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An online-only shooter meets a gamer bored of online multiplayer shooters; not exactly a marriage made in heaven. Said gamer is also a bit on the anti-social side when it comes to gaming; a quick divorce is definitely on the cards. Or so I thought.
A quick blast through the tutorial introduces you to the basics and it all seems rather straightforward; a bit of running, a dash of double jumping, a sprinkle of wall running and let’s not forget the lashings of trigger pulling. It is all easy enough so I should settle in well enough in the uncomfortable surroundings of social gaming.
There are a surprising amount of game modes in Titanfall but desperate to get in on the action I quickly opt for a spot of Attrition. I was thrown into a game that was already in full swing and I instantly realised the tutorial is no preparation for the real thing. I was getting shot at from all angles, there were tanks on legs stomping about and I died before I even got the chance to aim my gun at anyone. As much as I tried, I couldn’t even find a quiet corner to curl up and cry.
Just as I was admitting to myself that I don’t belong here a voice interrupts my thoughts and calmly but firmly states, “Your titan is ready”. This catches my attention. “Oh is it now” I say, slightly rejuvenated and I press the ‘I want a Titan now’ button. I can hear my titan thundering down to earth and it lands with an impact that shows everyone I mean business. I jump in and prepare to unleash all manner of hell on those people who have been very unwelcoming. Almost as quickly as I get in the EJECT notification flashes up on screen. I frantically try to escape but an enemy titan grabs me as I eject and crushes both my character and my renewed determination.
I reached the results screen after the battle and I was all flustered and confused. Thoughts of divorce instantly sprung to mind but after a quick spot of marriage counselling, I decided to try a 2nd game. Jumping right into the middle of a game isn’t the best way to start as you are finding your feet and the 2nd game went a little better as I got to grips with things. There was hope yet for this romance and we might even make it through the honeymoon.
Titans aside, what we have here is a fast paced shooter with some boosted abilities. The movement is fluid and fast; the impatient among us can boost jump up to a window rather than taking the stairs or wall run across a gap. It can take a little getting used to for those that are used to keeping their feet firmly on the ground. The abilities aren’t just there for novelty purposes and they can be used to your advantage. In the early days you’ll see someone sniping from a high up roof top and wonder how on earth they got there; after a while you are that person on the roof.
There are a variety of weapons and grenades all with different strengths and weaknesses. The guns have different components and scopes that can be added to fine tune them to your preference. There are different slots to set up different set-ups. There are also some extra abilities such as cloaking for some stealth or some stim packs to temporarily boost the abilities. There is nothing revolutionary here and it will all be relatively familiar to Call of Duty veterans but there is no shortage of variety.
The big difference over the likes of Call of Duty comes in the form of the aforementioned titans. These metallic behemoths spice things up no end. The titans hurtle down to earth with a satisfying roar and you jump into the cockpit with the benefits of that extra armour and more powerful weaponry. Whilst the titans can boost forward, you do sacrifice a bit of speed and agility and naturally, they are a lot more noticeable. As with the soldiers, the titans themselves have various styles and weaponry which can be customised to suit.
The titans add a David vs Goliath twist to the proceedings and just like in the story, David is just as capable of taking down Goliath as Goliath is of crushing David. In a direct head to head there is no contest so you need to be a bit more tactical and stay out of sight. You choose a titan busting weapon in your arsenal and although it doesn’t take down a titan in a single hit it does a great deal more damage than your standard weapon. Grenades help as well but sometimes the hands-on approach is best. You can jump on top of a titan, rip off a panel and pummel the ‘brains’ of the machine with your weapon. It is a very risky approach but very satisfying when it works out. Titans are armed with standard gun fire, projectile weapons and a shield. They can stomp on the ‘ants’ running around the ground and are also capable of detecting what direction they are being hit from so you’ll not really be wanting to stand in full view in front or behind one.
