'Titanfall' is a first-person mech-and-soldier shooter which will be released on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in Spring 2014.
The Pitch:
"The advanced combat techniques of Titanfall give you the freedom to fight your way as both elite assault Pilot and fast, heavily armored Titan. The visionaries at Respawn have drawn inspiration from their proven experience in first-person action gaming, and are building on that pedigree by taking a new approach to game design and creating an all-new universe with Titanfall."
The Key Features:
- Fast-paced, FPS action
- 'Pilots' (infantry) fighting alongside enormous 'titans' (mechs)
- Multi-level combat enabled by unique wall-running, double-jump movement
- 'Campaign' multiplayer built around the core story of the game
Impressions:
Whether you're a hardcore gamer, a lapsed FPS veteran or just someone who wants to stay in touch with the top 5% or of modern interactive entrainment, in Titanfall you might now have your reason to get a next-generation console (or a really good PC). This game looks just tremendous.
True, it's not a hard sell: this is a first person shooter with mechs. But for a developer that's a tricky balance to pull off. History is littered with good mech-related intentions. And just as many failures. Why fight as infantry if there are giant mechs to play with? How do you make these ridiculous killing machines both powerful and vulnerable? And how do balance all this while still innovating in core gameplay and story?
Titanfall has answers for all of them. Key is the addition of new movement options for 'pilots' (infantry). You can double-jump, wall-run, build momentum as you leap around the map and - ultimately - never have to touch the ground. The level we played was designed impressively to maximise that movement. The result is that playing as a Pilot is just as fun as playing as a mech - and strategically just as important for your team. There are also a range of powerful anti-titan weapons, meaning you have the chance to bring them down in a pinch.
Don't get us wrong, though: the mechs are brilliant too. At their core they play just like FPS infantry - hoping guns in front, running, crouching and so on. But they feel weightier, slower, more destructive and more vulnerable. Luckily entering and exiting - or ejecting - from a mech is quick and easy. Oh, and you can punch. As a mech.
We played through a few rounds of multiplayer, and loved how the game appears to be coming together. The addition of post-match narrative to multiplayer - escape via an evac ship if you lose, mop up the survivors if you win - was an especially nice touch.
While it's not as ambitious as Destiny, as inventive as Watch Dogs or as familiar as Call of Duty: Ghosts, right now 'Titanfall' plays like it will be more fun than all three.