PAX Prime 2013: Hopping into Titanfall

earing all of the critical acclaim and buzz surrounding Titanfall, I was excited to try out the new first person shooter from Respawn Entertainment. However I had several reservations, due to the fact that anytime I have looked forward to a new shooter, I jump into the multiplayer and realize that I am terrible at shooters. Seeing as how the developers of Titanfall were originally from the same team that created the Modern Warfare series of games, I assumed I would play the multiplayer, perform horribly and never play the game again. After my time with the game, however I can say that Titanfall is my most anticipated release for the next generation of systems.

We arrived at our station, as we prepared to participate in a six player versus matchup. The battle would take place between two factions, the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) and the Frontier Militia. We then chose the pilot class and the large mechs known as Titans to do battle. I went with an up and close pilot equipped with a shotgun and pistol as well as a Titan that used a sidewinder rocket launcher and the ability to use electrified mist to fry the pilots and other Titans. The game will be multiplayer only, however the developer commented that the game will contain single player elements such as storylines, NPCs and cut scenes that play out the narrative. Our faction, the IMC were securing a criminal waiting for trial, as the Militia prepared to break him out. And with that, the battle would begin as our pilots rushed the battlefield with our Titans waiting for a dropzone to become available.

I assumed that I would certainly be dropped in the game more than any kills that I would earn. The great thing about Titanfall however is that there are player controlled enemies in the match, along with AI controlled characters for both factions. Even the worst player should be able to earn some kills as these pilots run through the battlefield. The other gameplay element that will benefits newer players such as myself is the parkour abilities of the pilots. The entire map can be traversed by running along rooftops as well as the use of rocketpacks and wallruns. The developer said that a skilled player could run the entire map without ever touching the ground. This allowed me to avoid combat when necessary, or to gain the higher ground when faced against a Titan. Titans would not appear as a perk or a killstreak reward like other shooters. Instead, if a pilot can hold out long enough in battle, they will earn the ability to call down their Titan to do battle. Inside the Titan, the player can still control with fast speeds and even get into a slugfest with other Titans. I was surprised at how quick the mechs performed and did not feel heavy or hard to control.

The battle came to an end, our faction losing by a small margin. However the war was not over yet, as the losing faction would be able to escape to the extraction point before the winning side could stop them. It was a mad dash to the incoming helicopter, which if our team could reach would award us additional points. I wall ran and utilized open windows in order to stay away from enemy fire, and then rode piggyback on an escaping Titan. The enemies were advancing, however I was able to reach out with a desperate jump to reach the rescuing helicopter. The action was frantic, controls were easy to learn and execute and the game was fun. That is the best description of the game I could ever make. The game is fun and will be fun for any skill level to play. This will be the first shooter I can recall that I will be playing extensively once it is released. This will be the killer title for the Xbox One, and I hope that it is just a sign of what’s to come from Respawn Entertainment.