You can’t just call in a titan whenever you like though. Once it is destroyed you need to wait a certain time period. The dynamics of the map really change when there are multiple titans all going at each other and you certainly need to keep an eye on the map to see where they others are. You can rodeo onto the back of a friendly titan to help those weary legs and hope that the enemy players don’t notice you.
For those like me who can lose a titan in seconds, it might be best to use it as your guard dog. Your titan is capable of operating without the player and my titan seems to last longer without me. A lot longer sadly. You can set it to follow or stand its ground if you have found a nice safe spot. It is much more fun in control though and the EJECT notifications when your titan’s demise is imminent sparks a mild panic as you try to get out in time. The powerful eject gives you a nice view of the warzone and can give you a brief tactical advantage but of course, you are also clearly visible to all.
XP is awarded for your performance and is required to level up. As you level up more weapons and customisation options become available. An interesting addition to the battlefield are the AI participants. We have AI soldiers and AI robots and since you play team based modes, they exist on both sides. These don’t prove as challenging as taking down a human player so do allow the novice to gather points and actually feel like they are doing something useful. The game modes have a 6 vs 6 player maximum limit but with the AI soldiers and titans, it always feels busy.
To help with the XP there are endless challenges to complete. These all relate to actions within the game like numbers killed with a weapon, distance travelled, total time played etc. Completing an action adds XP but can also add bonuses like burn cards. These are temporary boosts that you can use within a game. 3 burn cards can be taken into each match and used when you respawn after death. The challenges add a nice additional objective and can see you experimenting with weapons you might otherwise ignore.
Titanfall has a story! Does anyone care about the story in shooters these days? Call of Duty and Battlefield players seems to give the impression that they find the inclusion of a story mode deeply offensive. An online only shooter screams ‘no story mode’ to me but much to my surprise, there is actually a campaign in Titanfall. It is a little light on story and I admit I lost interest somewhere along the lines. There are 2 factions and you play either side without being able to pick. This means you can have 2 stories essentially on the go which doesn’t help clarity if you’re not paying enough attention.
It can be a fast game with plenty of action and it all runs very smoothly and it is easy to get about whether on foot or wall running. With lots of games modes and maps there is plenty to keep you amused. It is very Call of Duty but the titans do make a big difference. Having just played the Black Ops 3 beta, I can say I much prefer Titanfall, it feels busier than Call of Duty and I missed my trusty metal friend. With all the challenges and burn cards, there is a lot more to this game than I expected which has certainly helped hold my attention. There also seems to be a nice balance; no weapon is overpowered and the Titans are anything but invincible.
As someone who expected to dislike this game I have been very surprised. There are a total of 50 ranks to achieve before the Call of Duty style prestige kicks in. I made it all the way to 50 and that is something I never believed would happen after my first game. Till death do us part.
9
A quick blast through the tutorial introduces you to the basics and it all seems rather straightforward; a bit of running, a dash of double jumping, a sprinkle of wall running and let’s not forget the lashings of trigger pulling. It is all easy enough so I should settle in well enough in the uncomfortable surroundings of social gaming.
There are a surprising amount of game modes in Titanfall but desperate to get in on the action I quickly opt for a spot of Attrition. I was thrown into a game that was already in full swing and I instantly realised the tutorial is no preparation for the real thing. I was getting shot at from all angles, there were tanks on legs stomping about and I died before I even got the chance to aim my gun at anyone. As much as I tried, I couldn’t even find a quiet corner to curl up and cry.
Just as I was admitting to myself that I don’t belong here a voice interrupts my thoughts and calmly but firmly states, “Your titan is ready”. This catches my attention. “Oh is it now” I say, slightly rejuvenated and I press the ‘I want a Titan now’ button. I can hear my titan thundering down to earth and it lands with an impact that shows everyone I mean business. I jump in and prepare to unleash all manner of hell on those people who have been very unwelcoming. Almost as quickly as I get in the EJECT notification flashes up on screen. I frantically try to escape but an enemy titan grabs me as I eject and crushes both my character and my renewed determination.
