Titanfall Review - Mechs and the City

[Shamanic Rhythm]

As with all multiplayer shooters, what really matters is whether the game is still fun and/or balanced a couple of months down the track when everyone has worked out what weapons/camping spots/perks/maps etc are the best or easiest to exploit.

It gets to a point where the time you have to invest just to have fun (where having 'fun' is defined as not being gibbed 5 seconds after spawning and not being yelled at constantly by aggro teammates for sucking) becomes incompatible with one or more of the following: sleep, relationship, work, exercise, social life.

 

[42]

Recommendation: Does punching a robot with your robot sound like a good time?

Yes, but the Pacific Rim fighting game sucked regardless.

Even if you list all the game's other qualities, it doesn't help the fact that it's online-only. In other words, something that amounts to a brick once the servers die off... or just flat-out die. Also, I have what's called a "life" wherein I need to pause regularly, so an online title that requires constant, undivided attention for extended periods is impractical and intrusive.

I'll admit that certain aspects do look somewhat enjoyable, but nothing that's worth $60 in my book.

jesus christ dude, you make it sound like an MMO. it's not something you have to completely devote your life to. And to me it seems like the game will have a long life-span. And i'm not going to make too big of a thing here, but you are in the wrong hobby set if you play games and expect to have a life. I also think you need to play the game to be able to pass a judgement call like that. Yes i know its EA, and its online, but Respawn have created a top notch game. I have played the Beta, and it was fucking awesome.

Gotta agree with Jim on the map design. it's on Valve level for sure.

these are the people that made CoD. You are not expecting a yearly release cycle?

Titanfall: Ghost Ops 2 confirmed summer 2017.


no, seriously. I fully expect it to end up like CoD. It already plays just like it.


as for an MMO, you see, MMO means Massively Multiplayer Online.

Massively? maybe not, 6v6 and all, but I hear MOBA's are all the rage right now.

Multiplayer? slap yourself, that's all the game is.

Online? please, just eat your computer, that's the only thing this game has.


so two out of three? yep, it's an MMO.

at worst? it's a MOBA dressed up like a MMO.

now had it any type of singleplayer, even a training campaign like how Chromehounds had, then maybe you could claim it isn't an MMO.

yeah thanks buddy, i was actually referencing the usual idea of MMOs, not the general definition, but yeah nah Massive game, Multiplayer, online, yeah it ticks all the boxes. I mean yeah sure it's also a battle arena. while we're on the topic of nailing the genre, you've completely missed my original point, which was he was making it sound like an MMO, which to my mind would've led any normal person to assume i was talking about something like WoW, SWTOR, Eve Online. And yeah sure by your definition TF2 is an MMO, Dota 2 is an MMO. but i digress, in the end it does not matter.

Will it go the CoD route? too early to tell. everyone is making assumptions on something that hasn't happened yet. yeah that sounds real good, lets all judge something over something that happened to another game franchise because you know thats not mental.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

Watching as Respawn's official forums start blowing with threads about balance, gameplay, etc.

I'll wait as the story unfolds (of the state of the game that is), and the eventual news of when Australian Azure servers will be released. Till then, I'm holding on to my money.

Huge fan of multiplayer shooters, but after BF4 (fuck you EA and DICE) I'm never again walking into another one without knowing absolutely EVERYTHING.

 

[Johny64]

Recommendation: Does punching a robot with your robot sound like a good time?

Yes, but the Pacific Rim fighting game sucked regardless.

CORRECTION:
The Pacific Rim video game was about punching KAIJU with your robot. That makes all the difference.

 

[8bitsuperhero]

I'm actually enjoying the game a whole lot, I didn't think it was going to be that great, but I've been having a ball even though I'm terrible at it.

 

[godofallu]

I used to come to the Escapist for reviews due to the fact that they were in the form of 5 minute videos that showed gameplay and straight to the point appraisals. I could see the games with my own two eyes and compare my impressions with that of the reviewer.

