Titanfall

In the mind-boggling question that tortures world's biggest gaming studios (how to refresh the competitive FPS genre), Respawn answers by taking the Call of Duty core, enhancing it with elements from various sources and franchises (Mech games, Crysis , Tribes, Mirror's Edge etc.) and forging it in the Old School mold (Quake/Unreal Tournament) . Titanfall does not innovate. It manages, however, to leave a fresh taste by balancing nicely all components of its gameplay.

Titanfall is a highly entertaining online shooter, but it's a bit light on content for a full priced game. You quickly start to realize that Titanfall could desperately use more maps, more unlockables, more upgrades and more customization. [Apr 2014]

Forget the throwaway campaign and embrace the faster-paced style of gameplay and movement... and the big freakin' robots. [June 2014, p.68]

A lot of fun, but perhaps a little too polished. [May 2014, p.54]

There is a lot of content in the main multiplayer of Titanfall. The capacity and ability of each player to approach each round and game mode in multiple is noteworthy. And the symbiosis between the pilot and the Titan is made with remarkable, where there is a real reason for the presence of each. The condiments are all here, varied game modes that are accompanied by a capable gameplay.

Polished from its first pixel to its last, this FPS will show the way of multiplayer action for years to come. [Issue #240]

An excellent multiplayer shooter that steps upon a new ground with its infantry and robotic battle approach. To be flawless, however, it needs to be smoothed down and touched with the final brush-stroke.

The flag bearer for a new generation of shooters, finally giving players a different way to shoot the living hell out of each other and doing so in the most enjoyable way imaginable. The shortage of content might be a tough sell for some, but if you’ve grown tired of this current shooter rut then Titanfall is the perfect game to make you fall in love with the genre all over again.

Spectacular, loud, bare-bones – that’s Titanfall for you. Respawn wanted it to become popular so bad that they went overboard and cut off too much meat.

A creative, innovative and at the same time familiar action game that make its rivals feel ancient. Instead of spending the budget on great graphics and expensive production values, Respawn Entertainment has invested in making an interesting and unique action game. While the campaign mode is more of a nice idea than a well-executed one, the online mode is a window to intuitive, engaging and varied entertainment.

Titanfall is supposed to be the first next-gen FPS. Though this might not be the case, its awesome parkour mechanics, the titan-scale battles with the Titans and the stellar online matchmaking system conduct an undeniably super enjoyable and addicting FPS experience.

Titanfall is a great multiplayer experience, with lots of variety, both in how you move around, the challenges that drive you forward and the multiple, exciting ways to dispatch your enemies.

The most exciting multiplayer shooter in recent years, held back from greatness by its questionable staying power.

And that’s maybe Titanfall’s biggest, and most forgivable flaw: it looks less interesting and novel than it actually is. It’s such a fresh take on the military shooter, splitting the difference between the more deliberate pace of games like Battlefield and Call of Duty and the kinetic excitement of games like Tribes or even Counter-Strike. It just takes a while to see that, because Titanfall’s presentation is so conservative.

Respawn created a game that's easily on equal footing with the big-name established franchises, while breathing new impulses into the genre.

Quotation forthcoming.

If you want a complete reboot of the multiplayer shooter genre, you won’t find it here...But if you want a fast-paced, frenetic shooter with a set of mechanics that mesh surprisingly well; a strong David vs Goliath vibe; and a ridiculously polished experience? If you want a really good multiplayer shooter – and that’s coming from someone who generally gets bored with most after a few days? If you want a game with a design ethos that isn’t focused on just aping what’s already there, and – while not revolutionary – shakes things up enough that it feels wholly unique? If you want these things, Pilot, then prepare for Titanfall.

Titanfall comes recommended, surely, and when it’s on, it’s really on. Players will keep coming back for those great, high-intensity moments, but for how long isn’t yet clear.

The game has obviously been lovingly crafted by a team of developers who live for online multiplayer and they have pretty much got everything right. But at some point someone should have pointed out that a large portion of the gaming audience also like single player and playing just for fun.

After a long period of time, the FPS genre has come back to its roots. Respawn created an experience that will be played for years to come. Titanfall is the game that will change the rules of FPS game design.

The leveling and unlocks that accompany them, the variety of well-designed maps and game modes, the paper-rock-scissors balance of man vs. robot combat and overall polish that is present throughout this online only multiplayer shooter make it great fun to play. Period. Buckle up Pilot. Prepare for Titanfall!

A few things hold it back from being a complete success, but these can largely be overlooked in favor of all the things the game does right. Never before has a game made four words fill me with such excitement and anticipation. "Pilot, prepare for Titanfall."

The PC version boasts sharper visual effects and higher resolutions, as you might expect, and both control schemes (mouse/keyboard and Xbox 360 controller) work flawlessly.)

On the PC, the game scales to fit a lot of different configurations, so you can essentially buy your way out of the console version's performance issues. On a proper machine, the textures look great and the smooth frame rate really goes a long way.

Titanfall isn't perfect from the technical side, but it definitely is from the gameplay and fun sides. Respawn Entertainment have created something much more than just "Call of Duty with mechs". The basis seems very similar, but on top of it there's a game that steps above and beyond well-known standards and gives much more satisfaction (even while noticing all the minor issues). I hope, that Titanfall will stay in the FPS major league for a long time to com.

It’s surprisingly lacking many accoutrements we’ve come to expect in a multiplayer shooter, but it nevertheless unites its elements in a cohesive, approachable way. Titanfall earns a seat at the table with the genre’s entrenched powerhouses.

Even with all the distractions surrounding its release, like Microsoft’s cloud power, platform exclusivity, always-online servers, and the drama of Respawn’s split with Activision, Titanfall has managed to deliver. It may not be the next-gen benchmark that marketing execs would have you believe, but it’s something better: a tight and engrossing multiplayer shooter that offers fresh experiences in an increasingly tired genre. Press E to embark.