The idea of controlling giant robots has always been fascinating. We’ve seen this in movies like Avatar, Macross Plus and Pacific Rim. We have also seen this in video games like Zone of the Enders and Armored Core. With Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall franchise, it combines controlling mechs, aka Titans, with the hectic gunfights of a futuristic military first-person shooter. It’s definitely a fresh experience in a saturated FPS market. With Titanfall 2, the addition of the single-player campaign will excite fans while also attracting newcomers.
You play as Jack Cooper, a rifleman fighting for the Militia. You get the chance to become a Pilot thanks to Captain Tai Lastimosa, a dying Pilot who gives you access to link to a Titan named BT-7274 (BT for short). Together, you must help the militia fight against the IMC, an evil corporation hellbent on destroying anything that stands in its way. Before you even get to pilot BT, you must find batteries to power up him up. The game does a nice job of balancing gameplay between controlling a Pilot and Titan. Once you’ve acquired the necessary batteries, it’s time to link up with BT and fight against the waves of IMC soldiers and Titans.
BT is able to obtain different Loadouts as you progress through the game. Unlike multiplayer, BT will be able to switch Loadouts at any time.
- Expedition – Comes with a machine gun with Burst Core that fires a stream of amped bullets.
- Tone – Equipped with the Semi-auto Cannon and Tracking Rockets. The Salvo Core uses guided missiles that follow where the Titan aims.
- Scorch – Equipped with a grenade launcher and a Firewall that fires a straight wall of thermite. The Flame Core has a thermite shockwave that engulfs targets along its path.
- Brute – Equipped with the Rocket Launcher that fires 4 rockets at once with a multi-target missile system. The Flight Core allows the Titan to hover while unleashing rockets at targets below.
- Ion – Comes with an Energy Rifle, laser shot, and the Laser Core that does heavy damage by firing a laser cannon from the chest.
- Ronin – This loadout is great for close-quarters combat thanks to the broadsword and shotgun. The Sword Core electrifies the sword, empowering attacks and Sword Block.
- Northstar – This one’s the scout of the bunch and is also equipped with the Flight Core.
- Legion – A heavy hitter with the Predator Cannon that’s similar to a minigun. The Smart Core locks on to targets for a more devastating attack.
Don’t worry, Cooper will also get a variety of weapons for taking down non-Titans. My personal favorite is the L-Star, an LMG that turns human enemies into an electrified and bloody mist. Others types of weapons include assault rifles, submachine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns and grenadiers. You can also get different ordnance like frag grenade, arc grenade and firestar. I personally like the firestar, an incendiary throwing star that leaves the area hot for a short amount of time.
The single-player campaign is like a big playground for testing out the different weapons, Titans, and platforming skills. The missions are so varied that you’ll be engaged from beginning to end. As a Pilot, you’ll be firing away with all types of weapons and platforming using double jumps and wallrunning. Some of the areas make great use of this. (Check the screen below for an example.)
As a Titan, you’ll be giddy like a child testing out the new Loadouts and slamming everything in your path. You’ll get to experience an all-out epic Militia vs IMC battle and going up against Titan boss fights. There is one mission that involves a really cool game mechanic, but I don’t want to reveal this because it is really a “holy shit” moment.
The single-player campaign can be a bit on the short side with an average time of 7 hours on normal difficulty. You can extend the life of the campaign by playing it on a harder difficulty or seeking out the Pilot helmets. I do recommend starting the game out on Hard difficulty for a challenging and intense experience.
I was able to play a few rounds of multiplayer with the pre-release code, but the bulk of my experience was playing at an EA media event for two long days with all the maps and Titan Loadouts available. With so many abilities and different Titans at your disposal, each match will always bring something new to the table. Aside from your Pilot weapons, choosing the right Tactical is essential. These range from being able to cloak yourself to using a grappling hook to reach heard-to-reach spots, and they can definitely help turn the tide. I’m a big fan of getting up close and personal, so one of my main strategies is to use the Stim Tactical and submachine gun. The Stim helps me with speed where I can surprise enemies from behind.
Having six different Titan loadouts also bring more fun and chaos into a match. If your teamwork is on point, one can choose a Ronin for close-quarters, a Northstar for sniping, and the Legion for mid-range. It’s always exciting to see someone using Flight Core where the Titans hover in the sky above and shooting everything in its path.
Even when Titans are on the loose, it never feels like you’re out of luck as a Pilot. You can grapple onto a Titan and chuck grenades inside the hull, or you can even pull batteries out of one. There are also anti-Titan weapons at your disposal. It’s a great feeling every time a Pilot is able to take down a Titan. The team at Respawn Entertainment has thought this through.
The maps are designed really well, taking advantage of a Titan or Pilot’s ability. Snipers will be happy with a lot of open areas, and fans of close-quarters combat will be ecstatic fighting inside buildings with lots of corridors.
Some of the modes are new to Titanfall, and some are familiar.
- Bounty Hunt (5v5) – Two teams will fight over killing bounties, ranging from AI minions to Titans. The bounty will be applied to the score for killing the bounties. The one who kills the bounty will get a bonus score, which you can deposit via banks once the bounty waves are over. Be careful not to die, because you’ll lose half of the bonus. First to reach $6000 wins.
- Amped Hardpoint (6v6) – Two teams fight over three system nodes (hardpoints) on the map. The team earns points for capturing and holding the hardpoints. This can get pretty intense for those trying to defend the popular hardpoint since attackers will be attacking from all available sides.
- Last Titan Standing (5v5) – Every Pilot starts with a Titan, and there are no respawns or new Titans falling until the next round. The object is to destroy all the enemy Titans or Pilots. Best of 5 rounds wins the match.
- Free for All (12 players) – You’ll be fighting everyone else with the help from your Titan.
- Attrition (6v6) – The mode returns from the first game. To win, be the first to score 400 points or have the most points when the time is over. You’ll get points for killing Pilots and AI minions and Titans.
- Capture the Flag (5v5) – Another classic multiplayer game type… but with Titans. Two teams will battle each other as they try to steal the opponent’s flag. If the enemy has your flag, you cannot score until it has been brought back. Having Titans around really changes things up, especially when you can have them standing guard near a flag.
- Pilots vs Pilots (8v8) – Ahh, the classic team deathmatch with no Titans to assist you. This is great for those who want the instant gratification of shooting a Pilot without having to deal with Titans getting in their way.
- Coliseum – This one is unlocked at level 4 and reminds me of the Thunderdome in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. You’re in a cage with one other player. Simply kill your enemy and win the round.
Final Reaction
Titanfall 2’s single-player can be a bit short, but it offers a lot of variety in gameplay that you’ll be hooked from start to finish. It delivers on so many levels, whether you’re jumping around as an agile Pilot or killing anything that moves as a walking machine of death. It’s even got heart as you and BT become best mates. After you’re done with the campaign, multiplayer is where many players will be at, especially with the loads options for Pilots and Titans. Fans of first-person shooters should definitely check out this highly enjoyable sequel.
Rating: 4.5/5 Atoms
Titanfall 2 will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on October 28th. The game is developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA.
The game was reviewed using a PS4 code provided by EA.
from Nerd Reactor
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