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You might have heard that Apex Legends Mobile recently launched its closed-beta testing in the Philippines, with some players who preregistered already being given access to play the game ahead of everyone else. With the local release of the highly anticipated free-to-play, team-oriented battle royale, developer EA expects to gain more feedback from the gaming community ahead of the game’s public launch by the end of 2021.

(Update, May 3: The wait for Apex Legends Mobile’s global launch is almost over, finally!)

If you’re eager to see how the mobile version will differ from its PC and console counterparts and get more information about the game, then we’ve got you covered.

We were fortunate enough to get in the closed beta, so check out our initial impressions before you try the game for yourself (assuming you score an invite). Again, Apex Legends Mobile is still in beta; it’s only available in India and the Philippines for now. Also, it won’t feature cross-play with other systems, as the game is aimed squarely at delivering a satisfying mobile-first experience.

Here’s our Apex Legends Mobile gameplay video

Squad-based multiplayer

Unlike other battle royales out there, Apex Legends is a purely squad-based shooter, where teams of three powered soldiers must loot, scavenge, and fight to survive as they are pushed ever closer on a large map until only one team remains. The main objective sounds familiar, but as you can imagine, teamwork is crucial here, arguably more so than in other games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile.

And while sticking together is just common sense in team matches, Apex Legends will also require you to constantly communicate with your teammates, and sometimes even coordinate tactical abilities with your squad to be successful. This game isn’t just about shooting, getting better equipment, and moving to higher ground as often as possible; it’s also about making choices that benefit your team’s composition and playstyle.

With great power comes…

Great gameplay? That’s debatable. We certainly won’t declare Apex Legends Mobile to be a better game than PUBG Mobile and COD: Mobile, but we do think that having super soldiers with extraordinary powers duke it out in a large-scale, winner-takes-all team deathmatch is different enough and interesting enough to warrant a try.

Passives, tactical abilities, and ultimates make each Legend unique and cater to a wide variety of playstyles for players to choose from. For now, there are only eight Legends in the closed beta: Bloodhound, Lifeline, Bangalore, Gibraltar, Wraith, Caustic, Octane, and Wattson. We haven’t obtained all of them yet, but you should be able to unlock most, if not all, available Legends for free during the course of the beta.

No vehicles, no swimming

But that doesn’t mean mobility is limited in Apex Legends Mobile. In fact, the action here feels much more kinetic and dynamic, thanks to ziplines scattered across the map and the ability to cover a lot more distance by sliding, jumping, and using Octane’s Jump Pad.

Certain heroes that aren’t available on Apex Legends Mobile yet but might be released in the future, such as Valkyrie and Crypto, will also let players move around the map faster and scan areas without being shot at.

Is Apex Legends Mobile promising?

Yes, definitely. Apex Legends Mobile plays differently to other battle-royale titles currently on the market — but it’s a good different. Though the game’s cooperative action is built for friends to enjoy, the game itself is a joy to play and introduces special powers that can turn the tides of a match, on top of solid shooting and movement mechanics. You also have the option to switch between first- and third-person modes to suit your preferred playstyle.

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