Titanfall 2

Rewind a few years back when the original Titanfall dropped as an Xbox One launch title, and you would have found one of its biggest criticizers right here. 

The game itself was inventive and fun, but I couldn't stand the fact that it was a multiplayer only game. Part of my hatred stemmed from the fact that I was jealous of the Xbox One exclusive (I hadn't yet taken the plunge after getting my PS4) but there was part of me that genuinely hated the future of multiplayer-only gaming. I love my single player campaigns and I often think they're what the backbone of a good game series is built on. 

Titanfall, as well as some other games, started a disturbing MP-only trend. Luckily now a few years later it seems that developers understand that gamers hate that. Unless you're packing your game full of content like Overwatch (not to mention all the free updates that game is sure to get), you'll see a lot of gamers speaking with their wallets and skipping your game entirely or the DLC that it insists you buy. Battlefront is a prime example of this and I would be insanely surprised if DICE and EA don't rethink their approach to Battlefront 2 whenever it drops.

It's like the lava game you
played as a kid...but real!

I was excited that Titanfall 2 would be going multiplatform, even if I did end up buying it on Xbox, so that more could enjoy it and EA is not inherently an exclusive company. I was also intrigued by the fact that it would include a campaign this time around, though I honestly expected very little since it was completely skipped last time. 

It's been a while since I've been blown away by a game. I ride game hype trains pretty hard, but often that's because you know which games are going to be classics (Grand Theft Auto's, pretty much anything by Naughty Dog, etc.). They're practically preordained. With Titanfall 2 my expectations were tempered. It's already been an incredible gaming year, I wasn't super familiar with the first, and I leaned toward the belief that MP would be the only worthwhile thing in this new iteration. 

How incredibly wrong I was. As if 2016 couldn't get any better from a gaming perspective, Titanfall 2 came out of nowhere and absolutely blew me out of the water in almost every way imaginable. It's multiplayer is some of the most fun I've ever had and is expertly crafted and that campaign I felt so skeptical about? An absolute instant classic and one of the greatest FPS campaigns I've ever played.

Trapped in a dome with no way out!!

I think the most immediately apparent aspect of Titanfall 2 is how it plays. Especially coming off the slower, more methodical Battlefield 1, Titanfall is like a blast of lightning. Saying that it's fast-paced would almost be an insult to some of its more insane moments and it feels like you're constantly on some type of adrenaline drug as you zip, jump, sprint, wall-run, and grapple around maps. But this never feels like too much; it never feels like you're out of control. Contrary to how you may be perceiving it, you're actually in an insane amount of control as the aesthetic feel and movement of the player is incredible. Pulling off seemingly difficult moves like a double-jump-to-wall-run-grapple-while-shooting is fluid and makes you feel highly skilled. The controls aren't that different from other FPS titles, but the feel of them is and it lets Titanfall stand out as one of the faster, more complex (but still fluid) FPS games in quite some time. Some of the things I've pulled of in Titanfall are among the coolest I've ever done and they've happened mostly naturally -- just me manipulating the controls and obtaining the desired result of what I wanted. With these responsive of controls and this able of a character, it's hard not to get sucked in from the get go. 

Look it's the chick from Ex Machina!

Oh and did I mention that's just the pilot controls? Things slow considerably once you enter your titan that drops like a pinpoint meteor from the sky, but then the power and brutality increase likewise. Titans move slow and are cumbersome, but not annoyingly so. There were a few times here and there I was annoyed that I couldn't go somewhere, but for the most part you just feel like an absolute badass in your titan. Given that there are several classes of titans now, they each feel and play very differently. Playing as any of them is easy enough, but mastering one takes a lot of practice, skill, and knowledge of the powers it has. As someone who often gets instantly bored anytime a game enters a "Hey, it's a mech! Why don't you use it to decimate your enemies!" moment (it's way too much of an easy button) I absolutely love and cherish my moments as a Titan. It means that I A) earned it and B) am going to f**k some s**t up. As it relates to being a pilot, this relationship exists within the game effortlessly. You can enter or exit your Titan at any time, rodeo on top of it, let it attack on its own, etc. When I think of how these two interact both in multiplayer and the campaign, there seriously isn't anything they haven't thought of. 

Aside from the controls, the most surprising aspect of this game is its campaign. This could have and probably should have been a tacked on afterthought given that it wasn't even in existence the first go around. Especially after how wonderful and memorable Battlefield's campaign was, I incorrectly assumed that Titanfalls would be lame. What an absolutely pleasant surprise then because, as I mentioned earlier, it's probably one of the best FPS campaign's I've ever played. For starters, its story is one you'll actually connect with and remember as your pilot and titan become close friends. The titan itself is actually funny in a dry humor sort of way, and I enjoyed the game's analysis of the link between pilot and titan. It leads to some great emotional beats and a well received conclusion. The developers also chose to use this time to flesh out the world far more than ever before and simply put: it's a world I'd very much like to return to someday. There's a lot of potential here and I feel like they just scratched the surface. 

