The first Titanfall game brought us to this amazing scifi world and showed us that an FPS game can be faster and more frantic than ever before. Combining the fast paced run and gun action, from shooters like Call of Duty with the massive mobile tanks known as Titans, was a stroke of genius but many gamers wanted more. Titanfall 2 not only delivers the same fast paced action from the first game but adds more titans, more guns, more levels and this time, even a single player campaign.
The first game Titanfall was developed by Respawn Entertainment released, exclusively on Microsoft platforms, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, in March of 2014. Upon its release it receive critical acclaim from reviewers, however players didn’t feel the same way. Many complained about the lack of content upon release, especially the fact that there was no single player campaign. However following its release it received many updates, three of these updates were paid DLC map packs, but they did add numerous free updates as well. These free updates were nothing to scoff at either, adding the burn card system and the co-op game mode Frontier Defence. As far as I am concerned the first game was amazing and deserved all the praise it got, which means my hopes are even higher for the second entry in the series Titanfall 2.
Game Details
Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: First-person Shooter
Modes: Single-player, online multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Just like the original game, Titanfall 2’s gameplay revolves around the combination and separate use of pilot and titan combat. Playing as a pilot is quite similar to your standard scifi FPS games of today, but with a much more focus momentum based gameplay. As a pilot you can wall run, double jump and now, grappling hook your way through all the levels in the game. This momentum shows itself really well with the verticality of the level design, smart pilot players can easily out maneuver and even bait titans into choke points for a quick ambush.
Playing as a pilot is good and all but once you call for titanfall, that’s when the game really shines. Dropping a titan in the first game always felt amazing and now in Titanfall 2 there are double the amount of titans to choose from. I personally feel that each titan in this game is not as strong feeling as the in the first game but they are much more varied now and have unique load outs which really make you think about how you engage the enemy as opposed to always just running in guns a blazing.
New Titans open up new strategies
There are 6 new titans, each with its own strengths, weaknesses and special attacks. It’s easy to see that each one of these titans has a specific use along with ideal engagements distances and circumstances, such as Scorch, the fire based titan, which uses a thermite launcher and has an awesome flamed out ground and pound special attack. You’ll definitely want to take the time to learn each titans intricacies, be it using the sword attack with Ronin or engaging from a afar with Northstar, it’s well worth the time and will reward you with frags a plenty.
A single player campaign well worth the wait
So pilot and titan gameplay is what Titanfall 2 is all about, and they show this in a very interesting single player campaign. Now it’s worth mentioning right away that this campaign is very short, like less than 6 hours, but what it lacks in play time, it more than makes up for in story and character. This campaign is all about the relationship between titan and pilot, not only does it offer a better primer for new players to the series, it acts kind of like an extended tutorial. More importantly, it also offers a much better glimpse into the universe of Titanfall. I could talk a little more about the single player here but honestly, it’s so short you have no excuse for just taking an evening and blazing through it, even with its limited run time it is still well worth the time.
The real game has always been the multiplayer
Just like the original game, the bulk of Titanfall 2 is in its multiplayer. You can compete online against other human players in a variety of game modes. Standard game modes like capture the flag and team deathmatch make an appearance, but where game really shines is in its unique game modes like Amped Hardpoint and Attrition. On the surface Attrition might seem like a regular team deathmatch but it’s a little more than that, there are actually 3 teams in play, two of which are players while the third is AI controlled, so it’s a combination of farming AI opponents while keeping other players at bay. Amped Hardpoint is similar to hardpoint domination in other EA shooters like Battlefield, however one hardpoint becomes amped throughout the match and offers double points when captured and held. It’s a great take on the game mode that fits really well with Titanfall 2’s amped up gameplay. Bounty Hunt is another game mode worth mentioning, in this game mode you get money upon killing AI grunts or other team players, which you then need to return and deposit at one of several banks throughout the level. However while on route to deposit you can be killed by other players and have your money stolen. It’s a great game mode and offers a good change from previous modes. My personal favourite game mode is the returning Last Titan Standing, where two teams all start the game in titans and the last team with an actively piloted titan wins the match. Since there are no respawns in each round of this game mode, it makes for much more tension during the matches and really makes you think before you engage the enemy.
Final Thoughts
Titanfall 2 is everything the first game should have been. It offers a unique and always engaging multiplayer, while still being accessible and now with its single player campaign, feels like a complete package. Titanfall 2 is a great step up from the previous game and you can tell Respawn Entertainment, really listened to the fans to give them what they wanted. The biggest issue with Titanfall 2, was its release date, wedged between the latest Call of Duty and Battlefield games, it’s easy to see why many people passed this game by. Hopefully you got a copy or might have one coming your way this holiday season, so you can have as much fun dropping titans as I have while playing Titanfall 2.
+great single player campaign
+great gameplay with tight controls
+more titans
-as good as it is the single player is too short
-poor choice of release date
OVERALL
Gameplay: 5/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 5 /5
