Gear in Apex Legends works much like a standard battle royale; with higher tier items providing more defense or backpack space. But Apex Legends also has level 4 tier items. These golden items share similar stats as level 3 items but have added effects that can aid the user and their squad. A level 4 helmet decreases a legend’s tactical and ultimate ability cooldowns. A level 4 Body Shield improves the effects of minor heal items like Syringes and Shield Cells. A level 4 backpack provides extra shields and health to revived allies. But by far the most criticized extra ability that Apex Legends’ equippable gear provides is the self-revive mechanic of the level 4 Knockdown Shield.

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I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

As its name implies, the self-revive mechanic allows players equipped with a level 4 Knockdown Shield to revive themselves once downed. By holding down a specific button, an animation wherein the players’ legends will jab themselves with a syringe and stand up afterward commences. The animation is extremely slow and those within the vicinity of the reviving player will easily hear them. This is to offset the ability of an otherwise defeated squad to make a comeback.

From the user’s standpoint, a level 4 Knockdown Shield doesn’t provide much of an advantage. Even if they manage to pull off a self-revive, players have to recover by using healing items and reloading their empty weapons. These can be offset by equipping a level 4 Backpack and level 4 extended magazines (the former allows a revive with bonus shields and health and the latter automatically reloads stored weapons), but the slow and audible animation that plays easily gives away a player attempting a revive.

Players Who Get Knocked Down Together Die Together

The majority of criticism comes from those who have to fight players equipped with level 4 Knockdown Shields. While it is relatively easy to eliminate a squad equipped with a level 4 Knockdown Shield, the extra time it takes to do so leaves the attacking squad open to third parties who are looking to eliminate them. This can result in the attacking squad losing the kills for the initial battle or worse, getting eliminated by another squad. When taken in the context of Apex Legends’ Ranked mode, this would be tantamount to losing Ranked Points.

Speaking of Ranked, the initial squad that was eliminated can still manage to increase their standing by simply holding out. Say a Ranked game of Apex Legends with three squads remaining plays out. Squad 1 gets completely knocked down but has a level 4 Knockdown Shield equipped, making it so that the players from Squad 2 who downed them don’t get points for the knocks. This allows Squad 3 to move in on Squad 2 and push the advantage. Seeing as Squad 2 doesn’t have a level 4 Knockdown Shield, they get eliminated and take third place; leaving Squad 1 to take second place once they have been finished off by Squad 3.

Apex Legends players might not always find themselves in positions like this, but the fact that they exist is a cause for concern. It’s this feeling of being unrewarded for good gameplay that makes the self-revive mechanic so controversial. The ease of being able to rat out a firefight makes it almost a requirement for squads to carry a level 4 Knockdown Shield.

There Is Hope Over The Horizon

Thankfully, the era of the self-revive mechanic is almost at an end. Respawn Entertainment has announced that the mechanic will be completely removed from Apex Legends once season 14, Hunted, drops this August 9. The level 4 Knockdown Shield will gain the Guardian Angel perk of the level 4 Backpack while the level 4 Backpack will gain a new perk that allows players to carry more Shield Batteries, Med Kits, and Phoenix Kits per inventory slot. With the self-revive mechanic soon gone from the game, players both old and new will find that Apex Legends is slowly moving to a more balanced, healthy play style.

Apex Legends is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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