Gameplay is where the campaign really shines though. It acts as a tutorial for some of the game's more complex moves and elements, but it is so damn fun and instantly memorable. Most of these moments I unfortunately can't describe to you for fear of ruining the surprise but it basically boils down to the fact that almost every level has a unique gimmick or focus. Some are more impressive than others, but I don't remember a single time I felt it was a slog. Some of the campaign's highs are gaming moments that will naturally stay with me for a long time and they show a lot of creativity on the developer's end so a huge kudos to them. They really did think of everything (or at least it would appear that way) and I give them the largest of applause for taking the most glaring criticism of the first game seriously and not only upping their game, but the industry's too. Hopefully other developers and games take note. *cough DICE with Battlefront cough cough*

Just about to get last kill of the game. NBD.

Another iconic aspect of this game is its multiplayer. As someone who was previously pretty adverse to MP aspects of gaming but becoming increasingly drawn to them I have to admit: this may be my favorite multiplayer ever for several key reasons. The first of which is: these games are quick. During Attrition, the mode I most often frequented, rounds are 10 minutes long. That means you can fit quite a few in at really any time and it's certainly a departure from Battlefield's amazing, but draining, hour-long-plus Operations. Second of all would be the gameplay again. It remains just as awesome in MP and can lead to some incredibly cool moments and funny accidents -- all without any slowdown whatsoever. Lastly would be progression. More so than any game I've played before, Titanfall 2 rewards you at an insane rate. After every 10 minute game I was unlocking something of some sort. Gun mods, skin paints, banners, etc. Some are better than others of course, but the sensation of achievement is always palpable in Titanfall. It doesn't hurt that I'm also pretty good at the game too as are my friends so it's a rare thing that I'm found getting really mad at the game. The maps range from good to iconic and the promise of additional free content in the future (YES!!!) makes it a game that begs for me to continue playing it. Outside of a few key balance issues in the MP, it's really hard to say no to a game that's so accessible and so much damn fun. 

I could go into detail about Titanfall's technical aspects, but I've certainly already covered my favorite things about the game. It looks and moves great, but given some other titles this year, it won't be the game you use to show your 4K TV off with. The sound design and editing is downright incredible and I dug the original score too, but given the core gameplay it could have been garbage and I wouldn't have cared. 

In a word, this game is explosive

Stated simply, Titanfall 2 is one of the best games of the year and one of the best FPS in years. Why EA decided to shoehorn it in a difficult Holiday spot baffles me and I hope for the sake of the franchise that sales pick up and we get a Titanfall 3. It may have a lot to live up to seeing as how incredible its predecessor is, but I'm hoping this team can surprise me again with a game just as addicting, fun, awesome, and iconic. 

CONS: 

• Not of the game per say but EA did the developers a total disservice by launching it in the Holiday window that they did, especially when you consider that their very own game (Battlefield 1) launched one (ONE!!) week earlier
• Several key balance issues in MP need to be addressed. Invisibility needs more restrictions and the Legion Titan is overpowered
• Our party has had trouble staying together in multiplayer sometimes

PROS:

• Fluid and amazing controls both in pilot and titan. Pilots are fast and nimble as hell, making for a FPS experience unlike many others and titans are powerful and destructive. The balance and interaction between the two is astounding and leads to some really cool moments
• Tons of variety between Titan classes leads to a distinctly different experience and challenge depending on who you choose to play as
• One of the best campaigns I've ever played. It's highly memorable, has a good story with fun characters that fleshes out the world, and features so many "cool" moments, some that literally dropped my jaw, that it begs you to play it again ASAP
• Shout out to Respawn for not taking the easy way out with the campaign. They put in the time and effort and it paid off big time
• Multiplayer is the name of the game and it's on fire. I was surprisingly often good at it
• Well balanced MP (aside from the Cons I listed) and one that is rewarding you at an insane rate. The feeling of accomplishment is alive with this one
• Features mostly great maps
• Multiplayer and it's different aspects/customization leads to some really cool and funny moments
• Short and quick game modes are where it's at!
• Free content for the win. Other developers take note!
• Strong graphics, but more importantly, it all runs super smoothly all the time
• Amazing sound design and editing. It will show off your surround sound like no other
• This is a complete package in a genre that's been begging for some stimulation before this year. Titanfall 2 is one for the ages and certainly not to be missed. It's a blast from start to finish, assuming you actually ever stop playing the multiplayer...

Rath's Review Score | 10/10 -- Instant Classic