I know in my last post I talked about Titanfall 2 but since I just got it, I couldn’t really talk about it. I think I’ve put in enough time to come to some conclusions about the game.
Admittedly, I've only played the first few levels of the campaign but I must say it's seems very polished and fun. No surprise there, since a lot of Respawn Entertainment is comprised of ex- Infinity Ward people. And as you can see with IW’S recent track record, a lot of the magic is with that studio. I'm down to run through it. This weekend it's definitely on.
The real meat and potatoes is of course the multiplayer. Twitch shooter on steroids, with mechs. They made a bunch of changes from the original and at first I didn't like it. More of a good thing is what we all wanted in the sequel, and this game delivered on that front. BUT...no visual customization for the soldiers. Kinda whack.
I see why they did it. Respawn wants us to be able to recognize someone's kit by the way they look. For example, if you want to have the Stim ability, you are going to look like a chicken legged robot. Here's the thing Respawn: The game is so fast paced it's pretty impossible to recognize the look of a pilot. You know how I figure out what pilot ability someone has? I can see them using it. It doesn't matter if it’s some fat pilot with a fur coat or a skinny robot. Oh you can put skins on your pilot and guns but that's not enough in my opinion.
However, the loadout customization options for your pilot are ratcheted up BIG TIME. I really like that. There are 3 times as many guns, sidearms, ordinance etc. You get a bunch of loadout slots right out of the gate too, and you can edit any of them during the game….a welcome touch. A new rule is that you are forced to only hold 2 guns which puts me in a pickle. I want a pistol sidearm, but if I put that on I can't have an anti Titan weapon. That's a big change from TF1 that I don't understand.
The biggest change to multiplayer involves the Titans. Not going to lie, this part really pissed me off at first. I've only come to a begrudging understanding at this point. Hey it is what it is. In TF1 your titan was customizable. You picked a chassis and then outfitted it with guns, ordinance etc, just like your Pilot loadouts. Now that's all thrown out. Now, each Titan is a “character” of its own. You can unlock some options but essentially you're stuck with what you have. If you want the 40mm cannon (my favorite) you have to play as Ton.
This change is explained in the story, which I appreciate. The titans used in the first game are “Vanguard” class, just like your main character’s Titan in the campaign, BT. Right away you're told the vanguard class is extremely rare, especially after the events of the first game took place. The biggest thing about Vanguard class Titans is that they can be customized. Nice touch Respawn.
So what does that mean for multiplayer? Respawn wanted to balance the Titans out while giving them some character. You can also visually call out Titans now. I’ve always had a thing for giant robots, I grew up on Voltron, Robotech etc so I love the Titan models. Here's the big issue for me: if Respawn wanted to go this route with the Titans, they should've had more. Only 6 titans are available in the game, and can be all unlocked early on. That doesn't lead to a lot of variety. Yes you can unlock extra options on the Titans but those changes don't change the overall kit very much. This was done on purpose for balance and I get it, but you need more.
With the pilots, you're unlocking guns and perks deep into progression. It seems like you unlock lists of stuff all the time. For titans there's just not enough.
I praised Respawn earlier for multiplying the pilot armory by 3, but curiously, they took away the same amount with the Titans. For a game based around DROPPING HUGE ROBOTS FROM THE SKY, the Robots seem almost an afterthought.
Most of your play sessions should be 50/50 Titans / Pilots, but I think more of an emphasis was put on the Pilots to try to appeal to the COD crowd. Why have so much creative strategic opportunities with Pilot loadouts and Team Comp, then only have a paltry 6 options FOR THE COOLEST PART OF THE GAME??? Make no mistake, those 6 options are very cool, but there needs to be more. Hopefully we’ll see new titans release through DLC, but we should've had at least 10 titan choices to unlock with the vanilla version of the game.
The fast paced Pilot movement was one of coolest aspects of Titanfall, but now it seems everyone is doing it. It's stale before you even turn the game on. With the first game, it was still fun to lose and try to make it onto the dropship. It was a super empowering experience at all times even if you're not doing great. Of course it's still fun, but it's not fresh. The Titans make Titanfall what it is. I'm happy the campaign takes that seriously. I just wish the multiplayer did as well. Titans aren't some throw away killstreak move but it kinda feels that way.
Make no mistake, I enjoy the game. I'm happy there's a sequel and EA has already announced a third. Maybe next time there can be more of a happy medium in gameplay. Oh and maybe EA won't release its OTHER blockbuster FPS franchise within a week like they did with Battlefield 1!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Titanfall 2 or anything else in the world of gaming. Hit me up on Twitter: @floworcrash
Want to join me online? My XBL Gamertag is xDon Snowx. Till next time.
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