‘Titanfall 2’ aims to keep players engaged
Respawn Entertainment had an unusual problem with “Titanfall.” By all accounts, the studio made a fantastic first-person shooter that moved the genre forward. Its quick-twitch movements and asymmetrical warfare between giant robots called “titans” and agile pilots were a revelation.
But despite rave reviews, the game never caught on in the same way as “Call of Duty,” the franchise that many of the developers worked on. Players checked it out but didn’t stick around. With “Titanfall 2,” the team aims to fix that. The developers looked at the flaws in the original and made a sequel that not only impresses players, but also holds their attention.
The improvement starts with a single-player campaign. It puts the gamer in the shoes of Jack Cooper, a rifleman for the Frontier Militia. As part of a military operation, he lands on the planet Typhon to try to stop the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation from activating a secret weapon.
Unfortunately, the initial wave of Frontier Militia’s troops was routed. Cooper’s mentor, a titan pilot named Capt. Tai Lastimosa, falls in battle, but before he dies Lastimosa promotes the rifleman and gives him control of his titan, BT-7274. Cooper must cooperate with his machine ally and complete the mission.
The premise makes for a solid buddy story, as the newbie pilot and humorless robot find common ground while fighting a mercenary team and IMC troops. The plot serves as a tutorial on the basics for players. Wall running and sliding can be combined, allowing experts to fly around the levels.
The difficulty ramps up quickly, as “Titanfall 2” introduces topsyturvy scenarios that test a player’s skill. Cooper will find himself climbing makeshift walls in a war factory, and having to jump from building to building to get a part needed to fix a platoon’s communications. The stages exploit the platforming potential of the “Titanfall 2” gameplay.
Meanwhile, BT will pick up loadouts that introduce the different titans in the multiplayer game version. This marks a departure from the original. Instead of high customization on three titan frames, players work within six robot classes, each with its own specialized style of fighting. Ronin, who uses a sword and shotgun, is sturdily built for close-quarters combat, while Northstar is less sturdy but more useful in long-range fights, thanks to its sniper rifle.
One titan isn’t better than another, but they approach battles in different ways. Respawn compares the concept to that of “Street Fighter II.” It said the mech combat borrows ideas such as zoning and making reads on an opponent from the fightinggame genre.
That focus on creating easy to grasp combat situations drove a lot of design decisions. Players can instantly tell which titan they’re fighting by either sight or sound. Even pilots have distinct looks, so it’s easy to distinguish between those with a cloaking ability from those with health or speed boosts.
All this makes combat less daunting and allows players to focus on the gunplay in the game’s 11 multiplayer options, which range from standard freefor-all to strategic battles such as Bounty Hunt.
Together, the new modes and titans give matches a diverse feel and offer the kind of depth fans crave. Just deciding about pairing a pilot loadout with a titan will keep players intrigued as they test fresh combinations on the game’s nine maps.
Even with this degree of depth, however, “Titanfall 2” remains accessible, unlike the games that paralyze players with customization options. The sequel doesn’t overwhelm fans with an armory full of guns either. The whole package is more welcoming with the addition of the Network feature that allows players to jump into rooms with like-minded gamers, so it’s easier to become part of a community.