I reached the results screen after the battle and I was all flustered and confused. Thoughts of divorce instantly sprung to mind but after a quick spot of marriage counselling, I decided to try a 2nd game. Jumping right into the middle of a game isn’t the best way to start as you are finding your feet and the 2nd game went a little better as I got to grips with things. There was hope yet for this romance and we might even make it through the honeymoon.
Titans aside, what we have here is a fast paced shooter with some boosted abilities. The movement is fluid and fast; the impatient among us can boost jump up to a window rather than taking the stairs or wall run across a gap. It can take a little getting used to for those that are used to keeping their feet firmly on the ground. The abilities aren’t just there for novelty purposes and they can be used to your advantage. In the early days you’ll see someone sniping from a high up roof top and wonder how on earth they got there; after a while you are that person on the roof.
There are a variety of weapons and grenades all with different strengths and weaknesses. The guns have different components and scopes that can be added to fine tune them to your preference. There are different slots to set up different set-ups. There are also some extra abilities such as cloaking for some stealth or some stim packs to temporarily boost the abilities. There is nothing revolutionary here and it will all be relatively familiar to Call of Duty veterans but there is no shortage of variety.
The big difference over the likes of Call of Duty comes in the form of the aforementioned titans. These metallic behemoths spice things up no end. The titans hurtle down to earth with a satisfying roar and you jump into the cockpit with the benefits of that extra armour and more powerful weaponry. Whilst the titans can boost forward, you do sacrifice a bit of speed and agility and naturally, they are a lot more noticeable. As with the soldiers, the titans themselves have various styles and weaponry which can be customised to suit.
The titans add a David vs Goliath twist to the proceedings and just like in the story, David is just as capable of taking down Goliath as Goliath is of crushing David. In a direct head to head there is no contest so you need to be a bit more tactical and stay out of sight. You choose a titan busting weapon in your arsenal and although it doesn’t take down a titan in a single hit it does a great deal more damage than your standard weapon. Grenades help as well but sometimes the hands-on approach is best. You can jump on top of a titan, rip off a panel and pummel the ‘brains’ of the machine with your weapon. It is a very risky approach but very satisfying when it works out. Titans are armed with standard gun fire, projectile weapons and a shield. They can stomp on the ‘ants’ running around the ground and are also capable of detecting what direction they are being hit from so you’ll not really be wanting to stand in full view in front or behind one.
You can’t just call in a titan whenever you like though. Once it is destroyed you need to wait a certain time period. The dynamics of the map really change when there are multiple titans all going at each other and you certainly need to keep an eye on the map to see where they others are. You can rodeo onto the back of a friendly titan to help those weary legs and hope that the enemy players don’t notice you.
For those like me who can lose a titan in seconds, it might be best to use it as your guard dog. Your titan is capable of operating without the player and my titan seems to last longer without me. A lot longer sadly. You can set it to follow or stand its ground if you have found a nice safe spot. It is much more fun in control though and the EJECT notifications when your titan’s demise is imminent sparks a mild panic as you try to get out in time. The powerful eject gives you a nice view of the warzone and can give you a brief tactical advantage but of course, you are also clearly visible to all.
XP is awarded for your performance and is required to level up. As you level up more weapons and customisation options become available. An interesting addition to the battlefield are the AI participants. We have AI soldiers and AI robots and since you play team based modes, they exist on both sides. These don’t prove as challenging as taking down a human player so do allow the novice to gather points and actually feel like they are doing something useful. The game modes have a 6 vs 6 player maximum limit but with the AI soldiers and titans, it always feels busy.
To help with the XP there are endless challenges to complete. These all relate to actions within the game like numbers killed with a weapon, distance travelled, total time played etc. Completing an action adds XP but can also add bonuses like burn cards. These are temporary boosts that you can use within a game. 3 burn cards can be taken into each match and used when you respawn after death. The challenges add a nice additional objective and can see you experimenting with weapons you might otherwise ignore.
