|
|
|
TITANFALL (XONE)
|
Publisher: EA.
Developer: Respawn Entertainment. Released: March 2014. Genre: FPS. Other versions: X360; PC. Posted 23rd January 2023. By Shane Battams © 2023 |
|
After a mass exodus of talent from Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward, the question became: what would happen next? Respawn Entertainment would be the answer and, after four years in development, Titanfall would be the end result. As a tentpole console exclusive for Xbox and with the high-calibre personnel behind it, hype would soon loom over the project and the multiplayer first-person shooter would bear an immense weight on its shoulders. On the surface, it seems like a derivative shooter, but once you begin to peel this skin away, you can see Respawn attempted to push the FPS envelope, even if not all of its grand ideas quite work out fully.
It’s worth noting from the beginning that Titanfall is an online-only, multiplayer focused game. A lot of the features and modes are similar to competing shooters like Call of Duty. Players earn experience for kills, completing special challenges and winning matches, while level ups begin a slow trickle of rewards. Eventually, you can create custom classes, add weapon modifications and enable unique perks such as longer wall running. A brief tutorial serves to ease you into the experience, but outside of that, every mode requires other players. The gambit of modes is familiar too, including deathmatch-esque Attrition, Hardpoint capture and Capture the Flag, as well as Hunt the Pilot, which marks a person for death, and Last Titan Standing, which puts all players into the huge mechs until each is destroyed. This repertoire of familiar functions masks the true highlight of Titanfall: its shooting.
Thematically, Titanfall doesn't stray too far from the beaten track, but its shooting is top quality
Like its strongest contemporaries, Titanfall runs at a smooth clip, keeping the action flowing at a perfect pace without many hiccups from either frame rate stutters or latency issues. Even with the chaotic action, screen-filling explosions and widespread offensive weaponry, nothing succumbs to slowdown. Though the brown and grey tinged landscapes don’t always paint the prettiest of pictures, the visual spectacle afforded by the Xbox One hardware is mostly attractive. For the most part, maps are pretty large and benefit from clever level design, with multiple chokepoints and hidden shortcuts to be uncovered through experimentation. The addition of grunts, spectres and AI controlled soldiers keeps battles feeling epic even if player counts are smaller, and creating the sense you are a hero that is apart of a bigger battle. Little touches, like seeing one AI grunt administering medical care to another, only furthers this. The intense sound design, with potent weapon fire, ear-ringing Titan combat and dramatic music creates a potent theatre of war.
Pilots are less soldiers and more acrobatics, as their speed and wall-running capabilities only add further to this sense of speed. Wall-running is incredibly naturally, as sprinting near walls sees you flying up structures with ease. The slew of guns available are potent, with mods unlocking after completing specific challenges, but one of the coolest is the smart pistol, which locks onto enemies and provides a fun stealth alternative. But the real highlight of Titanfall is the titular mechs themselves. The spectacle of watching them crash-land to earth is thrilling enough, but the weighty offence is even more satisfying, with heavy steps and explosive weaponry making them seem like game changers. The balance is interesting, though, as the agility of Pilots allows you to Rodeo the Titans and damage their core and you also come equipped with anti-titan armaments which pack a huge punch, so although you can easily be stepped on by Titans, clever players can work around them. This back-and-forth is truly engaging, and combined with the aforementioned, Titanfall just proves a hell of a lot of fun.
Pilots are less soldiers and more acrobatics, as their speed and wall-running capabilities only add further to this sense of speed. Wall-running is incredibly naturally, as sprinting near walls sees you flying up structures with ease. The slew of guns available are potent, with mods unlocking after completing specific challenges, but one of the coolest is the smart pistol, which locks onto enemies and provides a fun stealth alternative. But the real highlight of Titanfall is the titular mechs themselves. The spectacle of watching them crash-land to earth is thrilling enough, but the weighty offence is even more satisfying, with heavy steps and explosive weaponry making them seem like game changers. The balance is interesting, though, as the agility of Pilots allows you to Rodeo the Titans and damage their core and you also come equipped with anti-titan armaments which pack a huge punch, so although you can easily be stepped on by Titans, clever players can work around them. This back-and-forth is truly engaging, and combined with the aforementioned, Titanfall just proves a hell of a lot of fun.
|
|
Unfortunately, a few ailments harm the experience too. Despite lacking solo options, a campaign mode is present, putting a narrative spin on matches of Attrition and Hardpoint. Talking heads add narrative context to the world, but it’s poorly executed. The nature of multiplayer leads to a very similar series of story events, repeated swapping between sides leaves you losing out on parts of the narrative, and the anticlimactic ending sequence is borderline cringeworthy. There are also a few issues under the hood, as matchmaking proves something of a pain. Unbalanced Teams seem to be a constant issue, leaving the losing side frustrated and defeated. While the slow trickle of unlockables keeps players going to the first Regeneration, matches begin to feel stale after too much play, even with all DLC maps and modes becoming free for everyone.
|
|
Despite its derivative exterior, Titanfall proves a compelling game. Solo players likely won’t find much here, but for those looking to engage with a high-quality multiplayer shooter, there’s still a great deal to like. Pilot combat is frenetic, Titan encounters are dramatic and the excellent map design ties both together perfectly. Despite longer plays leading to less dynamic firefights, there’s an appealling accessibility that makes playing the occasional match very easy. Some aspects falter, such as lacklustre attempts at story building and technical issues with matchmaking, but these aren’t serious enough to pierce the hull. Titanfall proves a worthy alternative to the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield.
|
|
VERDICT
"Despite a derivative exterior and lacklustre attempts at storytelling, Titanfall proves a compelling shooter thanks to its excellent map design, frenetic combat and exciting Titan encounters."
OVERALL: 8/10 |