Apex Legends events can be hit and miss. Sometimes there are exciting Town Takeovers and map-changing updates, and sometimes there are recycled LTMs like Shadow Royale which get a little dull. And then there’s War Games, which was grand in scope but half of the Limited Time Modes were canceled due to technical issues (we still haven’t seen the Killing Time LTM which the developer said it was saving for “another time” by the way).
You can’t cater to everyone’s tastes with every single event, but the latest to hit the game could be the worst yet – and I don’t think this is even a matter of opinion. But to fully understand why Dark Depths is so bad, we’ve got to look back at some of the game’s better offerings.
First of all, we have Town Takeover events. These permanently change the maps of Apex Legends, adding in huge survey buildings, a power plant filled with toxic waste, or… Trampoline parks? The Old Ways event was probably my favourite (although I am a Bloodhound main at heart), as it delved deep into the technological tracker’s lore while also providing new gameplay experiences. Town Takeovers are exciting and offer permanent changes to the game, something which otherwise only tends to happen with new seasons.
As time has gone on, Collection Events have become more common as well. These revolve around collecting (read: buying) themed cosmetic items for Legends and weapons. However, in addition to the shopping, there’s usually another aspect to the event. Season 10’s Evolution event was a particular high point, adding Rampart’s Town Takeover, Big Maude, as well as giving her a major buff and an heirloom. There was also a prize tracker with some nice rewards, including two legendary skins, six trackers, and a robot kangaroo weapon charm. Even Season 11’s Raiders Collection Event had two free legendary skins, despite not having a lot else to go for it.
And then there’s Dark Depths. It’s not technically a Collection Event, but there’s not really anything else to do other than, well, buy a load of skins. Skins which, for the most part, aren’t even particularly exciting. Fuse’s best Kurt Russel impression is nice, I’ll give you that, but I can’t forgive any skin that removes his moustache – even if it replaces it with a great big bushy beard.
There’s a prize tracker like events previous, that you level up by completing challenges. But the Dark Depths tracker? It’s fucking awful. In the first week of the event, you get some Battle Pass stars (not even two levels’ worth), 25 crafting materials, a loading screen, two Apex Packs, and a holo-spray. No Legend or weapon skins, not even a character-themed tracker for old Fusey boy (that's available to buy for hard cash, though). There’s one Dark Depths Pack available in week two of the event, which guarantees you a cosmetic item from the event – what are the odds I get a weapon charm or banner frame? The third week of Dark Depths (yes, it goes on for three weeks) is when we finally see some skins, as two epics hit the rewards.
Not every event needs a host of new Legendary skins or whatever, but Dark Depths falls particularly flat in the rewards department. But at least there’s gameplay changes or an LTM to make up for it! Wait, there isn’t? Well what’s the point then?
Maybe I’m overlooking the new Arenas map, which is fine but hardly exciting, but this event just seems like an excuse to add a bunch more microtransactions to the game. Apex Legends treads a fine line on microtransactions at the best of times, but Dark Depths is almost shameless in its attempts to sell mediocre skins. It’s incredibly disappointing – just imagine what Fuse’s fishy Town Takeover could have looked like, or a Bangalore takeover of her crashed spaceship from the recent lore trailer, which could have helped bring lore and gameplay together in a way that hasn’t been achieved since Loba entered the Games.
Dark Depths doesn’t just feel like a missed opportunity, it feels like an attempt to see just how much the Apex Legends community is willing to pay and a way to judge what our lowest standards are for an event. It’s rare I’m ever this scathing about Apex, it’s a game I love and play a lot and I believe that most decisions have at least had good ideas behind them, even if they’ve been poorly implemented or not thought through. This event, however, is quite frankly terrible.
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