For those who can afford it, a second collection event is super welcome into the game this season, ready to redeem the designs of the last that shall not be named. Although a higher standard, there’s little room for surprise. When the battle pass was released players got a pretty good idea of who would be sporting stylish historical looks in this event through the holosprays. It was a nice little teaser showing the top half of every skin but as seen in the past the expectations can be pretty different from the reality. So which skins will rule the roost and which will rue the day?
Revenant A Gaze Eternal 5/5
He’s been close every review but this time he’s earned his spot at the top of the list. Not that he has a go-to design but this is another complete departure for Revenant! If Loba is Hoplite then Revenant is surely a deity from the same period making for another suitable pairing of the two. As shown through the skin, Ancient Greek deities were know to be superior in every way with a level of power that terrified mortals and an immeasurable wealth shown through their dress, possessions and kingdoms. The best recent example of this is in the early chapters of Miller’s Circe in the descriptions of Helios’ temple. (Highly recommend this read!) This wealth in shown in Revenant’s skin through the gold embellishments, most notably the angelic headpiece and winged shoulders, as well as the marble plantings and the rich royal blue of the cloth. The way he’s more covered up than before gives him more dignity while the dominating emotionless Cesar masks give a haunting omnipotent quality. This is an absolutely stunning new look for Revenant, one that should catch the eyes and hold the gaze.
Loba Haute Hoplite 5/5
Along a similar idea and equally well executed, Loba has her highest score from any event here. This is more high fashion that her high fashion skin and more sporty than her sporty skin! Hoplites were Greek citizens expected to be ready for battle their whole lives, similar to Loba’s origin story. ‘Since they were expected to provide their own armour, hoplites were primarily free citizens who were able to afford such expenses.’ (itsallgreeklondon, 2014) This has allowed the designers to give Loba this completely custom amour with her signature wolf elements shown the gold elements and the mismatched shoulders. The typical Hoplite armour is represented accurately here although the usual spear they would be armed with is obviously replaced by her Black Market. The helmet is a pretty decent statement piece to top it all off. In the past designers have fallen down on her hair and makeup so this helmet moment is pretty welcome! The red and black stands out amongst the rest while matching her signature makeup that works as a kind of war paint here. This is easily Loba’s best cosmetic addition to the game. She thought she was haute, fly, sexy and beautiful and she’s everything like that, she’s everything of the sort.
Wattson Shocking Stuffer/ Charged Conquistador 4/5
As usual, Wattson did not disappoint. Changed from conquistador as a reference to the Spanish explorers, this skin is a somewhat fresh look for Wattson in how battle ready it is. Before talking about the design, the name change should be addressed. Issues came from a few Twitter users disliking the historical organisation this was derived from and the potential connotations towards Hispanic people today.
Conquistadors were soldiers and explorers from the Age of Discovery (16–18th centuries). They build the American empire through colonialism and established many trade routes across the world. Though this was certainly a feet that changed the world, they were known for their brutality and horrific ways of conquest. ‘Wherever the conquistadors went, death, disease, and misery for the natives followed.’ (Minster, 2021) Twitter users discussed how this maybe wasn’t the best thing to reminisce on and Respawn agreed leading to the name change. While this avoids controversy on Respawn’s part, if anything this event has shown some of the uglier parts of history and through just one skin we can gain knowledge on it. It’s better to learn about the past and act differently than to ignore it and make the same mistakes again.
As for the skin, the symmetry is so satisfying from the helmet to the shoulders to the boots. The change from hood to helmet and chain mall makes a lot more sense for this theme while putting her back in the Age of Discovery. The cyan arms really pop against the armour and look like live electricity, but does there really need to be another blue Wattson skin? Iron Crown, Aftermarket, Fight Night and now this. It looks great on her but changing it up a little could make a big difference, maybe using the colours of her banner frame from the battle pass for this instead. Either way, yet another strong addition for Wattson here despite the name that shall not be named.
Caustic Deputy of Death 4/5
Not the worst, not the best. As with Wattson, this cream colour palette is getting a little repetitive on Caustic now; Lost Treasures, Aftermarket and now here. This cowboy theme can be a little too ‘dress-up’ but the execution really saves it. The balance of all the colours are really nice while keeping his fortified look with the weight of the gold. The symmetry is again very satisfying. The cream elements on the arms and shoulders match the hat which is well sized and curves up just right. The skull elements look somewhat precious while pushing through the deadly theme of the skin. This juxtaposed with the plating elements, the metal tubes, the gasmask and the monocle all add a steampunk twist which makes more sense for a character based in Science. It’s just that a cowboy is such a weird choice for him, especially for his town takeover. Pathfinder’s 20’s skin seemed a little dress-up but with this it seems like they’re almost forcing these fish out of water skins for shock value. Either way, it’s a gas.