Titanfall has a story! Does anyone care about the story in shooters these days? Call of Duty and Battlefield players seems to give the impression that they find the inclusion of a story mode deeply offensive. An online only shooter screams ‘no story mode’ to me but much to my surprise, there is actually a campaign in Titanfall. It is a little light on story and I admit I lost interest somewhere along the lines. There are 2 factions and you play either side without being able to pick. This means you can have 2 stories essentially on the go which doesn’t help clarity if you’re not paying enough attention.
It can be a fast game with plenty of action and it all runs very smoothly and it is easy to get about whether on foot or wall running. With lots of games modes and maps there is plenty to keep you amused. It is very Call of Duty but the titans do make a big difference. Having just played the Black Ops 3 beta, I can say I much prefer Titanfall, it feels busier than Call of Duty and I missed my trusty metal friend. With all the challenges and burn cards, there is a lot more to this game than I expected which has certainly helped hold my attention. There also seems to be a nice balance; no weapon is overpowered and the Titans are anything but invincible.
As someone who expected to dislike this game I have been very surprised. There are a total of 50 ranks to achieve before the Call of Duty style prestige kicks in. I made it all the way to 50 and that is something I never believed would happen after my first game. Till death do us part.
9
Yes, the run for the 'taxi' at the end is a good way to finish. It is quite satisfying to stop someone catching their ride.
I agree Dav, it's the most fun multiplayer FPS around & gets my vote for best video game of last year. One little touch I did like was at the end of a match the losing team are made to run for their lives! Worth noting Bluepoint's Xbox 360 port was fantastic, it's much closer to the next gen version than anyone thought possible on such aging hardware. The odd bit of minor slowdown apart, it's basically the same experience. Not sure how many are still playing it these days though?
It's great that all the DLC has been made free as well, for a title you can pick up for a tenner these days it certainly offers a serious amount of game for your cash.
I did pick up the XB1 version, played it a little bit but will definitely revisit it when I get the chance. Unlike some other games, levels, unlocks etc. do not transfer from version to another so I had to start again from scratch :(
It's great that all the DLC has been made free as well, for a title you can pick up for a tenner these days it certainly offers a serious amount of game for your cash.
I did pick up the XB1 version, played it a little bit but will definitely revisit it when I get the chance. Unlike some other games, levels, unlocks etc. do not transfer from version to another so I had to start again from scratch :(
Thanks pb. I have given it a rest since reaching rank 50 but I will be back on it at some point I'm sure.
Great review, Dav. It's enough to probably tempt me back to the game.
An online-only shooter meets a gamer bored of online multiplayer shooters; not exactly a marriage made in heaven. Said gamer is also a bit on the anti-social side when it comes to gaming; a quick divorce is definitely on the cards. Or so I thought.
A quick blast through the tutorial introduces you to the basics and it all seems rather straightforward; a bit of running, a dash of double jumping, a sprinkle of wall running and let’s not forget the lashings of trigger pulling. It is all easy enough so I should settle in well enough in the uncomfortable surroundings of social gaming.
There are a surprising amount of game modes in Titanfall but desperate to get in on the action I quickly opt for a spot of Attrition. I was thrown into a game that was already in full swing and I instantly realised the tutorial is no preparation for the real thing. I was getting shot at from all angles, there were tanks on legs stomping about and I died before I even got the chance to aim my gun at anyone. As much as I tried, I couldn’t even find a quiet corner to curl up and cry.
Just as I was admitting to myself that I don’t belong here a voice interrupts my thoughts and calmly but firmly states, “Your titan is ready”. This catches my attention. “Oh is it now” I say, slightly rejuvenated and I press the ‘I want a Titan now’ button. I can hear my titan thundering down to earth and it lands with an impact that shows everyone I mean business. I jump in and prepare to unleash all manner of hell on those people who have been very unwelcoming. Almost as quickly as I get in the EJECT notification flashes up on screen. I frantically try to escape but an enemy titan grabs me as I eject and crushes both my character and my renewed determination.
