Since its existence was made known to the public, it feels as though all eyes have been on Titanfall for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’re excited for it because it’s the first from title from Respawn Entertainment, a team made up of former Infinity Ward developers who left their famed Call of Duty franchise due to a very public spat with Activision. Or maybe it’s because you want to see if having a blank canvas can allow the team to revolutionize the first person shooter genre as they’ve done in the past? Of course, it might be as simple as hopping aboard the hype train since the game has been heavily pushed as the flagship Xbox One title since well before the console was released. Regardless of why you’ve been following this giant robot free for all, the million dollar question is whether or not Titanfall lives up to the hype.
Rest assured, the game is fantastic!
The hook behind Titanfall is the ability to control giant mechs, as well as highly mobile pilots in a multiplayer arena like environment. In this aspect, it far from disappoints. Matches consist of two six player teams that go head to head in an all out battle; each of the six team members control pilots, who are soldiers who can be customized with weapons, abilities and gear that’s a mix of standard military weaponry, (such as grenades, shotguns and sniper rifles), and futuristic, more imaginative tools, (like a jet pack that allows double jumps and wall running for easy maneuverability, stealth camouflage that makes you harder to see, and the smart pistol, a weapon that instant kills any enemy that it locks on to). In typical FPS fashion, playing more will level pilots up, which unlocks even more gear to play around with. Most notably, reaching a certain level also earns players Burn Cards, one time use perks that give pilots stronger weapons or tactical advantages that last until their next death.
Pilots are dangerous in their own right.
Of course, we can’t mention gear without the game’s namesake. After a certain amount of time passes, (which can be shortened by accomplishing tasks such as kill streaks), pilots can summon their Titans, the giant mechs that got everyone to care so much about the game in the first place. A ton of depth has gone into ensuring that controlling these behemoths feel like an experience all its own. Almost acting as a separate type of soldier, each one can be equipped with their own weapons and abilities, which includes a magnetic shield that catches enemy bullets and launches them back at whoever you’re kind enough to send them to, or a nuclear detonator that sends your robot into suicide mode when its health is depleted, taking anyone in its vicinity out with it. Despite all of these delightful ways to take out the other team, the Titans never feel overpowered, and more like a temporary way to boost your kill count before it’s inevitably destroyed. Players even have the option to make their Titan go into auto pilot mode and either have it guard a position, or follow wherever you go, so jumping straight into the machine isn’t always the most viable option to go with. Kudos to Respawn for balancing the game in a way that makes pilots just as deadly as the Titans in the right hands, making sure that matches never turn into a game of “Press Titan To Win.” My only real complaint is that three types of Titans are too few, but it’s a minor detail compared to the different loadout combinations you can choose for each one.
Just taking my Titan out for a stroll.
Each of the game’s nine maps are fairly large, making the six-person team limit seem like it might be more of a chore to track opponents down. However, each game feels like all out war thanks to the grunts that litter the field, making the maps feel just crowded enough to keep you on your toes. These computer controlled foot soldiers don’t have any of your cool stuff to work with. Sadly for them, all they have is a weapon and their wits, which doesn’t count for much since they seem to stand out in the open often for easy points. That’s not to say they’re not dangerous though, because taking them lightly can lead to an unexpected death if their numbers are large enough. Aside from their terrible AI, I felt that they brought an interesting dynamic to the game. While they do award you with small amounts of experience, bonuses and earlier access to your titan when defeated, doing so will usually reveal your position on the map to the enemy. Oftentimes, I found myself holding off on killing grunts so I could stay hidden from human opponents, or even used my own grunts as cover so I would know if an enemy was near once they targeted my “friends” first. It’s moments like these that really make the game stand out from the typical shooter currently on the market.
That, and the parkour. The parkour is awesome.
With so many aspects that have went into the game, it’s all for nothing without a slew of interesting game modes to play with. Despite all of the praise for the game’s features so far, this area is where the game is at its weakest. As noted in the months leading up to release, there is no single player content outside of the optional training mode, and there’s no local multiplayer at all. As of launch, Titanfall has five game modes across fifteen maps. Three of the five are your run of the mill modes with Pilot Hunter, a fancy term for Team Deathmatch where killing pilots is the only way to net points, Capture the Flag, forcing teams to grab flags at the heart of the enemy spawn point and relaying back to their own base, and Hardpoint, where teams fight to control and defend specific points on the map, accumulating points for the amount of time they own each spot.
Aside from those FPS staples, the other two modes are Attrition, which is basically Pilot Hunter with additional scoring, giving teams points for killing Titans and grunts, and Last Titan Standing, where pilots start off in their mechs with the winning team being the one with the… last Titan standing. If your titan is destroyed, your pilot can still fight. If your pilot is killed, you don’t respawn until the next round starts. None of these are exactly setting the world on fire since they’re so similar to the other play types, but I found the most interesting aspect of play to be in the campaign mode.
Sending back enemy bullets is great fun, even when you’re capturing flags. Again.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “You said there’s no single player! I’m going to comment about how stupid you are!” Hold on there you eager beaver. Campaign is still multiplayer, but this time, it’s within the very loose context of a story. Each team is part of either the “Militia” or the “IMC”, who fight across nine maps that play in a preset order with specific game modes. The campaign takes us through an exciting tale of redemption, desperation and betrayal that will make you… hell, who am I kidding? The story isn’t very good. Aside from a small amount of dialogue, the scenarios don’t even change depending on who wins. The biggest reason to limit yourself in the campaign instead of having it your way in classic play is that finishing each faction’s story is the only way to unlock all of the titans. I almost feel bad running it down so much since I think blending a campaign with a multiplayer game is an incredible idea, it just doesn’t feel like anything more than an afterthought.
However, when it comes to the merits of a game, the ultimate measure is how fun it is to play. In this department, Titanfall is an incredibly addictive experience with plenty of fresh ideas that even has someone like me, a person who has been burnt out of FPS games for years, playing for hours on end. Everything from the titans to the mobility of the pilots and the inclusion of grunts make it one of the most fast paced, varied shooters in years. It’s biggest sin is that there’s just not enough to do with all of these fancy new ideas. We’ve been capturing flags and fighting to the death for years, and throwing parkour and mechs into the mix doesn’t change much. What’s worse is that they had a great idea with the multiplayer campaign mode, but it feels almost pointless when it acts nearly identical to the standard play modes.
The value of an online only game relies on the community’s eagerness to play, so at this point, it’s impossible to tell. As it stands though, it’s hard to see most players sticking around for months upon months with so few unique modes to play, essentially forcing owners to rely on future DLC to extend interest. With that said, Titanfall is a fantastic step in the right direction and has the potential to become the next turning point in the evolution in the FPS. It’s just not there yet.
The Positives And The Negatives
+ The nimble pilots and towering Titans add a ton of gameplay options while somehow remaining balanced.
+ Inventive weapons, gear and perks.
+ Computer controlled grunts add an extra layer of strategy to the typical FPS formula.
– Five game modes seem like too few for a multiplayer only game, especially when they’re either the typical fare, or cut from the same cloth.
– Three Titan types are too few.
-While the multiplayer campaign is a great idea, its execution is… yeah. It comes off feeling like an afterthought.
Final Score: 4/5