Titanfall - Review

Titanfall is the debut game from new developer Respawn Entertainment, does it have what it takes to move to the top or will it fall into obscurity?

The story in Titanfall takes place at the fringes of human space. The IMC are at war with the Militia over resources and planets. As you play through the campaign you are introduced to various members of both factions. Before each mission you are briefed and sent into combat, providing context to the battle that you are about to do. These sections work really well, they provide you with a reason as to why you have to capture points or defeat the enemy. However it's not all good here.

Once you are in the game, you will get updates on story points throughout the missions courtesy of in game popup windows. Think picture in picture and you are on the right track. These moments are almost always drowned out by the battle raging around you. Attempting to take down Titan from on its back and then having to focus on the corner of the screen for an update is just too distracting. In the quiet moments the game has, just at the start or the end of battles they work, it's just a shame that during the bulk of the campaign most information is missed.

The first time you hear the words “Prepare for Titanfall” You are about to witness one of the finest moments in the game. As you wait for your Titan to land, those precious few seconds can feel like an eternity but it becomes a rush like no other, knowing that at any moment you are about to turn the tide of battle. Of course the draw for most people here will be the Titans and for good reason, they are impressive to see in action and even better to pilot yourself. But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Because of course, no Titan can work without a pilot and that is you.

After taking a run through the training course, and landing in your first battle. You might be swamped by just what’s going on, but remember your training. You are not some cannon fodder sent out to die in numbers. You are a Titan Pilot, you are elite soldier capable of feats most soldier could only dream of. As you first move through the world you may do the old trick of moving about just on foot, but remember you can jump high with thanks to the rocket pack on your back, wall run among the best of them and pull yourself up ledges with ease. Thankfully controlling your pilot is a breeze, with some tight controls and those new methods of traversing the maps, Titanfall changes up the standard fps genre without changing the core concepts.

There are a few different pilot types that can change how you approach each match type. Do you want a Rifleman, taking the fight as traditional as you can? Or perhaps you want to play as the assassin class, sneaking your way around the battlefield cloaked and dangerous. Each pilot can be configured to your play style, so there is nothing stopping you from being an assassin that carries a rocket launcher. Finding the balance for the match type and your play style may take some time, but one you get it you will cause some serious damage

But that’s only one half of the game, the other is of course the Titans. There are multiple Titan classes, just as there pilots and each Titan has pros and cons for them. For example the Atlas class is your best all-rounder capable of quick movements and taking damage, but if you think of yourself as more of a damage class then you will want to play as the Ogre class. If you want more speed then Stryder is your class. Each Titan class can be configured with a range of options to allow you to play how you want. Finding that right class of Titan and Pilot that works well with each other, and then of course being able to take down the opposing players is a bit of a challenge, but the reward is that you can dominate the battle.

Titanfall has a very basic look and I don’t mean that in a bad way. The appeal of Titanfall is the gameplay. Far too often you will see games get all shiny and cool looking but that impacts how the game performs. The team at Respawn Entertainment have gone for a very military look that suits the tone of the story and settings they are showing us, but it also looks good. The worlds that you fight upon range from ruined city to desert with giant bones around to lush jungle areas. Each of the worlds is unique in how it's presented but with an air of familiarity. As humans have been colonizing the worlds, you will notice buildings that are similar, to radio towers and such.

Perhaps the coolest moment of the presentation is when the Titans are called in. You hear a boom and then your Titan has entered the field of battle. When you enter the Titan it is no instant swap and depending on how you approach the Titan you will see different entrance methods. Come in from behind or in front and your Titan will pick you up and place you inside, however if you land of top you have to climb in through a hatch and slide down into position. Something so simple could easily be left out, but it's that attention to detail that shows the team at Respawn know how to make a great game.

Sound wise it's a strange mix, you are first presented with the standard battle sounds, guns, grenades and rockets but once you hear that first Titan land you are presented with two styles. And the best part is they mix very well. The Titans are large and the sounds they all make do nothing to make you question that. Each of them moves with clunks and groans and sells the point that these are machines you don’t want to get in the way of. What music is presented throughout the game can sometimes be lost by the sounds of chaos that are happening around you, but the times when the music is given a chance to shine it does not disappoint.

Titanfall is a game that most people doubted, then when people started to play they realized that perhaps these guys knew what they were doing. Of course the final product can differ from that is promoted and yes has happened here. Titanfall has proved that the next generation of games is truly here and with this as the starting point we are in for a ride of a lifetime.

The Score

9.0

Review code provided by Electronic Arts

The Pros

+Great online experience

+Piloting the titans is amazing

The Cons

-The campaign is online only

-The story gets lost in the chaos of the online experience