I reached the results screen after the battle and I was all flustered and confused. Thoughts of divorce instantly sprung to mind but after a quick spot of marriage counselling, I decided to try a 2nd game. Jumping right into the middle of a game isn’t the best way to start as you are finding your feet and the 2nd game went a little better as I got to grips with things. There was hope yet for this romance and we might even make it through the honeymoon.
Titans aside, what we have here is a fast paced shooter with some boosted abilities. The movement is fluid and fast; the impatient among us can boost jump up to a window rather than taking the stairs or wall run across a gap. It can take a little getting used to for those that are used to keeping their feet firmly on the ground. The abilities aren’t just there for novelty purposes and they can be used to your advantage. In the early days you’ll see someone sniping from a high up roof top and wonder how on earth they got there; after a while you are that person on the roof.
There are a variety of weapons and grenades all with different strengths and weaknesses. The guns have different components and scopes that can be added to fine tune them to your preference. There are different slots to set up different set-ups. There are also some extra abilities such as cloaking for some stealth or some stim packs to temporarily boost the abilities. There is nothing revolutionary here and it will all be relatively familiar to Call of Duty veterans but there is no shortage of variety.
The big difference over the likes of Call of Duty comes in the form of the aforementioned titans. These metallic behemoths spice things up no end. The titans hurtle down to earth with a satisfying roar and you jump into the cockpit with the benefits of that extra armour and more powerful weaponry. Whilst the titans can boost forward, you do sacrifice a bit of speed and agility and naturally, they are a lot more noticeable. As with the soldiers, the titans themselves have various styles and weaponry which can be customised to suit.
The titans add a David vs Goliath twist to the proceedings and just like in the story, David is just as capable of taking down Goliath as Goliath is of crushing David. In a direct head to head there is no contest so you need to be a bit more tactical and stay out of sight. You choose a titan busting weapon in your arsenal and although it doesn’t take down a titan in a single hit it does a great deal more damage than your standard weapon. Grenades help as well but sometimes the hands-on approach is best. You can jump on top of a titan, rip off a panel and pummel the ‘brains’ of the machine with your weapon. It is a very risky approach but very satisfying when it works out. Titans are armed with standard gun fire, projectile weapons and a shield. They can stomp on the ‘ants’ running around the ground and are also capable of detecting what direction they are being hit from so you’ll not really be wanting to stand in full view in front or behind one.
You can’t just call in a titan whenever you like though. Once it is destroyed you need to wait a certain time period. The dynamics of the map really change when there are multiple titans all going at each other and you certainly need to keep an eye on the map to see where they others are. You can rodeo onto the back of a friendly titan to help those weary legs and hope that the enemy players don’t notice you.
For those like me who can lose a titan in seconds, it might be best to use it as your guard dog. Your titan is capable of operating without the player and my titan seems to last longer without me. A lot longer sadly. You can set it to follow or stand its ground if you have found a nice safe spot. It is much more fun in control though and the EJECT notifications when your titan’s demise is imminent sparks a mild panic as you try to get out in time. The powerful eject gives you a nice view of the warzone and can give you a brief tactical advantage but of course, you are also clearly visible to all.
XP is awarded for your performance and is required to level up. As you level up more weapons and customisation options become available. An interesting addition to the battlefield are the AI participants. We have AI soldiers and AI robots and since you play team based modes, they exist on both sides. These don’t prove as challenging as taking down a human player so do allow the novice to gather points and actually feel like they are doing something useful. The game modes have a 6 vs 6 player maximum limit but with the AI soldiers and titans, it always feels busy.
To help with the XP there are endless challenges to complete. These all relate to actions within the game like numbers killed with a weapon, distance travelled, total time played etc. Completing an action adds XP but can also add bonuses like burn cards. These are temporary boosts that you can use within a game. 3 burn cards can be taken into each match and used when you respawn after death. The challenges add a nice additional objective and can see you experimenting with weapons you might otherwise ignore.
