In 2014, we got one of the most unique shooters in years. It had fun gameplay, engaging combat, and mechanics never seen in a competitive shooter before. This game was Titanfall. It took the world by storm for a month or so and then it sort of faded away. People say it’s because of the lack of a campaign but I think it’s just because some people stopped playing, and then others followed those who left. Since the game was only on Xbox and PC, it didn’t have a huge audience, to begin with, so it was able to fade away faster than most games.
Earlier this year, developer Respawn officially revealed the sequel to the critically acclaimed shooter. Respawn revealed that the game would be bigger than ever with a campaign, new mechanics, and more customization than ever. The sequel released last month sandwiched between the big boys, Call of Duty and EA’s other shooter Battlefield. People were scared that the game would get overshadowed by the two giants but the people who actually bought the game have been incredibly vocal about how great the futuristic FPS is. We thought with the holiday season coming up, now would be the best time to tell you why Titanfall 2 should be at the top of your wish list!
5. It’s on Xbox AND PlayStation!
The original Titanfall was only on Xbox and PC and many PlayStation fans were disappointed and felt left out. People were having fun and praising the game for its fantastic multiplayer but PlayStation fans just had to watch from the distance like a kid who watches their friends play outside because their parents wouldn’t let them go outside. Titanfall 2 changed that and gave everyone the chance to enjoy the relationship of Jack Cooper and BT in the campaign and the intense multiplayer.
4. New mechanics in both campaign and multiplayer to keep the game fresh
Titanfall’s mechanics were already super solid. The wall running brought a beautiful kind of momentum to the multiplayer not seen in any other game, the titans were rewarding and satisfying to use, and you could do some really cool things just by experimenting with the movement system. Titanfall 2 turned it up a notch by adding things like grappling hooks in multiplayer to make the game feel even faster.
Players can already navigate the map really fast by building up momentum from chaining together parkour moves, but if you need to reach something in the distance really quickly you can shoot a grappling hook to a nearby object to lure you in. This is especially useful for escaping a titan that has caught you out in the open or even to destroy a titan by hooking onto it and climbing on top of it.
The innovation doesn’t stop with the multiplayer, though. The new campaign introduces fun mechanics like the ability to warp through time during combat. If you find yourself in a hairy situation, the player can go back to the past and move behind the enemies and go back to the present and shoot all of the enemies in the back. It’s also used to solve some very simple, yet fun puzzles. It’s a fun mechanic and it reminded me of the opening scene of X-Men 2 when Nightcrawler bounces through the White House to reach the President of the United States.
3. New valiant titans to tear up the battlefield with
Titans are one of the biggest parts of Titanfall, it’s in the title! They are massive mechs that fall out of the sky and can be piloted by the player or used as an AI companion. They aren’t something to scoff at, they can literally squash you like an ant and cause you to explode into a bloody mess all over the ground.
There were only a select few to use in the original, now there is a wide variety to play around with! There are titans with swords, fire cannons, flying abilities, and much more. They’re even more fun to use because it creates crazy fights between the powerful titans. Even when you’re not using a titan, it’s fun to see other titans get into sword fights or dash around to avoid fire. I can’t wait to see what other awesome titans Respawn adds in the future.
2. Exhilarating gameplay
As alluded to several times throughout this article, the gameplay is by far some of the best in the genre. There’s nothing quite like chaining together moves to successfully move from objective to objective while shooting AI robots to pick up points for your team. The gameplay feels very freeing in a way, taking off the shackles and letting you move around however you want.
Even though matches are usually 6 v 6, it feels like the battle is on such a large scale due to titans and AI. No matter where you go, there is always something happening around you. There are no “slow” moments throughout the match, it is the most fast paced game out there and it will make your heart beat out of your chest from excitement.
1. A campaign about a relationship between man and machine.
Titanfall 2 gave us the first fully fleshed out campaign in this universe. It’s about a regular soldier named Jack Cooper who is thrust into the position of a pilot after one of the pilots dies and leaves his titan unmanned. You’re stranded out in the wilderness and you must use this titan and your survival instincts to get back to your crew and stop an evil plot that could very well destroy the galaxy.
Cooper begins to bond with the titan named B.T. and the two grow an emotional connection that shows man and machine can have human-like relationships. This relationship brings humor and sadness to the campaign, something I didn’t think a robot was capable of.
On top of that, the game has great action moments. At one point in the game, you must reach an objective out of reach and B.T. decides to pick you up and chuck you like a football so you can reach it. Another great moment is when you encounter this facility that makes artificial homes and it feels almost like a level from Portal mixed with Inception. Things get flipped upside down and gravity pulls you one way but your head is trying to figure out how it can navigate the map without falling to your death. It creates great, natural puzzles and obstacles for you to overcome while also enduring cool combat.
The actual story is fairly simple and feels more like a popcorn movie rather than something super deep with many layers. That may sound like an insult, but it works in the game’s favor. It’s just fun to play and enjoy without having super deep themes and messages, you can just plop down in your seat and enjoy the ride!
Titanfall 2 is a fantastic game for both campaign and multiplayer players, it’s enjoyable for everyone! It feels unique and it has a style of its own and that in itself is wildly refreshing for a genre that is starting to wane.
[Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by EA but we only accepted the sponsorship because this is how we genuinely feel about the game. None of our opinions were influenced by this sponsorship.]