I realize that video reviews take a lot more time, and hence they cost the Escapist more. But have you guys noticed a dip in views on your website? I know I haven't been tuning in nearly as often and I have to question if the lack of effort is actually a worthwhile strategy. Frankly I don't think you want to be gambling on the future of your website with reviews written in small font on a plain white background. You have no pictures or visual flair of any kind. It's boring.

This is the slam dunk super marketed game that people are craving content and attention on. Yet this is it? This is how you treat the most hyped game of the year?! You guys should be running streams of Escapist staff playing it. You guys should have video reviews. You guys should have articles or guides giving new player tips or how to dominate and get high scores. You should be basking in the overwhelming demand for Titanfall content and the easy money that brings. It saddens me that we have to give up great shows like Doraleous and Associates and other great things due to budget reasons. The money is right there if you would just reach out and take it. This is a gaming related website catering to nerd culture. This should be your bread and butter. This should be where you guys shine. It isn't.

 

[Metalrocks]

I'm actually enjoying the game a whole lot, I didn't think it was going to be that great, but I've been having a ball even though I'm terrible at it.

lol, im sure you play just fine. it also depends what weapons you have. so far the assault rifle is doing pretty fine and every now and then the smart pistol is as well. with the sniper i seam to suck a bit but to be hone3st, i hardly see any smipers. since it is a fast passed game.
so far i dint kill many pilots or even titans. my highest count so far are 2 titans and i think today i managed to kill 4 pilots. of course killing the minions/grunts i have a high count.
but still, im having a good time and im looking forward playing again tonight.

 

[gorfias]

I guess I'm most pissed here, and with Shadowrun is that they came out at a time that platforms needed quality stuff and instead, they're pushing this stuff out.

Implying that something multiplayer only can't be a quality product. Utterly absurd. Just because something isn't made to your tastes does not mean it has no value.

You have a good point. Someone above took me to task asking if I complain about single player only games, and I don't.

 

[BrainBlow]

I'm waiting for the PC version,and even then I'll wait a while until the inevitable server failure problems are done with and the worst bugs are fixed.

 

[Metalrocks]

I'm waiting for the PC version,and even then I'll wait a while until the inevitable server failure problems are done with and the worst bugs are fixed.

but it is available on pc since the 10th. also no problems with the servers. unless you live in australia then i can understand that you would wait.
buts?! cant recall any. so far the game runs pretty smooth and havent come across any bugs that was a problem for me to play.

 

[Falcon Stormvoice]

This is the slam dunk super marketed game that people are craving content and attention on. Yet this is it? This is how you treat the most hyped game of the year?! You guys should be running streams of Escapist staff playing it. You guys should have video reviews. You guys should have articles or guides giving new player tips or how to dominate and get high scores.

In other words, they should be shilling and helping fuel the hype machine. Because money.

 

[tautologico]

I don't usually play multiplayer shooters, but I'm a sucker for sci-fi settings and mechs, so I bought it (which is rare, I only buy at launch about 1 game per year). The launch was smooth and I'm not experiencing bugs. It's really fun even though I suck at it, but I agree it could use more variety and the campaign is very weak. Gameplay is pretty solid and fun though.

Respawn is a small team compared with Infinity Ward and Treyarch, maybe they needed to prove the concept worked before doing more with it. Of course a sequel is basically a given but if Respawn does it, it'll take more than a year.

 

[purf]

Yeaah..., I think I want this... hmm. But Origin has figured out where I live, so it's ?66,-?
However, very nice review.

 

[TaboriHK]

I'm playing it on PC and I don't know how to talk about it without sounding like a plant or corporate schill. I dodged all the hype so I don't know how over the top it got, but it's an extremely replayable game that I'm absolutely terrible at, but love. Good times.

 

[Uriain]

Recommendation: Does punching a robot with your robot sound like a good time?

Yes, but the Pacific Rim fighting game sucked regardless.

