Zero Punctuation: Titanfall 2 vs Call of Duty Infinite Warfare

Yahtzee Croshaw

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Titanfall 2 vs Call of Duty Infinite Warfare

This week, Zero Punctuation reviews Titanfall 2 and Call of Duty Infinite Warfare.

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Jacked Assassin

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For me Titan Fall 2 suffers from that urge to want it quickly followed by losing interest because I own the original Steel Battalion for the original Xbox. In other words I own the best giant robot experience where every other giant robot experience seems weak in comparison.

CoD on the other hand suffers from either I don't care for reality or I'd rather play as The Arbiter from Halo 2.

Now if only I could save money I would really feel smug right about now.
 

09philj

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Call of Duty is clearly on the decline, but opinions differ as to where the decline started and how bad it's gotten. I'd say the decline started after World at War, but only turned into a nosedive at Ghosts. If anything, Infinite Warfare is an improvement over the last three CoD games. While Infinite Warfare may not be great, it is also not completely retarded.
 

Steve the Pocket

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darkrage6 said:
Wonder if Yahtzee is going to do a double review of Titanfall 2 and Infinite Warfare next week since they share some similarities.
Well done, This Guy.

Respawn seem to have taken over the role of "the EA studio who know how to make a good shooter". Be a shame if this game performs poorly and they don't get to keep making them. Granted, it wouldn't be so bad, since Respawn is only partnered with EA and not owned by them outright, so getting let go would just mean having to find another publisher to work with that won't force their games to be Origin exclu- actually I think I might be OK with EA dropping them like a hot potato.
 

Igor-Rowan

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I never plyed Titanfall 1 because because, but I've heard from many others 2 is the way to go as a sequel, improving on everything the original had going for it, sadly it is destinied to fail because EA crunched it between Battlefield 1 and COD: IW and its accolades at the might be snubbed by ND's pretty boy, Blizzard's cool kids and idSoftware's BFG.
 

Thanatos2k

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Steve the Pocket said:
darkrage6 said:
Wonder if Yahtzee is going to do a double review of Titanfall 2 and Infinite Warfare next week since they share some similarities.
Well done, This Guy.

Respawn seem to have taken over the role of "the EA studio who know how to make a good shooter". Be a shame if this game performs poorly and they don't get to keep making them. Granted, it wouldn't be so bad, since Respawn is only partnered with EA and not owned by them outright, so getting let go would just mean having to find another publisher to work with that won't force their games to be Origin exclu- actually I think I might be OK with EA dropping them like a hot potato.
Too late, Titanfall 2 has already sold poorly, even EA has admitted it. You know, because it released within a month of THREE other AAA multiplayer focused bro shooters (Gears 4, BF1, COD:Whatever). One of them was even released by EA!

Laughably, it's even the best of the rotten bunch, though that isn't saying much.
 

Darth_Payn

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I believe I heard Yahtzee give more praise to Battlefield 1 in this video than he did in that game's review last week, so he at least appreciates the attempt to be historical. And it sounds to me like CoD: Indefinite Warbler stole the plot of one of the Red Faction games and switched the sides around. Jaysus, guys, are you out of original ideas already?
 

RisenStorm

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Jacked Assassin said:
For me Titan Fall 2 suffers from that urge to want it quickly followed by losing interest because I own the original Steel Battalion for the original Xbox. In other words I own the best giant robot experience where every other giant robot experience seems weak in comparison.

CoD on the other hand suffers from either I don't care for reality or I'd rather play as The Arbiter from Halo 2.

Now if only I could save money I would really feel smug right about now.
If Dark Souls ruined RPGs for some, Steel Battalion has ruined mech combat games for you and I.

ANYWHO...

Battlefield One did nothing with its setting and straight up insults its setting by basically making a WWII shooter of a WWI-themed game.

Titanfall 2 was only fun when you weren't playing with the giant robot advertised on the box.

COD: IW was, after the dust settles, "just another COD game" rather than "the Antichrist's piss taken video game form".

So all three spunkgargleweewee shooters are just more spungargleweewee? Whoda thunk it?
 

Hawki

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So...something, something, fat grandmas, chocolate, something? 0_0
 

Saelune

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09philj said:
Call of Duty is clearly on the decline, but opinions differ as to where the decline started and how bad it's gotten. I'd say the decline started after World at War, but only turned into a nosedive at Ghosts. If anything, Infinite Warfare is an improvement over the last three CoD games. While Infinite Warfare may not be great, it is also not completely retarded.
World at War? Really? Gonna have to disagree with you there. I dont think there is a decline. Infact, I dont think there is that much change across game popularity, and think its been rather leveled the whole time. CoD4 is overrated by nostalgia, and if there was a peak, it was probably Modern Warfare 2 if anything.

