Apex Legendshas been on the market since February of last year, with the unique hero-based battle royale still boasting a large fan base. However, many players have wondered whyApex Legendshas not introducedTitanfall’s popular wall running mechanics into the game, with Respawn recently providing an answer.
WhileApex Legendsis set within theTitanfalluniverse andmay already feature Jack Coopersomewhere in one of its maps or trailers, the gameplay betweenTitanfallandApex Legendsis vastly different. Perhaps the biggest feature missing fromApex LegendsisTitanfall’s popular wall running, a mechanic that joined the Titans in giving the series its identity. However, according to Respawn lead game designer Daniel Klein, wall running will never permanently come toApex Legends.
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In the same subreddit where Klein recently criticizedtoxicity in theApex Legendscommunity, the developer detailed why wall running is unlikely to show up in the title, describing it as a “sugar rush mechanic.” Essentially, while wall running is fun in small doses, players get burnt out on it quickly — with Klein citingTitanfall 2as an example of this. Per Klein,Titanfall 2was “the kind of game you play and absolutely love for a few weeks and then you’re kind of done,” with the game using an abundance of the sugar rush mechanics described by Klein.
Klein continued, adding that “Apexcombat plays out over longer time and has meaningful ups and downs in its pacing,” with the slower style allowing for a more replayable experience where “you can tell yourself an interesting story about the game you just played.” According to Klein, whileTitanfall 2and its wall running were “extremely exciting" for a time, they also became “extremely exhausting and samey.” With people “still playingApex” and the gameon track to make $1 billion, it would seem Klein is right about his thoughts on the movement system.
It is important to note thatApex Legendshas experimented with wall running in the past, as the game’slimited time Shadow Royale modeallowed for someTitanfall-like mechanics when chasing down the AI foes. As mentioned by Klein, the team had “more leeway with Shadows” due to the foes not having guns and respawning. While Klein does highlight the positives of wall running, he makes many strong points as to why it is “very unlikely” that Respawn would “ever put wall running and double jumping on a full Legend.”
For fans who lovedTitanfall’s wall running, this news may be a bit disappointing, though it is certainly nice to have an actual explanation for the mechanic’s removal. Until official news on aTitanfallfollowup arrives, players can always go back to experience wall running inthe previousTitanfallgames.
Apex Legendsis out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version in the works.