Even if you list all the game's other qualities, it doesn't help the fact that it's online-only. In other words, something that amounts to a brick once the servers die off... or just flat-out die. Also, I have what's called a "life" wherein I need to pause regularly, so an online title that requires constant, undivided attention for extended periods is impractical and intrusive.

I'll admit that certain aspects do look somewhat enjoyable, but nothing that's worth $60 in my book.

While completly understandable that a online only shooter doesn't fully capture your interest, and the correct assumption that when they kill the servers, they kill the game. I can say that most match's take anywhere from 8-15 min. I think the longest match I had was a 20 min game of attrition due to everyone ignoring the grunt fodder and trying to get player kills.

I enjoy the game, its quite fun once you get the hang of the wall jumping and if you are a veteran of Tribes (original), Unreal and Quake you will feel right at home with the speed. I think the "CoD with mech's" is a bit of a misnomer simply due to the negative connitations that being "CoD/related to CoD"

All in all a great review, I personally echo Jim's comments and would still recommend it to someone looking for a fun shooter which will have a pretty good shelf life.

 

[Ohlookit'sMatty]

So it doesn't have a story campaign at all? Well then I'm out // Granted I was not going to buy this game at all but knowing that it is online multiplayer only is a no no for me

Mostly because I do not want to be subjected to the CoD(esk) players that are on it


-M

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

inb4 accusations of Xbox fanboyism for giving a good score to an Xbox game and how giving 4/5 stars = "a bad score".

When has that ever happened here. I'll be surprised if one post in this thread is what you are claiming to be in before.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Recommendation: Does punching a robot with your robot sound like a good time?

Yes, but the Pacific Rim fighting game sucked regardless.

Even if you list all the game's other qualities, it doesn't help the fact that it's online-only. In other words, something that amounts to a brick once the servers die off... or just flat-out die. Also, I have what's called a "life" wherein I need to pause regularly, so an online title that requires constant, undivided attention for extended periods is impractical and intrusive.

I'll admit that certain aspects do look somewhat enjoyable, but nothing that's worth $60 in my book.

How do you even enjoy any games if you have to keep pausing? Or, on that matter, do you not ever like, go to the movies or read a book or something? Having a life has nothing to do with being unable to focus your attention to a single thing without distractions and you ought to be able to do that if you wish to have meaning in that purported life that you have. If all you ever do is bits and pieces of things then you're not really making the best out of either thing. I find it is best to simply make some time in your schedule and devote it to specific activities rather than being in a persistent standby state never able to fully enjoy anything due to being interrupted all the time.

 

[Kimarous]

Recommendation: Does punching a robot with your robot sound like a good time?

Yes, but the Pacific Rim fighting game sucked regardless.

Even if you list all the game's other qualities, it doesn't help the fact that it's online-only. In other words, something that amounts to a brick once the servers die off... or just flat-out die. Also, I have what's called a "life" wherein I need to pause regularly, so an online title that requires constant, undivided attention for extended periods is impractical and intrusive.

I'll admit that certain aspects do look somewhat enjoyable, but nothing that's worth $60 in my book.

How do you even enjoy any games if you have to keep pausing? Or, on that matter, do you not ever like, go to the movies or read a book or something? Having a life has nothing to do with being unable to focus your attention to a single thing without distractions and you ought to be able to do that if you wish to have meaning in that purported life that you have. If all you ever do is bits and pieces of things then you're not really making the best out of either thing. I find it is best to simply make some time in your schedule and devote it to specific activities rather than being in a persistent standby state never able to fully enjoy anything due to being interrupted all the time.

Reading WAY too much into things there. I knew I should have been more clear in my initial post.

What I meant is that I take care of a disabled person and need to be available at a moment's notice. It's not a perpetual thing, but I cannot afford to spend extended hours on games where I cannot pause. I rarely ever play online as a result, and the few times when I do, I specifically schedule those periods to time frames where interruption seems most unlikely.

Also, why the heck do people on this thread care so much about my personal gaming habits? If people are into Titanfall and it's ilk, good for you! I was simply expressing why the title doesn't appeal to me.