I recently had the opportunity to play the PC beta of Titanfall, a game to be released later this month.The simplest way to describe the game is that it is a mix of Call of Duty, Halo and Mirrors Edge. But the game still feels like a fresh new experience.
Titanfall is the debut title of developer Respawn Entertainment, a group that was founded from much of the staff of Infinity Ward (developer for Call of Duty franchise, but after they experienced a large split following the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). This would explain why the gameplay has similar feel to the series. But Titanfall does enough to make it stand out from countless bland and “realistic” military shooters.
The most noticeable feature that Titanfall implements is allowing players to take control of giant armed mechs, similar to a transformer or gundam, simply known as Titans. The Titans control very nicely and have a vast assortment of weaponry. As well equipped as the titans are, they are actually quite fragile.
You need to be smart when fighting other Titans, especially when taking on more than one. I never felt too powerful when in one, but whenever I fought more than one Titan by myself I seemingly would always have to eject my Titan and flee from battle (though this could also be due to my poor skill in first-person shooters).
Another key feature Titanfall implements is the parkour-like movement that pilots (the characters players control) have. When not in a Titan, you play as a standard pilot, with a jetpack-like device that lets you double jump and wall run. This feature is really cool, works fairly smoothly and is also quite useful in the heat of battle.
Having a wide range of maneuverability makes it much easier to run and hide from the powerful Titans and strategize the proper action and also helps to create a better balance between Titans and the pilots.
Even with all of the cool new features Titanfall brings to the table, it is not without it’s issues, albeit they are minor. Balance between the pilots and Titans could be fixed, as I never felt that my anti-Titan weapons were ever working effectively.
Graphics in Titanfall appear a bit dated, certainly not on par with the new current gen games like Killzone Shadow Fall or Ryse: Son of Rome. This is not a deal breaker by any means, but it makes Titanfall beel less of a “next-gen” game. Lastly is the inclusion of bots, or computer-controlled players. I found myself often finding more bots than actual players, which made for a less exciting experience.
Overall, Titanfall is a game that feels new enough to stand out, while still wielding an established formula that plays very well. It does have some minor issues, but these are likely to be ironed out by the time of release. I do wonder how the game will play out story-wise, as the game is multiplayer only. Titanfall comes out March 11.