In Titanfall, players fight on a war-torn planet in six-on-six online multiplayer-only matches as mech-style Titans and their pilots. The game's action is fast-paced: as pilots, players can run along walls and link jumps together parkour-style, use a variety of futuristic military weapons, and employ one of three special abilities: cloaking, stimming (increasing speed and health regeneration) and radar pinging; as Titans, players are equipped with more destructive armaments and special protective shields, with no limit to their abilities besides cooldown and reloading.
Titanfall blends familiar concepts with innovative ideas in remarkable ways, leading to a nearly nonstop supply of awesome moments. But for as fun as it is, you'll likely find yourself wishing Respawn was more ambitious when it comes to game modes, since there's a good chance you've captured enough flags for one lifetime.
The most exciting multiplayer shooter in recent years, held back from greatness by its questionable staying power.
In its current form, then, Titanfall is perhaps more of a step forward for shooters than a giant leap. But that still represents the most positive momentum seen in the genre for at least five years. Quite simply, if you feel like you're in danger of falling out of love with multiplayer shooters, Titanfall is the game to win you back.
You should always judge a game by what it is and not by what it's not, but there's a gulf between the way in which I want to interact with mulitplayer first-person shooters and the manner in which Titanfall has been provided. It won't stop me playing, but it might stop me playing for as long. That's a shame.
Titanfall is a flawed game that winds up being greater than the sum of its parts. Even counting both sides of the campaign together, it's quite short.
