Titanfall Review: On the Shoulders of Giants

After almost a week of playing Titanfall, I can say that I thoroughly enjoy it. Mixed reviews of the game make it seem mediocre. Some people love the game, some people hate it. Many people have complaints that I do not have of the game. Though I agree the game was overly hyped, it is better than some people give credit to it.

Campaign is a great idea, poor execution

Let’s be honest. Who cares about the campaign in Titanfall? I wasn’t even expecting a campaign when I bought it. I just knew there was some sort of story woven into the multiplayer of the game. It seems the campaign mode is what they meant.

I was not disappointed at all. Sure you may not know what’s going on because of the chaos, but it doesn’t matter. The mode is there to show a little narrative and unlock the other two Titans for customization. The idea of having normal multiplayer sessions with story woven is was a great one, it just doesn’t work well with the gameplay of Titanfall.

This did not take away from my enjoyment of the game because I bought the game knowing there would be no single-player and was not expecting anything but multiplayer versus matches.

The game is extra fun

Most of the game modes have been in other games, sure. Mechs have been in other games and so have Pilots, aka soldiers. That isn’t groundbreaking. Combining everything in Titanfall is groundbreaking.

The game feels so smooth and the transitions between Pilot and Titan are fluid and flawless. The freedom you get as a Pilot and the ability to take down Titans make it fun to play as both.

Minions, more interesting than you think

Titanfall is different from most shooters because they have A.I. characters, called Minions, that fight with the players. I don’t have a problem with the minions. In fact I think they are a great addition to the game.

• They offer more things to kill and make you feel better by at least killing something.
• They make it easier to complete challenges that involve basic killing.
• They have interesting interactions.

The last one is often overlooked because of the fast gameplay. I’ve seen many cool things that the Grunts and Spectres do. I witnessed one Spectre executing another Grunt by stepping on him, then shooting him. I’ve seen a Grunt carry another to safety. I’ve also seen them throw down their weapon after attacking a Titan.

The Grunts also have great dialogue interaction. One well-known instance involves a surviving Grunt. It radios in, saying that their whole team was just wiped out.

Game Modes and Match Length

• Attrition is a slightly different version of Team Deathmatch because you get point towards victory. These points can come from killing Pilots, Minions, or Titans. This is the shortest game mode, lasting around 5-7 mins, and it makes sense. You’re killing everything.
• Capture the Flag and Hardpoint Domination are self-explanatory. Pilot Hunter is traditional team deathmatch because you only get points for Pilot kills.
• Last Titan Standing as a game type is not much different from what we’ve seen before, but it focuses on the Titans. Everyone starts in a Titan, no respawns, and the round is over when all Titans on a team get destroyed.

The games are short for Attrition and Hardpoint Domination, usually not lasting even 10 minutes, but I don’t have a problem with that. The only time it annoys me is when I’m trying to complete challenges.

The other game modes can last over 10 minutes; it depends on the teams. If one team is much better, then the game ends quicker.

The epilogue is a great idea. It adds a little extra to the game after the match ends. When you lose, you have to try to evacuate. Winners have to stop the evacuation. You don’t respawn when dying in the epilogue. Winners can also destroy the evac ship, so if anyone makes it in, it won’t matter. I’d love to see things like this in more games.

I like the time in between matches because it gives me time to change loadouts and do anything else I want before the next match. I only wish there was some sort of “Ready” function if you want to start sooner.

Overall

The game looks great and it is a load of fun. I never get tired of seeing my Titan fall and hearing that epic sound. I love playing as both Pilots and Titans, which I wasn’t expecting before getting the game.

Titanfall offers a fresh look at the FPS genre through combining pilot and mech game play. What the game does is amazing and there is no other experience like it out there. Believe the hype, or don’t, the bottom line is to try it out for yourself and decide.