In film and television, a certain class of films and shows qualify as character studies, in which the characters themselves are more important than the overall plot. Certainly, American Psycho isn’t much of a story without Patrick Bateman at the h

Likely one of the most decried and frequently debated adjustments that Respawn's made to the Apex formula is introducing skill-based matchmaking (or SBMM) to the casual, everyday "Play Apex" mode of p

Based on my Xbox data, it appears the top one percent of players still put in almost double the time of even those in the 98th percentile. Theoretically, the 98th percentile has spent half as much time in the game and would therefore still not be quite as good as the top one perc

This is more than slightly puzzling considering the Ranked Leagues mode exists for the purpose of highly competitive & skill-based play, and there's been no shortage of fan pushback since its implementat

And with season four just around the corner, many newcomers have refined their skills since launch. The level of strategy is also far more pronounced for the genre—and essential among teammates that frequently lack common sense. So, here are some clever tips for skilled players that have learned to become creative and quick-wit

There's been a Skullpiercer-shaped hole in the hearts of Wingman & Longbow fans since the Skullpiercer was removed from the loot rotation. Or more astutely, there are some heads lacking holes because of it. And that's a prob

For simplicity's sake, let’s say Apex Legends has a player base of 1,000 players, ranging from somewhat active to very active. Ten players comprise the top 1 percent and 990 people would comprise the other 99 perc

Some have suggested that instead of matchmaking based on skill, lower-skilled players should grind harder and play better in order to compete with top players. First of all, not everyone has 3,000 hours a year to put into a video game. But more importantly, I'm not really sure how a person can improve when they're getting clobbered every game. After a certain point, it probably wouldn't matter anyway because the player would eventually find a different game that's more fun for t

Apex Legends is one of many in the Battle Royale trend, but it has truly found its stride. After establishing refreshing traits like the ping system and faster gameplay, there has been a satisfying increase in content over time. EA has similarly improved Battlefront II in this way. Respawn even started off the new year with an event that cycles multiple Limited-Time Modes every two d

In pursuing the hop-up route, it might prove more successful than the Hammerpoints in bringing some life to the Mozambique and P2020. Players could conceivably be given the option to pick up a second Mozambique as a hop-up rather than a standalone wea

The first chapter, "Gear Up," is about investing in the right gear. Unfortunately, it's primarily limited to a discussion of PC gaming gear. Given that I'm an Xbox girl in a PC world, I initially found it about as helpful site as a Mozambique without a hop

Taking Ninja’s advice, I’ve tried different strategies: Dropping hot every game, carrying shotguns only, consistently playing a single specific character (which is, by the way, something he also recommends to maximize your success with that character). Spoiler alert: I die a ton! It's tough to win a sniper fight with dual EVA-8s. But ultimately, this helped me learn how to better use these weap

Another great option for INTJs is Caustic the poison expert. Rather than manipulating enemies into a firefight, Caustic is all about setting poisonous traps for them. Getting your enemy to fall into your poisonous trap can be exhilarating for the tactical INTJ, especially when it wins you the bat

This section is dedicated to in-game tactics to improve gameplay. He covers aim optimization and movement strategies, as well as more basic concepts like high-ground advantages and peeking tactics. Clearly, every one of my random squad mates read this chapter, as they love to drop in the elevated platforms at Train Yard and do nothing but peek until someone one-shot knocks them with a Longbow from across the

This chapter is primarily about the role of deliberate practice in improvement. A major takeaway is to set goals while playing to improve specific skills. For instance, in order to become better with sniper rifles, a person should plan to spend an entire gaming session practicing only sniper rifle kills. (Note to self: "Stop being a potato" is NOT a good go

None of these battle royale games drew upon "hero shooter" model that Overwatch had popularized. Overwatch is purely a team game. To succeed, individual players must combine their unique abilities to make decisions that benefit the team as a whole. And, because heroes’ abilities to support one another are integral to team success, Activision Blizzard had learned to leverage characters' backstories into social media content such as alternate reality games (ARG) and cinemagra