Gibraltar Lost Dynasty 3/5
This is another departure while making total sense for Gibraltar. In his signature orange, Gibraltar is representing the Samurai of 12th all the way to 19th century Japan. Also known as Bushi, Samurai were the hereditary military nobility of Japan. ‘The ideal samurai was supposed to be a stoic warrior who followed an unwritten code of conduct, later formalized as Bushidō, which held bravery, honour, and personal loyalty above life itself; ritual suicide by disembowelment (seppuku) was institutionalized as a respected alternative to dishonour or defeat.’ (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020) For anyone that read Skinsational Overwatch Lunar New Year, they’re similar to the Embroidered Imperial Guards of China in a way, similar again as the political climate around this time was so turbulent. They were sort of a police force/ guard group with two swords instead of a gun. Gibraltar would probably go for the gun though…
The armour has this authentic clay texture to it in his signature orange. There’s a few different themes going on here that make this armour look so authentic as if Gibraltar is actually about to go to war in Japan! The Kabuto helmet with the small Kuwagata, the echo of this shape in his dome shield apparatus and the uwa-obi around his waist. There’s an animalistic quality to the armour with what looks like a lion face in the dou and the teeth under the jaw and towards the bottom of the haidate. There’s a mythological idea in the spirit theme to the shield with the blue glow in the eyes. Below all of this is a layer of chain mail and some blue material that adds dimension while really fortifying the skin. With so much accuracy to the original armour, this skin is an authentic and fitting skin for Gibraltar, on that certainly won’t way down your collection.
Rampart Death Dealer 3/5
The first Rampart addition and it’s a pretty strong one. This is really Respawn’s go to design with a twist; it’s that tribal theme with a unique colour gradient. These pinks and purples in the pants, cloth and makeup look somewhat futuristic which creates an interesting juxtaposition against such a dated look. In reference to the painted forehead, ‘Tribal or Cultural Face Painting has been used for many motives. For hunting, religious reasons, and military reasons (mainly as a method of camouflaging) or to scare ones enemy.’ It goes on to say perhaps even ‘artistic expression’. (Face Painting Fun, 2012) While this matches Rampart’s battle ready, blow ’em up personality, it would’ve been unusual to see these colours on the battlefield. ‘The color purple was not used as war paint or face paint. It was seen as a sacred color and symbolised power, mystery and magic.’ (Anonymous, 2012) Although unique, this doesn’t make much sense unless it’s to signify her advanced technology resembling magic to people of that time.
The skin is certainly polarizing. The torn fabrics thrown together is authentic but at times a little mismatched, notably in how the pants are so put together vs the rest of the skin. The bone elements are pretty cool in the wrists, chest and fascinator but look very familiar to other skins in the game, namely Wraith’s Legendary Hunt skin. The other animal ideas are interesting in the fur rope on the waist and the scales on the waist cloth. There could be a different story for every beast slain to gain this material that adds more interest for the skin. Either way it’s hard to decide if this is out of the box or just kinda mismatched. However this is a super striking addition for Rampart completely different from the other skins she’s gotten thus far. This kind of skin is like a rite of passage at this point and with the increasing buffs, she should be more and more welcomed into the game.
Pathfinder War Path 3/5
Opinions seem to be pretty split down the middle on this one but surely the point of fashion is to get people talking, right? Unquestionably a unique take on Egyptian Pharaoh. The way Pathfinder has been deconstructed here is similar to how Egyptian Pharaohs were prepared for burial through mummification. ‘Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible. So successful were they that today we can view the mummified body of an Egyptian and have a good idea of what he or she looked like in life, 3000 years ago.’ (Smithsonian, N.D.)
The exposed chords represent intestines- key organs rather infamously preserved in canopic jars. The gold elements are minimal, mostly on the nemes headdress which shows wealth. The nemes headdress itself was, ‘very stiff in appearance, draped over the shoulders and worn solely by pharaohs’ (Ordonez, 2019) which immediately authenticates the skin. Interestingly, there’s something gender neutral about this which makes this skin themed from 2000 years ago pretty relevant today. This matches Cleopatra’s story of how she was mistaken for a male and thus allowed to be Pharaoh. Unfortunately, the grey of this skin really isn’t striking enough and the lack of change in the chest plate is pretty disappointing. Still, this is undoubtedly a different look for him but maybe not the prettiest from a distance. It’s just that it might be buried below all the other great additions for him.
