Everything an FPS could want rolled into an epic experience
Another day and another preview from EB Expo, where we finally got our hands on the new genre of FPS from Respawn Entertainment, called Titanfall. Titanfall is promising everything that fans of shooters, mech fighters and free runners have enjoyed all rolled into one epic experience.
After a quick briefing and tutorial from the developers, we were placed in a team deathmatch style mode where each kill is weighted differently. This is due to the fact that in addition to the enemy team members, there are also extra AI controlled militia that can be killed for quick points as well as the enemy titans. Once you have racked up enough points, you are able to call down and pilot the infamous titan. These titans can be customised for individual situations, with different weapons that vary from your standard assault rifle to a four-podded rocket launcher to take down enemy titans with ease.
The pilots can also be customised varying on what situation you want to arm yourself for. We had the chance to try out three different styles of both the pilots and mechs which gave us a good variety of what to expect when the game comes out and we really liked everything they had to offer. At the moment, there didn’t seem to be a sniper class so the action was fast and in your face 100% of the time.
As much as using a titan was a lot of fun, I think my favourite part was wall running and jumping around as the pilots. You have a jetpack which can be used for moving yourself across the map and along the walls of every building in the game. With the right set up and skill, you can easily transfer from building to building so that you can get the best vantage point possible or to narrowly escape from an enemy titan’s rocket launcher. Both Brendan and I had some very close encounters over the match that we talked about afterwards. It adds a level to the standard FPS where you’re not just limited to the ground and the rare two story building.
After a pre-determined score has been reached, the game changes into a fight for your life style chase down. The match doesn’t end when the game is over as there are enemy players left on the map. It is up to those players to try and escape the battlefield in an incoming dropship that deploys at a random location on the map. While this is happening, the winning players will be chasing them down with everything they have and it becomes a very frantic experience. During this phase, you can get a lot of XP for denying the pilots access to the dropship, and it was great to see players using a combination of wall running and parkour to escape their pursuers.
With Titanfall’s scheduled release for Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC in early 2014, I am certainly looking forward to getting in and dealing some massive damage in those amazing mechs. All things considered, it was a great experience and left us wanting more.