What is “Apex Legends”? A really great first-person shooter in a squad-based, class-based Battle Royale setting.

“Apex Legends” doesn’t feel quite like “Fortnite” or “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” %u2014 it plays sort of like “Call of Duty,” but an evolution of “Call of Duty.”

That’s because it’s from the folks who made many foundational “Call of Duty” games %u2014 the same folks who eventually moved on to make the “Titanfall” series. In that sense, “Apex Legends” feels most like a “Titanfall” game: a tight shooter with a focus on mobility.

“Apex Legends” takes the Battle Royale concept from “Fortnite” and “PUBG,” and applies it to a Hero-based game, like “Overwatch.” Each of the game’s eight “legends” has their own special skills, which more or less correspond to standard classes (medic, soldier, etc.).

And there’s another twist: “Apex Legends” is focused solely on three-person squads.

It’s all of these little distinctions that add up to make “Apex” feel entirely new in the Battle Royale genre %u2014 despite the fact that it is, on paper, very similar to other Battle Royale games.

Why is “Apex Legends” so good?

Currently, there is no way to play “Apex Legends” as a single player. There is no “duos” mode, either.

The only way to play the game is in squads of three players, with 60 total players filling 20 squads. Given this, “Apex Legends” is very specifically made with communication in mind. Your squad is much, much more likely to win if you’re talking to each other.

But don’t worry: That doesn’t mean you have to actually talk to strangers.