Titanfall Review – By an FPS Detractor

I don’t like online multiplayer. I haven’t played a single Call of Duty, was drug through the campaign of a few Halo games, and not even sure what Battlefield is. The only online game I play is Left 4 Dead. The last FPS I’ve enjoyed deathmatch on was Goldeneye. Why I am telling you this? It’s important to keep this in mind when I tell you Titanfall is one of the most addictive games I’ve played since Skyrim.

This won’t be a typical review. I want to explain why, as an FPS detractor, this game works for me. There are plenty of solid, traditional reviews, like at What’s Your Tag? for you to check out. This will be different. My Xbox One has done nothing but collect dust. Not a single game has interested me. Honestly, my Day One Edition sat in the box for 4 months. Hearing the Beta for this was opened to the public, combined with the fervor and hype surrounding it, I decided to crack open my Xbox and dive in. Smartest decision I’ve made this year.

Titanfall is a straight forward multiplayer game. Unlike Call of Duty and many other shooters where the single player campaign is obviously an afterthought, developer Respawn hasn’t even bothered including one. While there is some sort of storyline painted over a selection of matches, the game is still a multiplayer affair. Normally, something like this would turn me off. I don’t like multiplayer games, let alone FPS’ for multiple reasons. So much so I was working on an editorial explaining my disillusion with game type. Titanfall has changed that.

No one likes losing. Which was part of the reason I didn’t enjoy playing them. The learning curve was too steep. I was too busy dying to learn any techniques or basics really. Losing peripheral vision annoys me. Coupled with being assaulted with all manner of profanities and racial slurs also poisoned the experience. The Halo and Call of Duty series are just that, a series. Each game building on the mechanics of the last. I missed the boat on both. With this I was able to enter at the ground floor, learning the mechanics along with many other gamers. That and the tutorial really helped. Titanfall is essentially a new game type. Enough new mechanics are added to make the game a unique enough experience that everyone will have a bit to learn. Double jumping, wall running, mech summoning, all uncommon ideas.

My friend once said that playing games online is like being a normal human fighting Agents in the Matrix, only with more profanity. I still think to this day he’s correct. So what makes Titanfall different? A number of things. The user base is limited as only a few million Xbox One’s have sold since launch, meaning you’re likely playing against adults, or at least, more mature gamers. Of the hundred or so matches I’ve played, I’ve only needed to mute one teammate, and that was because I didn’t want to hear him. The limited user base also means there are less people playing nonstop, developing godlike skills. Aside from the guy who made it to generation (prestige) level 10 in four days, I’ve barely seen anyone at gen 2, and on a rare occasion on person at gen four.

This perfect storm of solid gameplay, new mechanics, and a limited and respectful user base has made Titanfall a great experience. If this released a year or two into the Xbox One’s life, things might have been different. In a year, the superior skill set will br developed, changing the landscape. The time is now. This game will become a monolithic series. If you have any inclination to jump a new FPS or the genre in general, this is your chance. Get in on the ground floor. I’m glad I did.

Are you an FPS detractor or veteran? Does Titanfall appeal to you? Comment below!

Tony writes for his own site, thecredhulk.com, about comics, video games, movies, TV and more, six days a week. You can follow his updates on Facebook or Twitter. Drop by and tell’em hi.

Someone killed my titan by dropping their titan on it.