Titanfall has a story! Does anyone care about the story in shooters these days? Call of Duty and Battlefield players seems to give the impression that they find the inclusion of a story mode deeply offensive. An online only shooter screams ‘no story mode’ to me but much to my surprise, there is actually a campaign in Titanfall. It is a little light on story and I admit I lost interest somewhere along the lines. There are 2 factions and you play either side without being able to pick. This means you can have 2 stories essentially on the go which doesn’t help clarity if you’re not paying enough attention.
It can be a fast game with plenty of action and it all runs very smoothly and it is easy to get about whether on foot or wall running. With lots of games modes and maps there is plenty to keep you amused. It is very Call of Duty but the titans do make a big difference. Having just played the Black Ops 3 beta, I can say I much prefer Titanfall, it feels busier than Call of Duty and I missed my trusty metal friend. With all the challenges and burn cards, there is a lot more to this game than I expected which has certainly helped hold my attention. There also seems to be a nice balance; no weapon is overpowered and the Titans are anything but invincible.
As someone who expected to dislike this game I have been very surprised. There are a total of 50 ranks to achieve before the Call of Duty style prestige kicks in. I made it all the way to 50 and that is something I never believed would happen after my first game. Till death do us part.
9
A quick blast through the tutorial introduces you to the basics and it all seems rather straightforward; a bit of running, a dash of double jumping, a sprinkle of wall running and let’s not forget the lashings of trigger pulling. It is all easy enough so I should settle in well enough in the uncomfortable surroundings of social gaming.
There are a surprising amount of game modes in Titanfall but desperate to get in on the action I quickly opt for a spot of Attrition. I was thrown into a game that was already in full swing and I instantly realised the tutorial is no preparation for the real thing. I was getting shot at from all angles, there were tanks on legs stomping about and I died before I even got the chance to aim my gun at anyone. As much as I tried, I couldn’t even find a quiet corner to curl up and cry.
Just as I was admitting to myself that I don’t belong here a voice interrupts my thoughts and calmly but firmly states, “Your titan is ready”. This catches my attention. “Oh is it now” I say, slightly rejuvenated and I press the ‘I want a Titan now’ button. I can hear my titan thundering down to earth and it lands with an impact that shows everyone I mean business. I jump in and prepare to unleash all manner of hell on those people who have been very unwelcoming. Almost as quickly as I get in the EJECT notification flashes up on screen. I frantically try to escape but an enemy titan grabs me as I eject and crushes both my character and my renewed determination.
I reached the results screen after the battle and I was all flustered and confused. Thoughts of divorce instantly sprung to mind but after a quick spot of marriage counselling, I decided to try a 2nd game. Jumping right into the middle of a game isn’t the best way to start as you are finding your feet and the 2nd game went a little better as I got to grips with things. There was hope yet for this romance and we might even make it through the honeymoon.
Titans aside, what we have here is a fast paced shooter with some boosted abilities. The movement is fluid and fast; the impatient among us can boost jump up to a window rather than taking the stairs or wall run across a gap. It can take a little getting used to for those that are used to keeping their feet firmly on the ground. The abilities aren’t just there for novelty purposes and they can be used to your advantage. In the early days you’ll see someone sniping from a high up roof top and wonder how on earth they got there; after a while you are that person on the roof.
There are a variety of weapons and grenades all with different strengths and weaknesses. The guns have different components and scopes that can be added to fine tune them to your preference. There are different slots to set up different set-ups. There are also some extra abilities such as cloaking for some stealth or some stim packs to temporarily boost the abilities. There is nothing revolutionary here and it will all be relatively familiar to Call of Duty veterans but there is no shortage of variety.