Crypto Nomad Overseer 3/5
Yet another total departure, this time for Crypto. Who’d have thought the most tech savvy legend in the game would get a skin that puts him completely away from electronics? Though not specifically tied to one period, Nomads, (from the Greek for wondering) are people without fixed habitation moving around one area in pastoral occupations- hunters, livestock or traders usually. Nomads are more commonly found in infertile regions such as steppe, tundra or desert and must adapt to a more natural lifestyle to survive despite a lack of resources. This fits the collection theme through Nomads being seen as a, ‘Permanent threat. They were considered primitive, backward, and incapable of improving their living situation.’ (Scholz, 2001) This threatened the move towards the more technologically dependant society of the 21st Century.
From the looks of Crypto here, he’s taken the colder option. Usually in a suave modern outfit, this is much more rough and ready. As is the case with him, the most striking element is the jacket with the fur lining for warmth and this eerie blue glow that connotes a mystical ice idea. The shirtless moment, while nice for some of us, asserts dominant and the gold necklace shows success and high status. The mask throws it off a little though. At first impression, it read more luchador to me. The hair might seem inappropriate but might be accurate for nomads in it’s practicality. The facial hair matches and transforms Crypto’s face. Overall though, this is a strong skin for Crypto and a totally different icy edge for him.
Caustic Grave Robber 2/5
Not the worst recolour. The robe has an Aztec feel to it with the green and yellow colour scheme and triangle elements alluding to a sun idea. The epic print underneath is spooky and in a more geometrical style that fits with the theme. The way it moves is basic but the size of it works well. The lack of change in face is disappointing as maybe a painted skull or just a change in the goggles and gas mask would’ve pushed this further. It’s way overshadowed by his legendary so maybe another legend with an epic this event would’ve been more exciting or at least more inclusive.
Horizon Hieroglyph Heroics 1/5
Not the worst rare skin but still very lacking. This alludes to Ancient Egypt again. The yellow is nice on here with those neon hieroglyphics on the thighs. If the hieroglyphics moved as in an epic skin there would be a higher sense of mystery and a further impression of hidden technology from years ago that would suit her lore. The makeup is similar to that of Cleopatra but the dark hair and pale makeup has gotten stale for Horizon at this point. For a rare it’s not the worst but could easily be improved in style and in value.
Wattson Electric Blue 0/5
Probably the worst skin in game as there really was no skin at first. A lot of people liked the untextured skin as shown above when it first came into the game, although for such a high price for just a recolour, it should’ve just be put into the game properly. But then to take it out of the game despite fans’ wishes and then to only offer selective refunds? It adds insult to injury. Otherwise, it’s not the most exciting skin. Blue for Wattson? Ground-breaking. An all white skin epic for Wattson? Game-breaking.
This was probably the most interesting theme for an event in Apex Legends so far. The tie in with some more brutal warriors of history really emphasises the badass theme of this season. The placement of this event being in the middle of the season allows the playerbase to really enjoy the skins instead of them in the last month of the season and out of fashion in like a week. Sandwiched in between two pretty highly anticipated events, this one definitely held it’s own and has definitely redeemed Respawn’s designers after the last one that shall not be named!
References:
Anonymous (2012) Color Meanings & Symbolism Color Meanings Symbolism *** (warpaths2peacepipes.com)
Face Painting Fun. (2012) Cultural Face Painting. Retrieved from: Cultural Face Painting information | Tribal Face & Body painting (face-painting-fun.com)
itsallgreeklondon, (2014) Hoplite Warfare. Retrieved from: Hoplite warfare. | It’s All Greek (wordpress.com)
Minster, C. (2021) 10 Facts About the Spanish Conquistadors. Retrieved from: 10 Facts About the Spanish Conquistadors (thoughtco.com)
Ordonez, S. (2019) Nemes Headdress. Retrieved from: nemes headdress | Fashion History Timeline (fitnyc.edu)
Scholz, F. (2001) International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Retrieved from: Nomads/Nomadism in History — ScienceDirect
Smithsonian (N.D.) Egyptian Mummies. Retrieved from: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies
The Editors of Encylopedia Britannica. (2020) Samurai. Retrieved from: samurai | Meaning, History, & Facts | Britannica