I mean really, Im betting each game sells more than the last. Maybe not by any crazy amount, but I think people are just used to Call of Duty existing, rather than it falling out of favor. Kind of like Pokemon. We dont act like we did in the 90's, but Pokemon is probably more popular than ever.
 

Hawki

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09philj said:
Call of Duty is clearly on the decline, but opinions differ as to where the decline started and how bad it's gotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvN51r1o1Nc&t

You're welcome. ;)

Darth_Payn said:
And it sounds to me like CoD: Indefinite Warbler stole the plot of one of the Red Faction games and switched the sides around.
Actually, the idea of "planetary imperialism/independence/rebellion" goes at least as far back as 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress', and the idea of Mars specifically rebelling against Earth goes at least as far back as the 'Mars Trilogy' (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars'). Red Faction came out half a decade after those novels, and the idea of Mars seeking independence from Earth has, off the top of my head, been explored in Babylon 5, The Expanse, Red Rising, and Marathon.

I can't comment on Infinite Warfare's plot so much, but at the least, I don't think any one piece of media can claim ownership over the idea of Mars rebelling against Earth.
 

fix-the-spade

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Jacked Assassin said:
For me Titan Fall 2 suffers from that urge to want it quickly followed by losing interest because I own the original Steel Battalion for the original Xbox.
I wouldn't call Titanfall 2 a Giant Robot game, it's more like flipping between playing The Scout and The Heavy from Team Fortress 2. Except Heavy is voiced by Optimus Prime.

Saelune said:
CoD4 is overrated by nostalgia, and if there was a peak, it was probably Modern Warfare 2 if anything.
Modern Warfare 2 was definitely the start of Infinity Ward's decline.

CoD4's campaign was so impactful because it subverted what were the established tropes of the time, as well the setting being a marked difference from the sea of World War Two shooters fronted by American Sergeants with Tommy Guns. The ostensible hero dies (pointlessly) half way in, the day is only partly saved and the story doesn't have a particularly happy ending.

With the exception of the M82 the multiplayer was very well balanced and addictive too. It wasn't overly laden with gimmicks either. On PC at least it's still played fairly widely now.

Modern Warfare 2 set the tone for Call of Duty's decline. It was more of the same, but louder. What was unexpected in CoD4 was routine in MW2, the multiplayer was again more of the same but laden down with more gimmicky perks and much less balanced as a result. Activision cheaping out of the cheat protection and server infrastructure didn't help it either.

In two years Call of Duty went from exciting and unexpected to totally stagnant, it wouldn't be until now that an Infnity Ward game even vaguely altered the formula.

Away from the Infinity Ward games Black Ops 2/3 and Advanced Warfare I quite liked though, BlOps is gleefully crazy and AW had Kevin Spacey bringing ALL THE HAM, which made it worthwhile.
 

RJ 17

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Call this a hunch...but I'm beginning to feel like you might have some unresolved issues revolving around your grandmother and her metabolism problem...
 

Saelune

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Hawki said:
09philj said:
Call of Duty is clearly on the decline, but opinions differ as to where the decline started and how bad it's gotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvN51r1o1Nc&t

You're welcome. ;)

Darth_Payn said:
And it sounds to me like CoD: Indefinite Warbler stole the plot of one of the Red Faction games and switched the sides around.
Actually, the idea of "planetary imperialism/independence/rebellion" goes at least as far back as 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress', and the idea of Mars specifically rebelling against Earth goes at least as far back as the 'Mars Trilogy' (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars'). Red Faction came out half a decade after those novels, and the idea of Mars seeking independence from Earth has, off the top of my head, been explored in Babylon 5, The Expanse, Red Rising, and Marathon.

I can't comment on Infinite Warfare's plot so much, but at the least, I don't think any one piece of media can claim ownership over the idea of Mars rebelling against Earth.
If you want to focus just on Mars.

Hell, my first thought of the plot is they are ripping of the original 70's Gundam, with Earth defending against rebellious space colonies.

fix-the-spade said:
Jacked Assassin said:
For me Titan Fall 2 suffers from that urge to want it quickly followed by losing interest because I own the original Steel Battalion for the original Xbox.
I wouldn't call Titanfall 2 a Giant Robot game, it's more like flipping between playing The Scout and The Heavy from Team Fortress 2. Except Heavy is voiced by Optimus Prime.

