Titan-fail or Titan-triumph?
The original Titanfall was a superb game that mixed mechs and FPS to make a truly competitive experience. Sadly, it was only an Xbox One exclusive so those who get the sequel on PS4 will do so having missed out on the first…unless they later plan on re-releasing it for the console. But the good news is that the first game was mostly multiplayer-focused, leaving the sequel to start a full campaign…
In terms of shooters, Titanfall 2 surpasses it’s predecessor in every conceivable way and while I wasn’t sure what to expect from the sequel, I was surprised by the amount of detail and content. Titanfall 2 ups the ante and sets itself up as a real contender to the FPS arena, but it does seem an odd time to release the game smack bang in the middle with Battlefield 1 and COD: Infinite Warfare, which will of course make the choice to pick up just one shooter all the harder.
The campaign itself is the best in a FPS I’ve played in a number of years, with the exception being the recent Battlefield 1 that blew me away. It tells a decent story and while it’s nothing original, it does more than enough to make an impact, while making me wish that this was the game that Respawn brought out back in 2013. It does more than just prepare you for the multiplayer, which is usually the case with most campaigns…there’s a lot more depth to the campaign and hats off to Respawn for bringing their “A-Game” for the sequel.
The combination of mechs and standard FPS works even better than it did in the original, the controls feel more fluid and more natural. The weapons feel like they pack more of a punch, while the AI is also pretty impressive and not mere bullet sponges.
Visually, Titanfall 2 is superb to look at in action..especially if you’re lucky enough to have a PS4 Pro and capable 4KTV, which gives it a nice upgrade. Being lucky enough myself, I can say that it is stunning in 4K and doesn’t seem to suffer from any framerate issues. Voice-acting during the campaign is impressive and more importantly, believable…which is tricky when it comes to games and sci-fi shooters.
The Verdict
Titanfall 2 may have launched at a time that might make less of an impact, but that doesn’t take away how much of an improvement it is over the original, not does it take away that it can give the other shooters a run for their money. Respawn have done themselves proud with this sequel and is well worth your cash.