In 2014, Titanfall felt like a very forward-thinking shooter.
The game allows for an incredible amount of freedom with its movement
and manages to make piloting a titan empowering
regardless of how often you do it.
Titanfall carved out a distinct identity
in a genre that’s sometimes filled with games
trying to piggyback off of whatever is popular at the time.
The problem with Titanfall is that it just needed more.
More customization, more titan variety,
and a single player campaign.
As you might expect in a sequel, Titanfall 2 is happy to provide more,
bolstering plenty of new things onto the solid foundation of the original.
For the most part, it does so elegantly,
offering a game that has a lot of meaningful things to do.
Yet what makes Titanfall 2 successful
is that it isn't just content with expected additions.
It completely reexamines what being Titanfall truly means,
and although the game doesn't knock it out of the park in every category,
it's nonetheless an exciting shooter in a year that's stuffed with competition.
Boosting into the air, running on walls,
and clambering onto the backs of titans feels fantastic in the original Titanfall,
but it's all been exquisitely refined in Titanfall 2.
Although it's a difficult sensation to describe in perfect, explicit detail,
getting exactly where you need to go
is always a very natural and intuitive process,
even if it means shooting off the ground,
bouncing off different walls, and landing on a distant platform.
Titanfall 2 gives players an incredible amount of precision
without introducing needless and confusing layers of complexity.
Despite the relative ease of movement,
the difference between a skilled player and a rookie is immediately apparent.
Learning how to shoot while soaring 100 feet in the air
or running along the side of a building
is absolutely essential for competing at the highest levels.
All of this is true of the first game as well,
but new additions accentuate that difference even further.
The grappling hook allows players to cover more ground than ever.
You can zip up the tallest towers or behind enemy lines in seconds.
Because you can get around so quickly,
game modes like capture the flag and hardpoint
are intense, back-and-forth affairs since points of interest
almost always feel within reach.
Understanding the rhythm and pace of Titanfall 2 can take a lot of time,
but the process of learning is so fulfilling that we didn't mind one bit.
The game makes many of its contemporaries look pedestrian by comparison.
The single player campaign puts the excellent movement to good use.
As you progress from one mission to the next,
discovering a path to the objective gets increasingly difficult.
It doesn't take long to reach moments
where finding a way across a chasm of death isn't obvious.
These sections are never all that vexing,
but still serve as a refreshing change of pace
from the typical "shoot everyone in this corridor" design
that's often seen.
While platforming remains consistently enjoyable throughout,
many of the best ideas in the campaign are frustratingly utilized.
Without ruining any surprises,
Titanfall 2 abandons several creative mechanics
within an hour or so of their introduction.
As a result, certain missions are very unique,
it's hard to shake the feeling that they could have been so much better
with just a bit more time to cook.
There's something to be said about moving on for the sake of variety and pacing,
but Titanfall 2 feels as though it's greatly overcompensating in that regard.
The story is another weak element.
Although there are outside forces driving you forward,
the central focus is on rookie pilot Jack Cooper
and his relationship with the titan BT-7274 or "BT" for short.
Cooper and BT meet each other under extraordinary circumstances
and must rely on one another to overcome overwhelming odds.
The problem is that the relationship is never all that believable.
Titanfall 2 is so quick to hurry you on to the next objective or group of enemies
that the bond between man and machine isn't given appropriate space to develop.
It doesn't help that Jack Cooper is a rather boring blank slate.
The villains are also fairly one note,
never doing a great job of providing reasons to care about the fight against them.
Several significant changes, mostly regarding titans,
make multiplayer a different beast than what came before.
Instead of the three loadouts present in the original game,
Titanfall 2 offers six archetypes
and each manage to have strong personalities and varied playstyles.
Scorch is a beefy titan that struggles to get around
but can literally melt a group of enemies under the right circumstances.
The fragile but phase-shifting Ronin can swiftly maneuver the battlefield
and lay ruin to opposing titans with its giant sword.
Depending on the titan chosen, players have a vastly different role.
Knowing that role is key, and it can change dramatically depending on the map
and the types of enemy titans present.
Titans no longer have regenerating shields,
making pilots more vulnerable than before,
especially if they're controlling a lightweight like Ronin or Northstar.
In order to acquire a shield, another pilot has to steal a battery from an enemy titan
or you have to disembark and get one yourself.
The increased vulnerability leads to situations
where the enemy can swarm you out of nowhere
and destroy your titan within seconds of it spawning.
Players also have to keep in mind that although you slowly earn points
for calling in a titan no matter what,
the gauge ticks at a slower rate than the first game,
so scoring kills and completing objectives
is even more important if you want a titan quickly.
It's not a change that's going to appeal to everyone,
especially those particularly fond of the scrappy nature
of titan battles from the first game.
For us, however, it's a change we greatly prefer.
Because titans are less resilient, it feels as though more's at stake.
Matches require a greater degree of thoughtfulness
when it comes to positioning and team communication.
To balance things out a bit,
it's more difficult for enemy pilots to completely dismantle a titan.
They can't simply jump on your back and blow away huge chunks of health.
Instead, pilots steal a battery which does a fixed amount of damage.
It's a fair mechanic,
one that's less frustrating for the titan on the receiving end
and more rewarding for the pilot
that actually manages to put the battery to good use.
Bounty hunt, a new mode in Titanfall 2, also puts a lot at stake.
To win, you rack up credits by attacking enemy pilots, titans, and AI soldiers.
You earn points by depositing that money
in one of two banks that appear after an AI wave is cleared.
The catch is you lose half of all money earned upon death.
It’s a solid mode not only because of the high risk-high reward dynamic at play
but also because banks are chaotic hotspots.
Trying to make it in and out with your skin intact can send your heart racing.
Whereas Titanfall lacked a deep progression system,
the sequel is more fleshed out in every regard.
There's more to collect, and you earn items like guns,
sights, mods, banners, and skins at a fast rate.
It's also possible to bypass level requirements
for certain items by spending credits,
which is great for players that know exactly what they want right away.
The majority of maps are perfectly suited to both the hulking titans and agile pilots.
There are so many spots where especially dexterous players
can get the drop on those unaware by maneuvering around in clever ways.
As with many good competitive multiplayer games,
certain maps such as Complex emphasize frantic close-quarters combat
while others like Homestead take place on sprawling, open fields.
The only map that doesn't click with us is Crash Site,
which features long canyon valleys that don't provide any great space
for titans to move around in, making skirmishes restrictively linear.
The first Titanfall is a solid execution on a great idea.
Titanfall 2 feels much closer to reaching that idea's full potential.
It's clear that Respawn labored over every tiny detail,
from the powerful sound of each gunshot
to the convincing sense of weight present in every titan step.
The level of effort pays off tremendously,
creating a shooter that can compete with the stiffest competition.
It's too bad the campaign never comes close to the overall level of quality
that some of its best ideas hint at,
but the multiplayer will likely keep you happy
until Respawn decides it's time for a much deserved third entry.
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