The big difference over the likes of Call of Duty comes in the form of the aforementioned titans. These metallic behemoths spice things up no end. The titans hurtle down to earth with a satisfying roar and you jump into the cockpit with the benefits of that extra armour and more powerful weaponry. Whilst the titans can boost forward, you do sacrifice a bit of speed and agility and naturally, they are a lot more noticeable. As with the soldiers, the titans themselves have various styles and weaponry which can be customised to suit.
The titans add a David vs Goliath twist to the proceedings and just like in the story, David is just as capable of taking down Goliath as Goliath is of crushing David. In a direct head to head there is no contest so you need to be a bit more tactical and stay out of sight. You choose a titan busting weapon in your arsenal and although it doesn’t take down a titan in a single hit it does a great deal more damage than your standard weapon. Grenades help as well but sometimes the hands-on approach is best. You can jump on top of a titan, rip off a panel and pummel the ‘brains’ of the machine with your weapon. It is a very risky approach but very satisfying when it works out. Titans are armed with standard gun fire, projectile weapons and a shield. They can stomp on the ‘ants’ running around the ground and are also capable of detecting what direction they are being hit from so you’ll not really be wanting to stand in full view in front or behind one.
You can’t just call in a titan whenever you like though. Once it is destroyed you need to wait a certain time period. The dynamics of the map really change when there are multiple titans all going at each other and you certainly need to keep an eye on the map to see where they others are. You can rodeo onto the back of a friendly titan to help those weary legs and hope that the enemy players don’t notice you.
For those like me who can lose a titan in seconds, it might be best to use it as your guard dog. Your titan is capable of operating without the player and my titan seems to last longer without me. A lot longer sadly. You can set it to follow or stand its ground if you have found a nice safe spot. It is much more fun in control though and the EJECT notifications when your titan’s demise is imminent sparks a mild panic as you try to get out in time. The powerful eject gives you a nice view of the warzone and can give you a brief tactical advantage but of course, you are also clearly visible to all.
XP is awarded for your performance and is required to level up. As you level up more weapons and customisation options become available. An interesting addition to the battlefield are the AI participants. We have AI soldiers and AI robots and since you play team based modes, they exist on both sides. These don’t prove as challenging as taking down a human player so do allow the novice to gather points and actually feel like they are doing something useful. The game modes have a 6 vs 6 player maximum limit but with the AI soldiers and titans, it always feels busy.
To help with the XP there are endless challenges to complete. These all relate to actions within the game like numbers killed with a weapon, distance travelled, total time played etc. Completing an action adds XP but can also add bonuses like burn cards. These are temporary boosts that you can use within a game. 3 burn cards can be taken into each match and used when you respawn after death. The challenges add a nice additional objective and can see you experimenting with weapons you might otherwise ignore.
Titanfall has a story! Does anyone care about the story in shooters these days? Call of Duty and Battlefield players seems to give the impression that they find the inclusion of a story mode deeply offensive. An online only shooter screams ‘no story mode’ to me but much to my surprise, there is actually a campaign in Titanfall. It is a little light on story and I admit I lost interest somewhere along the lines. There are 2 factions and you play either side without being able to pick. This means you can have 2 stories essentially on the go which doesn’t help clarity if you’re not paying enough attention.
It can be a fast game with plenty of action and it all runs very smoothly and it is easy to get about whether on foot or wall running. With lots of games modes and maps there is plenty to keep you amused. It is very Call of Duty but the titans do make a big difference. Having just played the Black Ops 3 beta, I can say I much prefer Titanfall, it feels busier than Call of Duty and I missed my trusty metal friend. With all the challenges and burn cards, there is a lot more to this game than I expected which has certainly helped hold my attention. There also seems to be a nice balance; no weapon is overpowered and the Titans are anything but invincible.
As someone who expected to dislike this game I have been very surprised. There are a total of 50 ranks to achieve before the Call of Duty style prestige kicks in. I made it all the way to 50 and that is something I never believed would happen after my first game. Till death do us part.
9