Saelune said:
CoD4 is overrated by nostalgia, and if there was a peak, it was probably Modern Warfare 2 if anything.
Modern Warfare 2 was definitely the start of Infinity Ward's decline.

CoD4's campaign was so impactful because it subverted what were the established tropes of the time, as well the setting being a marked difference from the sea of World War Two shooters fronted by American Sergeants with Tommy Guns. The ostensible hero dies (pointlessly) half way in, the day is only partly saved and the story doesn't have a particularly happy ending.

With the exception of the M82 the multiplayer was very well balanced and addictive too. It wasn't overly laden with gimmicks either. On PC at least it's still played fairly widely now.

Modern Warfare 2 set the tone for Call of Duty's decline. It was more of the same, but louder. What was unexpected in CoD4 was routine in MW2, the multiplayer was again more of the same but laden down with more gimmicky perks and much less balanced as a result. Activision cheaping out of the cheat protection and server infrastructure didn't help it either.

In two years Call of Duty went from exciting and unexpected to totally stagnant, it wouldn't be until now that an Infnity Ward game even vaguely altered the formula.

Away from the Infinity Ward games Black Ops 2/3 and Advanced Warfare I quite liked though, BlOps is gleefully crazy and AW had Kevin Spacey bringing ALL THE HAM, which made it worthwhile.
I think you over-estimate the low points. Im not saying they arent lower points, but they arent series killers like some people act like they are.

Its not like they dropped the way Assassin's Creed as a series has.
 

ToastyMozart

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Thanatos2k said:
Steve the Pocket said:
darkrage6 said:
Wonder if Yahtzee is going to do a double review of Titanfall 2 and Infinite Warfare next week since they share some similarities.
Well done, This Guy.

Respawn seem to have taken over the role of "the EA studio who know how to make a good shooter". Be a shame if this game performs poorly and they don't get to keep making them. Granted, it wouldn't be so bad, since Respawn is only partnered with EA and not owned by them outright, so getting let go would just mean having to find another publisher to work with that won't force their games to be Origin exclu- actually I think I might be OK with EA dropping them like a hot potato.
Too late, Titanfall 2 has already sold poorly, even EA has admitted it. You know, because it released within a month of THREE other AAA multiplayer focused bro shooters (Gears 4, BF1, COD:Whatever). One of them was even released by EA!

Laughably, it's even the best of the rotten bunch, though that isn't saying much.
Turns out releasing it A DAY after their huge Battlefield entry was a terrible fucking idea. Though TBH, Titanfall 2 is the most fun I've had with a multiplayer FPS in a looong time.

(Also, I'd generally advise against bothering with iron sights unless you've got a sniper rifle. The hipfire's really accurate, and that weapon mod that lets you shoot while sprinting is godlike. You're actively denying yourself fun if you play it the hidey-pokey whackamole COD style: It'll work in the singleplayer, but bouncing between walls in and out of guns-blazing powerslides is just as effective and way more interesting.)
 

Sheo_Dagana

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I kind of saw this comparison coming from the moment I played the first Titanfall - Titanfall felt like one of those 'realistic military shooters' in the future, but pulled the controls off better than Infinite Warfare. Plus, I am partial to Titanfall because it had giant robots in it. Oddly, I got a lot of what I was wanting in a competitive online shooter.

Titanfall 2 is pretty good, honestly, but people can't really give it a chance when it's getting released within weeks of popular franchises by popular companies that are always going to be hits. Like, how were people honestly going get into Battleborn when a freaking Blizzard game, and a brand new IP, at that, was slated almost directly after? Titanfall could have stood to be a 2017 summer title and just got get away from Shooter Season 2016 altogether.

But I felt like Titanfall's basic set-up and control-feel felt like that's where Call of Duty was eventually going to end up.
 

Hawki

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Sheo_Dagana said:
Titanfall 2 is pretty good, honestly, but people can't really give it a chance when it's getting released within weeks of popular franchises by popular companies
EA and Activision are "popular companies?" 0_0
 

NPC009

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Hawki said:
Sheo_Dagana said:
Titanfall 2 is pretty good, honestly, but people can't really give it a chance when it's getting released within weeks of popular franchises by popular companies
EA and Activision are "popular companies?" 0_0
Among those who don't keep up with the news? As in, the vast majority? Yes.