Titanfall
Producer: EA
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Prepare for Awesome
Written by Jesse Seilhan
The Xbox One, in its short existence, has become the butt of many jokes. Some for the way it forces the kinect upon you, others for the lack of fortitude Microsoft showed in folding on their initial vision. But the one thing that can bring prestige back to any platform is a killer application. To date, only Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, and Killer Instinct were contenders for that title, but it all became so clear when Titanfall finally hit shelves. Titanfall is the first output of a brand new studio, Respawn Entertainment, created to make this game in the wake of founders Vince Zampella and Jason West departure from Infinity Ward, the studio behind the Call of Duty resurgence in the 2000’s. Their Modern Warfare series revolutionized the gaming industry and spawned countless sequels, competitors, and copycats. Luckily, Titanfall gave the creators a chance to start fresh with a new IP and with the power of the Xbox One, Microsoft’s server infrastructure, and a team of creatives dedicated to making an awesome new game, they succeeded in making Xbox One’s killer app.
There are trappings within Titanfall that should be familiar to any shooter fan. The modes are standard (team deathmatch, capture the flag, etc.), the weapons are of the usual crop (rifle, shotgun, sniper), but there are a few things that are unlike anything you’ve ever played. The most obvious of these changes are the two-story mechanical fighting robots known as Titans. When you’ve killed enough, captured enough, or worked hard enough, you will be given the opportunity to drop one of these metal behemoths onto the battlefield. From there, you can use it like a robotic guardian, stomping around the battlefield around you, killing enemies and threatening anyone in the area. Or you can take a direct approach and enter the giant, smashing your way to victory using a combination of rifles, rockets, and cooler powers that are unlocked as you progress.
The next biggest innovation is mobility. The game runs and plays like a mix between Mirror’s Edge and Tony Hawk Pro Skater, as pilots can wall-run, double jump, and parkour their way around the environment. This creates a level of verticality not found in virtually any other shooter and evens the playing field, as you can get above an enemy titan and rain hell down upon them before scuttling off when they catch on. Even better, you can hitch a ride onto a friendly Titan or grab an enemy Titan’s head and fill it with your ammo until it explodes. Ziplines abound on some maps, creating even more speed and movement, and when you add in active camo, x-ray weapons, and EMPs, you have a recipe for insane fun. Burn Cards are earned by hitting certain goals (number of kills, distance traveled, etc.) and these can be used once per life to increase certain stats, like amping up a certain weapon or making incoming enemies easier to detect. The variety in both combat and preparation is unique to this title and increases the fun tenfold.
The game runs smooth, rarely dipping below its 60 frames per second, but when there are a ton of titans and pilots and explosions on screen, sometimes things get choppy. Microsoft is putting their servers on the line with this title, because Titanfall is an always-online game. There is a campaign mode, but it’s a six on six match with minor cutscenes, still requiring an internet connection. If your internet is weak or your router is on the fritz, it will be literally impossible to play this game. But if you don’t mind playing online, enjoy competitive multiplayer shooters, and want something just a little different than the modern military clones that have been pumped out year after year, give Titanfall a go. It’s the most fun you can have with a headset and a controller this year.