be difficult to balance Seer when elements of his kit are innately broken. While nerfs are definitely one solution for Seer’s overtuned abilities, it’s hard to know whether they will come at the cost of his identity and original purpose in a squad.
Rampage LMG – Another weapon to the arsenal
With Season 9 bringing the unique but difficult to master Bocek Bow, it was hard to know which direction Respawn was going to take with the next new weapon. While the bow was a popular addition at the launch of Legacy, it’s since become a niche pickup for those who have put in enough practice to make it effective.
Looking at this, it’s obvious Respawn wanted to implement a weapon with a high skill cap in Season 10, but one that also felt familiar to the majority of players. Well, they’ve achieved exactly that with the Rampage LMG, creating a gun with a slower fire rate that rewards those with a strong aim and ability to track their enemies.
Of course, the Rampage isn’t just a one-dimensional weapon, players can charge up the gun to increase its rate of fire by using Thermite Grenades they’ve collected. As this boost runs for a relatively short duration, it forces players to think about when they choose to use the enhancement in fire rate.
Overall, the weapon is a great addition to the meta and has already secured a spot as a go-to pickup for a lot of the community. The Rampage is exactly what an Apex weapon should be, simple enough for new players to pick up and use, but has a level of depth that experienced players can master over time.
Worlds Edge map changes – New POI’s to explore
With the Kings Canyon explosion taking place in Season 8 and infection spreading across Olympus in Season 9, it only made sense that Worlds Edge was the next map on the list to receive an update. While Season 10 changes were certainly less impactful than those made to the other maps in previous seasons, they do the job of keeping the map fresh and provide a set of overhauled POIs to explore.
Although Landslide and Climatizer remain relatively unpopular locations, Lava Siphon has replaced Sorting Factory and remains a go-to landing spot for aggressive squads.
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The combination of fast-moving gondolas and deadly lava makes for a visually impressive location with dynamic elements, meaning landing there is never boring. That’s not to mention the countless trick shots and incredible clips Pathfinder mains have been able to create since the gondolas have arrived.
However, despite all the effort that’s gone into creating three new POIs, the majority of players are still choosing to land Fragment every single game. This is definitely a problem the devs need to solve, as most of World’s Edge is not being explored or looted by players in their matches.
Battle Pass – Major improvement from Season 9
After an outcry of disappointment from the community when it came to Season 9’s battle pass, the devs certainly took the criticism on board and came back stronger in Season 10. With a stylish set of skins for Seer, Wattson, Gibraltar, and the 30-30 Repeater as soon as the reward track is purchased, unlike the previous season, players are immediately provided with a great set of cosmetics.
Although the filler weapons skins are still present throughout the pass, Aerial Evolution Valkyrie at tier 25 and Biotic Luminary Horizon at tier 50 are both impressive Legendary cosmetics for players to work towards.
Of course, for a lot of Apex players, it’s all about those final tiers, and Respawn hasn’t disappointed in Season 10. With a set of Volt SMG skins making up tiers 100 and 110, it’s going to be hard to choose between Symbiotic Relationship and Fatal Injection when picking your default Volt skin.
While the pass is still far from perfect, it’s definitely a major improvement from Season 9 and at least gives players a set of worthwhile rewards to grind for.
Ranked Arenas – A competitive edge
The introduction of Arenas in Season 9 was one the most significant additions in Apex’s history, as it marked the game’s first deviation from the battle royale format. While the community loved the fast-paced and aggressive gameplay that came with the 3v3 mode, it lacked a competitive edge.
Luckily, with Emergence, the devs decided to add the long-awaited Ranked mode and it has gone down a treat with players. As Arenas is round-based, it’s built for a competitive set of ranks, with matches going right down to the wire and being decided in sudden death.
The possibilities are limitless with Arenas, and with rumors that a Rampart Town Takeover will be introducing a new map in Season 10, it’s safe to say that Respawn has big plans for the mode’s future.
Rating 8/10
Season 10 of Apex Legends is everything the community expects from a major update and nothing more. While Legacy brought innovation with Arenas, Emergence attempts to add all the fundamentals of a classic Apex update in an interesting and engaging way. Although the devs achieved this for the most part with the Rampage LMG, Worlds Edge changes, and the battle pass, it was Seer’s overtuned kit that ruined the beginning of Season 10 for a lot of the community.
There’s no denying that Seer is an incredibly fun Legend to play and master, but being on the receiving end of his scans, interrupt, and heartbeat sensor makes it almost impossible to feel like you’re playing on a level playing field with the Ambush Master.
Ultimately, Season 10 is more of what Apex players love, but it does demonstrate how the overtuned kit of a new Legend can overshadow so many other positive and interesting changes.
